If you are in a wine store, unsure of what to buy for a spur-of-the-moment host bottle then d’Arenberg is your go-to wine.  The winery makes a bunch of different wines but most have the red/yellow stripe on the label which makes them easy to identify.  Quality and consistency come to mind with this brand.

Dark purple in the glass, it comes off the blocks with blueberry, plum and a hint of oak.  On the initial palate, I was getting licorice and eucalyptus in addition to the fruitiness.  Great acidity kept the wine on track and the tannic structure is built to last.  On the back end, vanilla comes to mind as does blackberry pie.  Drinking well now, it will cellar for another 10-15 years easily.  We drank this with Tenderloins and salad, I cannot think of a better combination.  Pricey at $35+, it scores well at 92 in my books and has to be a 4 star effort.  Treat yourself to some really good Shiraz this summer and try a d’Arenberg.  Salut……

Next up on the flight to Bali was this Aussie Shiraz.  I will admit that between this flight and the return one I sampled this wine from 3 different bottles, all pretty much consistent.  Very muted nose that was giving me no signs of fruit, perhaps the dry environment of an aircraft cabin did it no justice.  On the palate, raw blackberry jam mixed with earth, but slightly dry.   I did notice some gripping tannins and the mouthfeel was ok, but nothing stunning.  Overall, a very atypical Shiraz that did not do much for me.  84 points and 2 stars.

A blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon that hit well with the pro’s yet I despised.  I guess I just don’t like overly worked Shiraz, Aussie style.  Structurally speaking, it had all the right components for an easy drinking reasonable wine.  Tannins, acidity and balance.  Overly oaky in my opinion- it was dark purple in the glass.  On the nose- very ripe black berry notes that revealed plummy jam and berry on the palate.  Like I said, not my style of over-extraction.  For me 2 stars and 84 points.  The pro’s gave it about 87 points.

There’s Aussie Shiraz, and then there is Shiraz from Australia. A big difference in style, quality and enjoyment. This wine runs along the Shiraz from Australia line and it is good.
Nose-wise …. Red fruit compote. On the palate, rich and warm raspberry meets cocoa. A slight touch of plum and graphite make this a complex wine that has me excited. The tannins are well integrated and there is no imbalance. A normal finish leaves me feeling this is a 3 star wine at 89 points.

Atypical of regular Aussie Shiraz, this Diamond Label offering brings good value for money. A purple wine that gives off hints of blue berries. On the palate, plum and blueberry jam mix with very subtle tannins to give a nice mouthfull of fresh fruit. Decent at 87 points and 3 stars.