After trying the Jacob’s Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon I had to line up their Shiraz and make some comparisons.  This Shiraz displays nicely in the glass with medium opacity, purple hues and a definite show of legs.  The nose is somewhat muted even after a few big swirls.  I finally coax blackberries and eucalyptus out of it.  On the palate I get black fruits with a dose of greeness that is very prominent.  There is a touch of cedar as the wine transitions to the mid palate.  I sense very fine grained tannins approaching along with a dark cherry note.  The black fruits continue on the finish but the tannins overwhelm them in the end.  The wine has a strong acidity that I can sense on my teeth.  The green notes I talked of earlier reappear on the finish.  It’s almost like the fruit included some unripe clusters that have given this wine a certain sourness along with the over abundant acidity.  85 points from me and 2 stars for this $12 effort.  Salut….

Wow- talk about extraction, power, depth, complexity and a mouth full of blueberry.  This is a huge wine, with some really great flavors intertwined with fresh acidity and smooth tannins.  Just by pouring it I knew I was in for a treat.  Nearly black in the glass with a huge nose of blueberry, vanilla and black cherry.  The initial attack was uber long with sweet dark berries, mocha, plum and lavender hints.  More fruits evolved as I swirled the wine, showing off cassis and oak.  The long finish was impressive as was the way they managed to hide the whopping alcohol.  This is a well made, very precise wine that is not for the faint of heart.  Atypical in style it appeals to me for it’s purity of fruit and ease of drinking.  The mouthfeel is impeccable.  I always enjoy Mollydooker wines and this one is no exception.  Priced at $50 it gets 92 points from me and 5 stars.  Salut….

I must admit that I am in total disagreement with this wine’s rating. I bought it on sale with the high hopes that it’s 95 point badge was going to be right up my alley. I paid $25 or so dollars for it which would have made it a 5 star wine worthy of kings. Alas, it was not to be. Here is what the critics wrote…”Deep purple-crimson; the class of wine shines through from the first whiff to the long finish and aftertaste; multi-spice, licorice and black pepper are woven through the blackberry and plum fruit, fine-grained tannins in support.”

Here are my notes:Plums and dark cherry nose, lithe and thin with alcohol notes.  Plums and spice with a touch of wood. That is all I could write, I was so underwhelmed that I did not bother to seek deeper into the glass.  I may have opened a bad bottle, perhaps it is in a coma state.  Either way, I have one more and will wait a while to see if this Western Australian Shiraz comes any where near its claimed score.  For me 87 points and 2 stars.  Salut….