~$20US, 100% Shiraz, Eden Valley, Australia

I’ve been eager to try more new(er) world wines that are less spoofalated, and was recommended this boutique Shiraz from the Eden Valley. Torzi Matthews does a good job of keeping things natural - hands-on in the vineyards and hands-off in the winery - Relying on low watering, composting,  natural ground cover,  some whole bunches in the fermentation, and natural yeasts.  I personally appreciate these aspects of wine-growing - this kind of care tends to connect the growers more closely to their craft.

The Schist Rock poured a rich royal purple. The nose lept from the glass with mulling spices - cinnamon, clove, with green olives and blackberries. Plums and prunes.  Very perfumed - almost noxiously so at first. A quick sip displayed some serious power here - and a slightly soft, but well-balanced structure to support the fruit and spice.

I let it decant for a few hours and came back to it with some braised short ribs.  It had settled down beautifully - and showed much more integration and harmony. The perfume and fruit had subsided just a hair, bringing in some secondary leather and subtle ham-smoke flavors. The fruit here is quite ripe - and played into my sweet tooth with a serious yum factor - but the alcohol (reported @14%ABV) was kept very well contained - and I tend to be more sensitive there.  The wine kept improving with air and began showing off a great minerality with thyme and bay leaf in the finish. Schisty indeed.

The highlight was the chewey last sip, and checking out the decanter afterward - I swear there was enough sediment to rebuild an entire cluster of grapes. I saw an actual stem. Awesome.

This is a bunch of wine for the money - big, brutish and powerful -  a little rusticity but there is an air of elegance (the proverbial football player taking the ballet classes).  Not over the top, a la Molleydooker but right at the top. There is enough stuff here to please the geekiest wine geeks - but the accessibility makes this a real winner and big value at the top end of the value Shirazi.

~$25US, 100% Shiraz, South Australia

When it comes to wine, expectations can really mess with you. Sometimes you pick a wine (for whatever reason) and when you drink it, it rocks you, surprises you, or falls flat on it’s face. Other times, you pick a wine drink it and it just delivers the goods. I heard that Chris Ringland had a few mid-price Shiraz projects in the pipeline, and when I saw it on the shelf, I nabbed it, knowing full well that this was probably a ridiculously-alcoholic-palate-hijacking-full-throttle-fruit-bonanza. But hey, it’s Friday.

Color: Black, with a purple rim
Nose: Skittles, plum pie filling, alcohol, vanilla ice-cream, lipstick, ganache
Palate: Big, ripe and round, port-like in its sweetness. Fair acidity and alcoholic heat keep things in order, as the tannins are well-mellowed. This is an intense palate assault - it just moshes in your mouth, hitting all the tastebuds, especially the tip of the tongue. It’s like the stuff inside the purple Gushers. Fun stuff.
Finish: Very long and oily. The alcohol bites with little bitterness. Black pepper and a peroxide note linger.

It delivered.

~$40US 100% Shiraz, Mclaren Vale Australia

This is the upper-tier Shiraz by Marquis Philips. It was deep deep purple - almost black in the glass. Super-intense nose of black fruits, some licorice and basil, and a huge cloud of alcohol. The intensity and juiciness of the nose makes this wine pretty attractive. Huge amounts of concentrated blackberry fruits and grape jam, then some mocha and dark chocolate. This much fruit is tough to keep in balance; the soft tannins and the alcoholic bite tried, but could not stand up to the fruit. Finished more like a fine spirit - an aged rum or tequila than a wine. I am not sure what this would be like in 10-15 years, or after 5-8 hours in the decanter - but hopefully some of the alcohol would blow off and the fruit soften and round out. This is hard to recommend when the MP Sarah’s Blend or the Mollydooker Shiraz’s can be had at less than half the price and offer a very similar experience, overall.

Well-made, but an untamed, wild wine, massive in all respects.