Montoya - Petit Shiraz

Price: $12.99
Region: California
Year: 2006

I've been meaning to get to a some of my backlog reviews, and it seems I have a little time to do so. I'll aim for an extra review a week until I catch up. This wine was actually enjoyed in July, when we went over to a friend's house for an evening out on the back deck. As some may know from other reviews, I'm in constant search for another Petit Shriaz to match the one found on my default list (Bogle). I've tried many, but no such luck to date. My usual course of action, when I have the time, is to browse the store until something jumps out at me. This particular week, as I walked down teh first aisle, where "other reds" are on display, one of the employees who often offer to lend a hand saw me looking in the direction of the Petit Shiraz. She said, if you want to try a good one, this one from Montoya just came in, and it is excellent. Well, that was about all I needed to pursuade me, so it was a wuick trip to the wine store in deed.

As we arrived at our freinds' house, it didn't take too long to be out back on the deck with glasses of wine in hand. One of the things I just love about a good Petit Shiraz is the almost purple color, and this one was no different. It was very deep, and dark, almost black. A very goos start indeed. As I lifted it up to smell, it didn't disappoint there either. A good earthy, bold smell. Just was I was hoping for. I will say I have gotten this far before with a Petit Shiraz, but then fell flat on my face when it came time for the moment of truth. No such bad luck here. The wine was very flavorful, and bold, with great length and balance. A great match for burgers on the grill. Much like the Bogle, it was just a good solid, smooth wine for a reasonable price. I will say I tend to say no thank you every time one of the employees ask me if I need any assistance, but this time, I'm glad I took her advice. While I would definitely say it is on par with the Bogle, it is a couple of dollars more expensive, so just comes in a shade under as far as corks go, but a nice wine fo sure.

Rating: 3.75 corks (Great for a Bar-B-Q)