Catamoungst the Pigeons - Shiraz

Price: $17.00
Region: Australia
Year: 2007

I'm a couple of days behind on my latest post because the World Series has taken up some of my free time. Anyway, I have a little time to kill this afternoon, so it seemed like a good time to write my latest review. This was one of the wines I picked up at the wine tasting we went to a couple of weeks ago. I grabbed a couple of different bottles as 10% of sales were going to the charity being represented. This store is a little more expensive then the others I frequent, so $17 is a little more then what I usually spend for a bottle, but not by much. This particular wine was recommended by a friend that was at the same wine tasting, and my preference for Australian Shiraz is no surprise, so it seemed like a no-brainer.

Another Friday evening pizza dinner from our favorite local Italian eatery. That seems to be a more and more frequent event on Friday these days, but it is convenient and good. As I poured myself a glass and sat down for dinner, I noticed right away how deep, dark purple this wine was. A great start in my book for sure. It wasn't too "syrupy", but has a nice texture. When I took a smell, it definitely said Shiraz, which again, is just fine for me. It is just a smell that I look for when I open a bottle, especially from Australia. It seems to have a bit of spice behind it, but not overly pungent. Based on the color, and smell, I was thinking this was going to be a fairly strong wine, but when I took my first sip, it definitely wasn't as bold as I was expecting. It had a very nice flavor, a bit different then your typical Shiraz, with a hint of licorice. I actually was quite impressed because it was a nice smooth wine, with a very interesting taste. It definitely played the Shiraz part nicely, with a little twist. Would definitely pick up another bottle on my way through that store.

Rating: 3.75 (A bit different, but very good)