WTN: Peninsula Ridge Shiraz 2006

Niagara Peninsula

Fairly dark red in the glass.

Spicy, cherry fruit, red licorice and floral on the nose.

Quite light bodied, almost thin (if I were in an uncharitable mood), raspberry and cherry fruit, odd tea-like flavours, floral, spicy, turning bitter and drying toward the end, lacking in any kind of Shiraz typicity.

A drying finish.

Not a terrible wine (I have certainly had worse), but not like any Shiraz I have ever had. It was almost like a Shiraz rose, if you can imagine what that would taste like.

In the past, I have been very impressed with Peninsula Ridge's Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, so this was a disappointment.

Purchased at $14.95 (Canadian).

Thanks for saving me the experience, Bruce!

I was eyeing this wine recently and thought of how terrible a vintage '06 was for reds here, and immediately I passed the wine by. I cannot imagine how any of the warm-climate red viniferas (e.g. Cab Sauvignon, Shiraz) could be good from '06.

Now, that being said, Pelee Island's '06 Gamay/Zweigelt blend is surprisingly good and balanced, showing the strength of the Austrian grape and, probably Gamay, in our climate.

Still, I've had previous vintages of Peninsula Ridge Shiraz and it has been much better to my taste than any local wines from the Bordeaux-type varieties.