This showed up in my recent Prima IlConsorzia shipment, so cracked it last night:
1. d'Arenberg TheNonsauVine GSM McLarenVale (67% Grenache/27% Syrah/6% Mourv; 14.5%; www.DArenberg.com; www.OBC.com) 2009: Dark color; strong boysenberg/blackberry/Shiraz/ripe bit chocolaty some vanilla/toasty/oak slight eucalyptus rather aromatic intense nose; soft rather minty/eucalyptus very strong boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah/chocolaty/bit licorice slight orange peel interesting/ripe/lush flavor w/ light/tangy tannins; long soft ripe/boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah/very ripe Grenache/licorice/chocolaty some vanilla/oak minty/menthol/eucalyptus/koala bear pee finish w/ light sharp tannins; quite a tasty red at a great place. $14.00 (PrimaIlC)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Oz wines are some that have completely vanished from my radar since the hey-day of TheGratefulPalate. No particular reason, I suppose. When I walk by the Oz shelf at any wine store, my eyes sorta glaze over and sorta "move along, folks...nothing to see here". Unless I see some unusual varietal I don't often associate w/ Oz wines or it's a Riesling.
I suspect it's because that Oz red wines have a sort of homogeneous flavor profile and a certain "sameness" to them. Certainly that's true of many of their Rhone reds. Though I liked this wine, it seemed pretty interchangeable w/ any Oz Rhone reds I've had over the yrs.
Tom