Many of the people positn in that thread seemed to have an opinion even though it was apparent that they would never consider trying this wine. In any case, I was out shopping yesterday, saw it for $8.99 and figured what the heck. I like Aussie Shiraz, but usually not the over the top jammy fruty ones - I prefer a little structure. For reference, the 03 Jacob's Creek Reserve is one of my favorites at this price range. This Yellow Tail never gets jammy, at least to my palate. The dark fruit is really up front, both on the nose and in taste. The finish lasts surprisingly long for a wine at this price, I would say a good 30 seconds at least. While a little more pepper/spice at the back end would be preferred, I would have to say it is an enjoyable drinker. Hervey Steinman knows a billion times more about Shiraz than me, so I can't really argue against his 90 point score. Bottom line - I like it. It had enough tannins to stand up well with some slow cooker beef stew, and the food even brough the fruit out a little more. So, like someone else said: 90 points, $11 suggested retail, and high production - how can it not be in the top 100? My preference would be a more structured Syrah like Montes, but with an open mind towards a different style, I can see myself buying this again. HS says it is good until about 2015, if I remember his notes correctly. I'm interested to see if I hang on to one for a few years what it would be like.
I was curious about this wine when it got the 90 points a month or two ago, even before it made the top 100. Elsewhere on the boards is a huge discussion about whether or not it was deserving because it is, after all, the apparently evil Yellow Tail! Many of the people positn in that thread seemed to have an opinion even though it was apparent that they would never consider trying this wine. In any case, I was out shopping yesterday, saw it for $8.99 and figured what the heck. I like Aussie Shiraz, but usually not the over the top jammy fruty ones - I prefer a little structure. For reference, the 03 Jacob's Creek Reserve is one of my favorites at this price range. This Yellow Tail never gets jammy, at least to my palate. The dark fruit is really up front, both on the nose and in taste. The finish lasts surprisingly long for a wine at this price, I would say a good 30 seconds at least. While a little more pepper/spice at the back end would be preferred, I would have to say it is an enjoyable drinker. Hervey Steinman knows a billion times more about Shiraz than me, so I can't really argue against his 90 point score. Bottom line - I like it. It had enough tannins to stand up well with some slow cooker beef stew, and the food even brough the fruit out a little more. So, like someone else said: 90 points, $11 suggested retail, and high production - how can it not be in the top 100? My preference would be a more structured Syrah like Montes, but with an open mind towards a different style, I can see myself buying this again. HS says it is good until about 2015, if I remember his notes correctly. I'm interested to see if I hang on to one for a few years what it would be like.
Many of the people positn in that thread seemed to have an opinion even though it was apparent that they would never consider trying this wine. In any case, I was out shopping yesterday, saw it for $8.99 and figured what the heck. I like Aussie Shiraz, but usually not the over the top jammy fruty ones - I prefer a little structure. For reference, the 03 Jacob's Creek Reserve is one of my favorites at this price range. This Yellow Tail never gets jammy, at least to my palate. The dark fruit is really up front, both on the nose and in taste. The finish lasts surprisingly long for a wine at this price, I would say a good 30 seconds at least. While a little more pepper/spice at the back end would be preferred, I would have to say it is an enjoyable drinker. Hervey Steinman knows a billion times more about Shiraz than me, so I can't really argue against his 90 point score. Bottom line - I like it. It had enough tannins to stand up well with some slow cooker beef stew, and the food even brough the fruit out a little more. So, like someone else said: 90 points, $11 suggested retail, and high production - how can it not be in the top 100? My preference would be a more structured Syrah like Montes, but with an open mind towards a different style, I can see myself buying this again. HS says it is good until about 2015, if I remember his notes correctly. I'm interested to see if I hang on to one for a few years what it would be like.Original Post
