2003 Wishing Tree Shiraz (WS 89)
I think this is a delicious Shiraz....89 points fits my impression well. For about $10, it's a pretty good deal. Very enjoyable. Being from Western Australia, it's interesting to compare to a Shiraz from South Australia. I thought the style was very similar/typical to what I've tried from South Australia. I can't think of a wine I've tried from further away! The first bottles I had of this seemed to have plenty of tannins to last a while (WS says drink through 2006). However, after being open two days, it was starting to lose its fruitiness and yumminess. Still good, but had dropped to about an 86-87 pt experience. Not really a surprise there... two days is a lot.
2001 Robert Mondavi Cab Sauv Private Selection (WS 81)
Someone gave me this bottle, and I opened it while reading the WS article on Cali Cabs (it was all I had!). I thought it was pretty weak... 79-80 pts. Didn't seem well integrated... strong flavors, but not smooth or very enjoyable. Good for a cooking wine, I told someone. I only had one glass of it (maybe I can use it to reduce my wine intake each evening!). However, this one really improved after being opened more than 24 hours. I gave it another try the next evening, and I thought it was pretty decent... much smoother and more enjoyable. More like an 84-85 pt wine the next day. Certainly not worth pouring down the drain.
So drink your Wishing Tree Shiraz the evening you open it, but give your Mondavis people gave you a day to think about being a better wine. Or maybe they need some bottle age. I won't buy more to find out!
