Red Belly Black Shiraz 2008

I wasn't lying last time when I said I would write about something bolder in the next post last time. This post's wine is a shiraz from southern Australia, a dramatic shift from the recent pinot noir streak that I've been on. Shiraz (also known as Syrah,) is an awesomely powerful grape, it is often added to other wines in blends for strength and to a lesser extent, body. Australia, as a winemaking region, encompasses a large variety of microclimates, some extremely hot, some rather cold. Interestingly, the wine I'm reviewing today has grapes from different vineyards, one from a hot area, and one from a cold one. This, according to the back label of the bottle, gives the wine a unique balance.

So! The wine of this post is the Red Belly Black Shiraz from 2008. In color, this wine was phenomenal. It had an exciting dark depth in its heart, as well as a rather seductive violet/red hue around the glass. In the right light you can see your fingers at the other end of the glass, but you've got to drink your way down to a third of the glass to get that to happen. The legs were decent, and the wine left a charming stein on the glass as the wine was drunk.

Aromatically, this wine was everything you'd dream for in a bold wine. Black currant, wild berries, and an amazing oak coating it all. The oak by the way, in its engagement with the dark fruit of the shiraz grape, creates an enchanting dark chocolate, probably the best note of dark chocolate in a wine that I've ever had. It was richly decadent and thick. I honestly couldn't have asked for anything else in this type of a wine.

In flavor, the wine also impressed. Dark, and I mean, black-to-black violet, fruits really come in swinging with serious force. A mild spice also comes in on the finish, which really rounds the wine together. Some slight plum action also came through, but mostly the black currant and wild berries were the at the front of this wine. Combine that with the rich dark chocolate, and all your dreams of pleasure food come true. On top of that, add a boldly full body that packs a punch and some silky tannins, and you're on cloud nine.

If there was something wrong with this wine, it would be that it was too sexy to handle. I can definitely picture Satan tempting the masses to drink from his forbidden flask, which of course would contain the 2008 Red Belly Black Shiraz. I personally can't have a wine like this every night, just because after a while this much power can wear me down. Additionally, the wine boasts a 14.5% alcohol percentage, which honestly, takes a toll on a man. Another cool thing about this wine is the fact that the grapes come from both a hot and a colder vineyard, which you can totally see. If all the grapes came from the hot vineyard, this wine would have been way too powerful and full, to the point where the fruit gets overshadowed by an ever-higher alcohol percentage. An A+ wine in my books, the Angove winemakers (the family that produces this wine,) did a great job, and I'm excited to see what they put out in the future!