Varietal: Shiraz
Region: Australia
Cost: $26
Tasting Notes: Pure blueberry and ripe dark raspberry fruit adds an elegant, creamy, caramel-milk chocolate component, followed by a second layer of coffee, maple, oak, and spice that is beautifully balanced by a last push of citrus and a fine-wine, vapor-filled blowback. Finishes with a satisfying, velvety, silky-smooth finish. Pairs well with red meat, pizza, and pasta.
My Review: Last week I talked about the Thumbs Up Wine App and how much I liked it. As part of my test drive for the app I used it to pick out a bottle of wine to pair with a steak dinner that my wife and I were enjoying. As for actually finding the wine, the app worked wonderfully, making it easy to narrow down what I was looking for based on what I wanted to spend, what I was eating, and what store I was in.
The 2011 Mollydooker “The Boxer” Shiraz jumped out at me because of the value the app gave it, listing it at an average price of $25 (I paid $26), but with a value of $45. A wine that drinks like one twenty dollars more expensive will usually get my attention, so I grabbed the bottle and opened it with our dinner.
In the glass the wine was a deep red color with hints of brick. On the nose I picked up chocolate and blueberry, both of which carried into the mouth. In the mouth the wine was dry, the chocolate notes being tempered by the berry, but easily being the more prominent of the flavors. Paired with a pair of ribeye steaks the wine did a great job of adding a counter note to the juiciness of the steak.
I will say that this is definitely a wine that demands food. Steak was a good pairing, and based on the flavors I think a good saucy pasta or pizza would go well with it as well. It is not, however, something I would open just to sip on because of the dryness and bold flavors. As for whether or not the wine was worth $45 is hard for me to say, but I will say that I thought it drank better than the $26 I paid for it, so it’s certainly a good value wine in that regard and one worth looking at if you’re having red meat or pasta for dinner.
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