There’s something that’s just free-spirited and larger than life about that inky dark wine from Australia…Shiraz.  And our Wine of the Week has all of that attitude.  It’s Greg Norman Estates 2005 Limestone Coast Shiraz. 

This is a mouthful of rich chewy flavor, as ideal with a big juicy burger as it is with a sizzling grilled strip steak. 

The Limestone Coast is in South Australia where the warm sun and dry days bake in the ripeness and big fruity character.  The bold black fruitiness is like a spoon of boysenberry jam. Then add a dusting of chocolate and a dash of nutmeg spiciness and full bodied taste experience comes together when you sip.

The beauty of this wine is that there’s so much of it in each sip and the fourteen dollars you’ll pay is the real bonus!  Greg Norman Estates 2005 Limestone Coast Shiraz.

Pop the Cork™.

Wine of the Week - October 19, 2007

Tasting Notes:  Shiraz wines are one of Australia's most famous wine exports. They are rich, vibrant and bursting with fresh fruit flavor. The 2005 Greg Norman Estates Limestone Coast Shiraz is deep, dark red with purple hues. Intense, lifted aromas of ripe, dark plum, blackberry, sweet vanillin and spice with light subtle hints of blueberry and blackcurrant fruit, all portend to a generous palate that is full flavored, balanced and long.

The palate, though big and opulent, has an elegant, smooth texture, some mocha and cedar oak character combined with ripe, dark berry fruit and fine tannins. The mid palate's ripe berry flavors will, with time, reveal more complex characters such as dark chocolate, liquorice, wood smoke and warm leather, as the wine ages and evolves. A full bodied, rich rewarding Shiraz that expresses the warmth of the Australian vintage and the riper flavors, obtainable from the renowned Limestone Coast regions - a wine both generous and harmonious.Grape Source:  The fruit for this wine was sourced from vineyards in Padthaway and the famous Coonawarra region in South Australia. Dark, rich and full-bodied Shiraz fruit shows extra finesse, particularly when from vineyards grown on the rich red soils that overlay the region's hard limestone rock. The 2005 vintage was very good, remembered for its very dry summer and Autumn, the warm, dry conditions prevailing from April through to May.

There was the occasional short overnight shower to maintain the vines, but these did not cause any disease. The warmth caused the fruit to ripen more quickly, subsequent harvesting beginning two weeks earlier, and this allowed the winemakers to pursue riper fruit flavors, generous tannins and bigger structured wines; particularly from Padthaway and Coonawarra, albeit with higher alcohols than normally expected.

Vinification:  The individual vineyard parcels of fruit were harvested then fermented separately in rotary and static fermenters. The juice gently moved over the skins to extract the rich colors and flavors from the skins. The wine was then pressed off the skins and racked to new and seasoned American and French oak for maturation prior to blending and bottling. 

Wine Spectator (June 30, 2007) - "A strong leaf character runs through the currant and spice aromas and flavors of this lively, open-textured Shiraz. Not for everyone, but distinctive. Drink now through 2010. “- Harvey Steiman  (Rated 88)

Notes on our Wines of the Week, Recommendations, and Picks:

When you read our thoughts, please remember that you may think differently.  A particular wine may be your favorite and not on our list.  Well, don't stop buying it because of that.  In fact, you may want to email us and let us know about it. These are our opinions but our FIRST recommendation is to go by your own palate.

A couple of other thoughts...first, prices are approximate.  They'll vary.  Second, different vintages mean different grapes and different tastes so our recommendation for a 2000 Merlot may not hold for 2001.

And lastly, we remind you to drink responsibly!  Now, all that said, here is a summary of  links to our suggestions.  Find one (or more) and pop the cork!

Read the fine print . . .

Wine consumption can have positive physical benefits or cause possible physical harm . . . the medical community is divided in some areas.  If you have any doubt, check with your doctor before consuming wine or any other alcoholic drink. 

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