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Red Heads "Yard Dog" 2005

Red Heads "Yard Dog" is an unusual $10 blend from Australia, combining 46% Petit Verdot, 30% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon. This mutt gave me a look and then followed me home. Not appearing to be a contest winner based on external appearances, I must say that back at the ranch we were all rewarded with its unexpected inner beauty.

The Red Heads who produced this wine appear to be a bit scrappy themselves but obviously know what they like and how to turn it out. At the end of the day breeding, fine equipment and caste can sometimes be trumped by the instinct and effectiveness of an underdog.

This deep purple ruby pour is nearly opaque in the glass and has a dark complexity about the nose that belies a much more friendly and straightforward flavor. Richer and smoother than you might expect, there's plenty of cherry fruit and sweet spice notes with some wood showing through.

Never fear, this "Yard Dog" will become your best friend.

Excellent value ($10). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 15%.

The full moon in harvest season is always spectacular and brings out the "junkyard dog" in all of us mutts. This past week I was on assignment in Corona, California photographing hotel signs at sundown when I turned around just in time to catch the moon rising as the sun fell below the horizon.

Moon over Corona California September 25, 2007

Wishing Tree Western Australia Shiraz 2005

In the spirit of the Wishing Tree, I wish I had more time this Summer to share wine experiences here on Winewaves. To say I've been in a time crunch is an understatement. Because I've had to cut back, the wines that I do mention are the real deal, the ones that stand out. Expect lots of bang for the buck with Wishing Tree Shiraz 2005. It's tailor made for a real hickory grilled burger and a slab of homegrown Cherokee Purple tomato.

Outstanding value ($10). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 14.5%.

Style: Lush, fruit forward, with some oak spice.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep purple eggplant, translucent. Aromas: The full spectrum of berry from red to black is there, and that definitely includes blueberry. There's also some rustic cassia spice, like a cross between cinnamon and aromatic bark. Some pepper displays on the tongue along with moderate tannic structure. The result is satisfying, smooth, dry, and the lush fruit carries from start to finish.

As you can see, I've been busy growing some fine looking heirloom tomatoes. The vines are literally out of control and the Brandywines are sensational, not to mention the Cherokee Purple and Amish Paste.

d'Arenberg The Stump Jump Red 2005

Does it matter that no down-under critter icon was abused in the labeling of this amazing Australian red wine value? Do you care that the stump jump is a farm implement that can plough (plow) a row while riding over eucalyptus stumps? You will agree this wine is always a good deal and this year it's downright great for the $10 asking price.

Fourth generation Chief Winemaker Chester d’Arenberg Osborn turns out some of the best bargains from Australia. d'Arenberg The Stump Jump Red is a quintessential blend dominated by Grenache (46%) and perfectly conjoined with Shiraz (34%) and Mourvèdre (20%). These are of course grapes which are well known in the Rhône Valley of France and also in Spain where Mourvedre is called Monastrell.

The d'Arenberg approach involves gentle basket pressing, minimally filtering and keeping batches small and separate until blending.

Excellent value ($10). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 14.5%.

Style: Fruit-forward, approaching lush, with some oak spice.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep cranberry ruby with a nice haze. Aromas: Plum, raspberry, cherry, spicy vanilla and a bit of earth. Medium-bodied with moderate soft tannins and good tartness, the ample raspy fruit and good gravelly backbone are in nice balance and the warm dry finish shows a bit of wood.

Comment: Enjoy small batch wine at a big batch price.

R Winery Evil Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

"Evil" spelled backwards is "Live" but "Evil" turned upside down, "It's just wrong". That's what the label says anyway.

Evil is another worthy project of the partnership between Dan Philips' Grateful Palate Imports and Chris Ringland's R Winery. The partnership is responsible for Bitch Barossa Grenache, Pillar Box Red and other hotties in our wine market these days. The fruit is sourced from South East Australia.

Excellent value ($10). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 14.7%.

Style: Dark fruit-forward, softly textured, approaching lush.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep purple ruby, semi-opaque. Aromas: Cassis and hints of coffee and vanilla. Medium-bodied and softly textured, the deep fruit-forward flavors are plentiful but just short of jammy and the finish is dusty dry.

Comment: Once upon a time the water was turned to evil wine and it was a worthwhile temptation.

Pure Love Barossa Jack Shiraz 2005

Jack Russell terriors are cute, but they're also tough and focused dogs who protect their owners from ground level vermin such as rats, mice, rabbits and snakes. In the Barossa, a bold Jack is a good friend to have indeed.

Pure Love is the affordable line of Australian Shiraz produced by Jayson Woodbridge and Barossa Jack pays homage to his faithful if short legged best friend. Winewaves just reviewed Layer Cake Shiraz and Jack is an identical top notch effort.

Excellent value ($15). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 14.5%.

Style: Lush, fruit forward, some oak spice.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep purple ruby, translucent. Aromas: Raspberry, cassis, loganberry, dark chocolate and sweet spice. The mouthfeel is warm, tart, richly sweet and then dry and well structured. The dark red fruit liqueur and chocolate flavors are tenacious and gripping yet cuddly.

Comment: Jack could win "Best of Show" on any given night. It's a "piece of cake". This dog hunts.

Pure Love Wines Layer Cake Barossa Shiraz 2005

I'm always on the lookout for a really nice piece of cake, especially the chocolate layer variety. Not just any old "cranked out" assemblage will do, it needs to be monumentally on point. This one's worth the calories.

Pure Love Wines is the most approachable project of Jayson Woodbridge, who is the cult star of "Hundred Acre" wines. Layer Cake is everywhere. Personally I spotted it in Las Vegas, Nashville (Frugal MacDoogal) and Houston (at Spec's on Westheimer).

Excellent value ($13). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 14.5%.

Style: Lush, fruit forward, some oak spice.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep purple ruby, semi-opaque. Aromas: Blackberry, raspberry, loganberry, fruity dark chocolate and hints of sweet spice. On the tongue the powerful body is marbled and wrapped in plush icing. The liqueur chocolate flavors reverberate decadent tones before the lights go out.

Comment: Grab it while it's making appearances all around the USA. "You look like you need a nice piece of cake".

Sylvan Springs Hard Yards McLaren Vale Shiraz 2005

Wine is made in the vineyard, it is often said. The name "Hard Yards" refers to "extra effort", symbolized by the Clydesdale horse and farmer as they "plow to the end of the row". The Sylvan Springs label pays homage to the generations of the Pridmore family who have grown and made wine in McLaren Vale since the late 19th century.

Fourth generation David Pridmore is now in charge of the 110-acre family vineyard and winery, and Brian Light is Winemaker.

Excellent value ($19). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 14.5%.

Style: Lush, Fruit Forward, Some Oak Spice.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep purple cranberry with a nice haze, semi-opaque. Aromas: Blackberry and plum, cassis liqueur and spicy vanilla, plus a whiff of the forest. Full-bodied and viscous on the tongue, there's enough structure to carry the sweet liqueur-like fruit flavors. Just a bit of oak evolves in the dry satisfying finish.

Comment: It tastes more expensive than it is, and is good before during and after dinner. Sip with music by Adrienne Young.

Winery Website: http://www.sylvansprings.com.au/

A Call to Retailers: Where Can I Buy Bitch?

Some wines are hot, like right now Bitch Barossa Grenache. My recent reviews of the 2005 and 2004 vintages have brought huge numbers of "Googlers" to Winewaves looking for this wine. And the number one question is "Where Can I Buy Bitch Wine?"

Okay retailers, here's your chance! Send me an email and let everyone know if you have Bitch Grenache 2005 in stock. In your email, provide your store name, location/address, phone number, email, website address, and the price (optional but preferred). The format for providing this information is shown here.

For those looking for Bitch, I will do my best to keep the list updated. Click here or the picture above for the current list of retailers.

Bruno Tait Barossa Ball Buster Shiraz 2005

Bruno Tait prefers to make wines that are generous and full of personality, taking advantage of low-yielding old Barossa vines and extracting all the fruit has to offer. The Ball Buster is loaded and concentrated as the name suggests but also sweet-natured and more immediately approachable than you might guess.

Tait's successful formula appears to mirror his personality and that of his family who has been involved in cooperage and winemaking for generations. Bruno's and his Brother Michael's father Giovanni, a third generation cooper came to Barossa Australia from Italy in the late-1950s. Michael and Bruno and Bruno's wife Michelle purchased the Tait winery and vineyard property in 1994 to continue the family tradition on their own terms.

The combined largess and consonance of The Ball Buster 2005 seems to owe itself to Bruno's selectivity for highly concentrated all-Barossa fruit and his gentle winemaking which includes using a traditional basket press. The blend is 82% Shiraz, plus 9% each Cabernet and Merlot. Coming at winemaking from a family of coopers, aging is a forte of Tait's. The Ball Buster lots received an average of about 12 months in old and some new oak barrels prior to final blending.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep purple cranberry with a nice haze, semi-opaque. Aromas: Black and blue berry and lots of freshly roasted mixed nuts, cinnamon/spice and wafts of pralines. On the tongue, plenty of warm spice and fruit sweetness are balanced by a full body, lots of tannins and a chalky dryness. The jammy black and blue fruit, orange rind and caramelized nut flavors reverberate in the ultra dry finish.

Outstanding value ($19).  Closure: Screw cap.  Alcohol content: 15.5%.

Bruno's story on the back label is that he is looking for a wine to name in his wife's honor, "Michelle's Block", but this one was surely not that wine. Might we see a more elegant Tait creation added to the lineup bearing Michelle's name in the future?

Langmeil Winery Hangin' Snakes Barossa Valley Shiraz-Viognier 2005

In the local dialect known as "Barossa-Deutsch", Hangin' Snakes is an expletive that doesn't have to be deleted; hence a discouraging word need not be heard even in the heat of the crush season.

The Langmeil Estate was settled in the 1840's by determined, faithful and non-cursing Lutherans. Some of the original 160-year-old vines they planted are still standing there, dry-farmed and proudly gnarly.  Phylloxera has never affected these aged vines, unlike their European ancestors.

These old vines might have been ripped out in the Great Australian Shiraz Depression of the 1980's, were it not for the Lindner family who saw the merits of the historic estate and revived it. Langmeil now specializes in bringing the essence of the roots of Barossa to market in a wine bottle.

Winemaker Paul Lindner reports the blend of Langmeil Hangin' Snakes 2005 is 95% Shiraz plus 1/20 Viognier, all from Barossa growers.  Aging is in a combination of new and old American and French oak barriques.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Deep purple cranberry, semi-opaque. Aromas: Black raspberry, Damson plum preserves, hints of smoky bacon and wafts of southern fried apples. Medium-to-full-bodied, jammy and smooth on the palate, the deep fruit pie flavors combine with a pinch of pepper and nice oak spice overtones and carry well through the generous softly tannic finish.

Excellent value ($20).  Closure: Screw cap.  Alcohol content: 14.5%.