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Red, White and Brews: Tait Ball Buster Shiraz 2006, Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier 2007, Duvel Belgian Ale, and Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

The 2006 edition of Bruno Tait's Ball Buster is true to form. Like Barack Obama, it's a velvet glove on an iron fist. This I verified on the night of the third Presidential debate of 2008, by drinking the third bottle to date.

Mind you, writing about it is not as easy as drinking it. It's so smooth on the surface, you get carried away, as if the Bush years are a thing of the past. If I were on death row, I would request as many glasses of Tait Ball Buster as I could get, as a prelude to the lethal injection that would be the ultimate anti-climax. I imagine a last supper of long-suffering Shiraz grapes, basket pressed to my lips before I turn blue.

Robert Parker's Jay Miller, a true hedonist of a reviewer, sees the virtue in Ball Buster '06, to the tune of 92 points. I first tasted Ball Buster 2005, drawn to the name. It was quite good; the 2006 seems even better, but that's probably just my eternal optimism getting the best of me.

Fact is, Bruno says this year's blend is 78% Shiraz, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. The iron fist manifests itself by way of the alcohol level that soars into the stratosphere without a trace of ethanol in the nose. The velvet glove is the cloak of the grape skins preserved from the vineyard into the glass.

Tait Ball Buster 2006 is deep dark purple ruby, as expected. You get aromas of loganberry, expresso, cedar and forest. Lush jammy red-to-black fruit, vanilla, then chocolate emerge, at first sweetly on the edges of the tongue. The finish is dusty dry with soft astringency on the center of the tongue.

Price: $19 (Nashville). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 15.7%.

Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier expresses the very irrational exuberance that got us into this economic mess. But it didn't, it just tastes that way. Like Sarah Palin, it's fresh, attractive and uncluttered, but alas, it's well crafted.

This alternative white wine blend will connect and resonate with most any white wine drinker. It tastes like perfectionism in a bottle. It comes out of left field but has the power to bring people together. I've tasted this wine in previous vintages, always found it to be pleasant, but this vintage really grabbed me.

Expect perfumed aromas of melon, pear, grapefruit and cold blossoms, plus overtones of sweet spice. On the tongue, bright acidity gives it a mouth-watering crisp edge. The finish, like Sarah Palin, gives a wink of sweetness, but the overall effect is palate-cleansing. Robert Parker himself rated this one 90 points, a real bragging point for an under-$15 USA-made white wine.

Price: $14 (Nashville). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 12.8%.

Oktoberfest! I must confess that October has found me drinking more beer. Maybe it's Oktoberfest, or maybe I'm turning into a beer advocate. My paying job has me promoting brews, so I have a vested interest in gaining first hand experience. Research must involve all the senses. Yeah, that's it.

Not knowing much about beer, I stumbled onto a couple of good ones right off the bat. First, Duvel Belgian Strong Pale Ale. If you've tried it, you know about that amazing head. If you haven't tried it, and you're not dead yet, go get a bottle, chill, and pour it into a glass. The head defies gravity. It's like what I hoped whipped cream would be when I first learned of it, but it never was. Lightly bitter, unlike the hop-head brews that gather the limelight, beautifully crisp, like a champagne, refreshing and smooth, Duvel is the creme de la creme, literally and figuratively. It's not the latest thing, but no one appears to have improved on it. Expect to pay about $3-$4 a bottle (330 ml.). Alcohol content: 8.5%.

And then there's Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. 'Tis the season, and unlike the imitation over-hyped or over-hopped brews that pretend to convey the harvest, Dogfish really does. The color is beautiful, somewhere between a new minted copper penny and an October sunset. The aromas are complex, hinting at sweet baking spices and pumpkin, but also conveying lots of malt and even some hops. The flavor is a bribe that could make you do most anything.

Expect to pay about $8.99 for a 4-pack of 12 ounce bottles. Alcohol content: 7%. Don't miss out!

By way of a "plug", I recently installed high-proof beer sections into Frugal MacDoogal's web sites for Nashville and Fort Mill, SC (Charlotte, NC area). These sections combine my original bottle photos with a pinch of clever programming, some worthy graphics, and information from all over the place. So far, Frugal's is getting good results from this effort.

2 Nice Australian Red Blends: Heartland Stickleback 2006 and Marquis-Philips Sarah's Blend 2006

There may be several bottlings of Stickleback 2006 out there, or at least, I've seen different compositions quoted for this vintage. This bottle reads, "51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Shiraz, 10% Grenache". Stickleback has a lot of personality, and may not appeal to everyone equally. It's rather on the dark and brooding side, with lots of black fruit on the nose and some of those medicinal anise and eucalyptus overtones. For my money, this is a near perfect "10" in its price range, not over the top on alcohol (14%), and luxurious in terms of fruit and texture.  The finish is pepper spicy, warm and chocolaty, and continues to resonate deep black fruit all the way.

Ben Glaetzer is chief wine maker for this very affordable Heartland label project. Ben is perhaps best known for the Glaetzer range, including Amon Ra, Bishop and Wallace, all very upmarket. Maybe I'll be able to afford to drink Ben's high-priced stuff down the road, and it's quite excellent. But for now, I can't get enough of his Stickleback. It's rock star red, on an indie budget.

Price: $12 (Nashville). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 14%.

Sarah's Blend 2006 is 60% Shiraz, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, with minor portions of Merlot and Cab Franc. The 2007 is already released, but the 2006 remains available and is drinking very well. There's a lot going on in this bottle, built around aromas of red currants, smoke, and vanilla, with cedar and sweet spice overtones. Lots of oak spice and lush red fruit flavors are awash on a sturdy frame. The finish is well integrated and long lasting.

Marquis-Philips no longer has anything to do with Sparky or Sarah Marquis. Rather, this is now the project of R Wines' Chris Ringland and Lisa Weatherell, and Grateful Palate Imports' Dan Philips. The fruit is sourced from McLaren Vale, and aged in French oak, seasoned, for 12 months. Philips and Ringland have a good number of highly successful labels in the market, from the lovely raspberry-laden Bitch Barossa Grenache, to the sensually brilliant Roogle Riesling.

Price: $16 (Nashville). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 15%.

Another Review of Mollydooker Goosebumps McLaren Vale Sparkling Shiraz 2006

In the spirit of point-counterpoint, Siskel and Ebert (Ebert and Roeper) and other famous reviewing duos, this review is the parallel take on Jim Freeway's review of the same wine, here on Winewaves. Jim gave it a thumbs-down, I give it a thumbs-up, although I admit it is pricey compared to other alternatives.

My bottle of Mollydooker Goosebumps Sparkling Shiraz has been waiting for the right occasion to be opened for a good while. It's nearly time for the annually awaited release of Sparky's Mollydooker line, that eventually arrives in Nashville each October. My partner's birthday celebration would be enough, but Jim Freeway's timely review clinched the decision to pop that cork. When do you pop the cork on a $50+ bottle of sparkling Shiraz? Now.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Sparky, although not Sarah, his wife, who comes up with the fun graphic designs. Sparky can be an irreverent yet somewhat quiet person, even when he's in his opposite hemisphere, operating on a sleep deficit, and required to exist on a diet too rich in fermented products. Such are the hazards of the wine business, I suppose. My point here is Sparky does not seem to take himself that seriously, no matter the ratings and buzz that has surrounded most of his products.

In this spirit of "let's not take ourselves too seriously", Mollydooker Goosebumps is offered up. In that regard, I think it measures up quite well. This is not Champagne, it's sparkling Shiraz. We decided to pair it with a southern "meat and 3" dinner of country fried hamburgers and gravy, corn on the cob, herb mashed potatoes, slaw, and fresh sliced Brandywine tomatoes. This southern meal is a metaphor for the wine. Like a 4x4 pickup truck with a lift kit installed, this is Shiraz with a lift. If you're expecting a monumental Champagne experience, you're going to be disappointed. If you're looking for a new twist on Australian Shiraz, and your mind is open at the moment, you might get into it.

I wonder how many of the reviewers who have been disappointed with this sparkler had unrealized expectations. I admit one wonders about when is the right time to open a sparkling Shiraz. The answer is: when you are in the mood for fun. Or, when you're feeling a bit irreverent. This wine really would make more sense sold alongside Shiraz than Champagne. It's more Shiraz with a tickle, than Champagne with pigment. It opens the door to questioning how all wines are perceived versus the context they are presented. I've never been an advocate of blind tasting without context. That is, unless your are only attempting to measure the intensity of specific attributes. But when you're trying to assess an overall opinion, based on how much you like a wine, true blind tasting robs you of a context. Enough of this too-technical discourse.

Mollydooker Goosebumps Sparkling Shiraz 2006 provides plenty of rich purple bubbles. The appearance is deep, dark and nearly opaque, like a solid Shiraz. Blueberry and blackberry liqueur aromas are buffeted by a bit of smoke  (Sparky says chocolate covered raisins). Flavor wise, it's like a well-extracted Shiraz, but lifted and more refreshing, especially served chilled. This seems like a good thing, as it provides a bounce to offset the density. The jammy anti-oxidant rich fruit, a mixture of black and blue berry, pomegranate, and acai, are tart enough. There is a nice tannic structure, and the finish has just a touch of that yeasty flavor to remind you it was fermented twice.

You can argue about the value premise here. It is a $50-60 bottle. But Mollydooker is an upmarket label, known for over-the-top extraction. If this was a Mollydooker still wine, I might find it too-too, and I might blend it with a light-bodied Grenache. With its bubbles, Goosebumps worked for me, as-is.

Sparky and Sarah Marquis split off from Dan Philips and his Grateful Palate Imports labels after the 2004 vintage of Marquis-Philips wines. Since then, both parties have delivered pure marketing and product magic. Grateful Palate continues to market the Marquis-Philips label, delivering great value within, but Marquis is no longer involved. Sparky and Sarah gave up the rights to the label that bears their own name in the "divorce". From my perspective, the split was a "Bitch", hence the Grateful Palate wine sensation by that name was born. However, Marquis and Philips seem to have landed feet first, at least for now.

Price: $50+ (2006 hard to find - 2007 soon). Alcohol content: 15%.

2006 Mollydooker Goosebumps Sparkling Shiraz

First off pardon the dearth of posts, it's rather hot here out west and wine is not a summer pastime. In fact, for fear of heat damage, all fine wine shops here do not receive new inventory from the end of May through October. This is disaster for trying new things or getting new vintages of old favorites - but it's great on the pocket as bottle shops try to unload their inventory in anticipation of new stuff in the fall. There's that and...try as I might, I have not mastered Jerry's patented bottle on the side photography technique - but no matter. I think you'll get the idea:

I recently inked a new business deal and to celebrate decided to get a bottle of bubbly. My go-to bubbly is usually something from the alchemists at Billecarte-Salmon. However, this week I was a) unwilling to drive to the only place that keeps the stuff in stock and b) looking for an excuse to try this curiousity known as sparkling shiraz.

I'm not sure when I first heard of this stuff - but in my minds eye...er mouth I imagined this to be a charming, quirky take on bubbly much like Proseco. I located a bottle and put it on ice where upon my first dilemma arose - champagne glasses or wine glasses? I stuck with champagne stems.

At this point I should note that I didn't do any research on this, as I often do before I buy a +$50 bottle. Keep that in mind - it'll be funny later on.

Quick background on MollyDooker: It's the latest outgrowth from husband and wife wine making team  Sarah & Sparky Marquis. They insist that you pronounce their last name 'mar-kwis' but it sounds so much more fun if you pronounce it the French way: 'Sparky Markey' sounds like some sort of wine making secret agent. Anyway, they make a number of quirky, robust, slightly upmarket (over $35 here) wines under this label. If you've had a bottle of Marquis Philips - which is a great deal more reasonable ($17 here) - you've tasted their work, as well.

Anyway, the ball and chain and I polished off dinner (grilled carne asada - two thumbs up there!) and I popped the cork on the Goosebumps. The first thing you get on the nose is a blast of carbonate propelled fruit. Compared to your typical Aussie fruit bomb - this is a fruit mortar. In the mouth your first thought is, "WOW, this is actually sparkling shiraz!" followed soon after by, "What the hell was I thinking anyway?" The carbonation process imparts a powerful sweetness to what might otherwise be a very decent Shiraz.

What you are left with is a curiosity that will, most likely make you wonder what else you could have dropped $56 on. As I was drinking this I was thinking of a non vintage Billecarte Salmon or even non bubbly - Peter Franus Zinfandel. The Old Ghost from Lodi. An Alexander Valley Silver Oak - if you're a careful shopper...a Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cab, even. What I wasn't at all thinking is of buying another bottle of Goosebumps.

As an after thought I did a little research on Cellar Tracker and some other sites and came up with the following pithy reviews:

"Ugh! Did not like this wine at all. I must say it was what it promised to be: a dark, brooding, overwhelming Mollydooker shiraz bomb with gas. But just think about that for a second, is that enjoyable? No, no it isn't."

"Just not good. Ugh I have 2 more bottles to get rid of."

"This stuff was absolutely wretched. Over the top alcoholic and artificial fruit flavors that remind me of trying to wash dirt out of my mouth with Robitussin cough syrup."

"I really had trouble choking down this wine. I could not get past the feel inside my mouth to evaluate the taste. It reminded me of pop rocks."

Lesson learned.

Price: $56 (Out West). Closure: Real cork with wire. Alcohol content: 15.0%.

3 Rings 2006 Barossa Valley Shiraz

If you're wondering if everybody here at Wine Waves has a fetish for Grateful Palate imported wines, wonder no more. We do, and so should you. They find talented people (mostly in Australia) making excellent wines at reasonable prices and then they put them on a plane or boat (or dirigible, the method of transport isn't clear) and bring them to your neck of the woods (if you're lucky).

That's the long way of saying I'm reviewing another Grateful Palate imported wine - this week the 2006 Barossa Valley from 3 Rings. Having had many positive experiences with  Grateful Palate imported wine, I was well prepared to enjoy 3 Rings Shiraz.

But I didn't.

There are several reasons, primarily the odd, funky finish. I let it air for a while and after 2-3 hours the dark plummy fruit came out more but really didn't sell me either. To be completely honest I won't buy another bottle of 3 Rings. There are better Shiraz out there - R Wines Boarding Pass for example, is $3 more expensive but far more interesting and drinkable. I will say that 3 Rings avoids most all the dirty dishwater flavors of other inexpensive Shiraz, and at $15 it's not a bad glass of wine, but there are so many better it's hard to justify buying or drinking.

Price: $15 (Costco - Out West). Closure: Screw top. Alcohol content: 15.0%.

Shinas Estate "The Guilty" Shiraz 2005

Sometimes you can get lost in a wine. Or just lost - period. There's nothing wrong with letting go at these times. Not every mystery has to be solved. Let's face it, some wines, like some days, pose more questions than they answer, and it could be that we're better for it.

I kept having a sense of "deja vu" coming over me with this wine. "What's that smell, familiar yet elusive?" Or as Morrissey once put it, "Stop me, oh-oh-oh stop me; Stop me if you think that you've heard this one before." But for me the words never came, not even in the course of opening and tasting from 2 bottles.

George Shinas, aka "The Judge", himself actually a criminal judge in Mildura, Victoria, Australia, has created a Shiraz that's rather like staring out into the sea at 1 a.m. You're drawn to its power and mystery, and captivated by its depth and infinity. You may want to describe it but the words you need remain on the tip of your tongue. It keeps you up a while before you finally let go. Tomorrow's another day and chances are, the next wine will show its face in the light of day, and the words will come to you to describe it.

Shinas Estate Shiraz 2005 has an unfiltered appearance, deep dark crimson. You might sense sweet spice, roasted dark chocolate and earthy notes over the top of the loganberry and blackberry fruit aromas. The finish lingers, like the best words to describe the whole experience, on the tip of your tongue, until you give up.

Judge Shinas reportedly only makes about 2000 cases of this Shiraz annually, so there isn't enough to go around. If you see it, you might want to grab a few bottles. Vine Street Imports represents in the USA.

Price: $19 (Nashville). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 15.3%.

Boxhead Shiraz Cabernet 2006

Whenever ten bucks can get this much bang, I'll take it. Better yet, nine-ninety-nine. Some people are dialing up the creativity, thinking out of the box, and finding ways to counterpoise vinflation. Boxhead begs the question, "How can they grow, vinify, bottle, cap, label, box, ship halfway across the world, warehouse, market, distribute, stock, pay the taxes, keep the lights on, ring up the cash register, and bag up a wine this good for 1000 U.S. pennies?

Seriously good, but not as serious as some of the brooding, tarry, more concentrated Australian Shiraz labels out there, Boxhead is no hopping marsupial. The alchemy is based on "a little of this, a little of that", and knowing which buttons to push. According to Vine Street Imports' web site, Clos Otto blended three separate lots, each made by different wine makers, each receiving different treatments. This is the kind of experiment I'm known to engage in at home. Blending can be fun, but hey, once upon a time I practiced as a Chemical Engineer! According to Vine Street, "The Langhorne Creek Cabernet spent many months in French oak. The Barossa Shiraz and Cabernet also spent time in old French oak barrels. The Western Victorian Shiraz was mostly unoaked insuring that the final blend remained vibrant." The blend is 72% Shiraz, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon.

There are more opaque, black Shiraz's out there, but I often need to blend those down with a lighter Grenache anyway. There is some blackberry character in Boxhead, as well as more red currant and blueberry tendencies. You get a bit of vanilla in the nose as well, owing to the French oak, and cocoa powder tannins. The only complaint anyone might come up with is that Boxhead is too likeable, therefore it must be up to no good. But then, why sabotage a moment of pleasure with such negative thinking?

While it's good by itself, Boxhead goes great with The Neely's Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf, as seen on the Food Network. On this Wednesday night, the Neely's recipe got a twist that made the pairing with Boxhead even better. Mix lean grass-fed organic ground beef with the specified ground turkey (50/50), then crack a tablespoon of black peppercorns very coarsely and throw them in with the peppers and onions as you saute them. Think "The Neely's Barbecue Meatloaf Au Poivre".

Price: $10 (Nashville). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 14.5%.

Marqués de Griñón Dominio De Valdepusa Caliza 2004

My travels never take me across the pond, but if they did I would chart a course to Spain and stay a while, seeing as much as possible. Therefore lately when I haven't been on the road, I've been charting a course through lots of Spanish wines. There are wine values to be had from every geography but this must be Spanish wine season because they are very popular in my glass right now.

Marqués de Griñón's central Spain estate Dominio De Valdepusa was the first to be granted its own appellation in 2003, in recognition of its unique terroir. The label reflects the shape of this geographic place of origin, near Toledo and Madrid. The name Caliza translates to limestone in Spanish, the sub soil that is credited with contributing to the texture of this wine.

Carlos Falcó is the visionary behind the estate. Having studied at U.C.-Davis, he returned to his estate near the ancestral home of the Marqués de Griñón to put in place modern approaches to producing wine. He enlisted the help of heavyweight consultants Dr. Richard Smart in the vineyard and Michel Rolland in the winery and he tapped Julio López Mourelle to become his lead winemaker.

Caliza 2004 is 65% Syrah and 35% Graciano, an indigenous Spanish grape I've not knowingly tasted in wines previous to this one. The appearance is deep purple eggplant with an opaque unfiltered appearance. (Michel Rolland typically discourages filtering from being practiced at wineries he consults with.) The aromas range from fine bourbon, dried tart cherry and forest/earth. The tannins are substantial yet polished providing an encore finish.

Excellent value ($22). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14%.

Sensational, and easier to get to than Madrid.

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.

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.