2005 was a superb year, in surprisingly similar ways, in many of the most important winegrowing areas around the world. California and South Australia certainly did well, and I'm told 2005 Bordeaux were excellent too. (I haven't swilled enough of the latter to know without consulting my tasting notes...) So I've gotten into a project of checking out Aussie Shiraz, especially from the Barossa and McClaren Vale...so many of them are just delicious, and some are truly great wines. So I've just realized what others have probably known for more than a century...that this is one of the great grape/wine region combinations of the world.
What we may have here is a chance to benefit from the McCain campaign flameout last year... I don't know for sure that this wine was named and released with an eye to becoming the high-end swill of Republican conventioneers in St. Paul---indeed, perhaps the subtitle "Above the Law" was intended to underline the Obama campaign's theme ("more of the same"). But whatever the reason (the label actually say it's a tribute to the masive influx of immigrant mavericks to the Australian gold fields in 1851) for the too-cute name and the image of a Colt Navy Model 1851 pistol on the label of this puppy from Pure Love Wines, the wine hits the bullseye.
According to my tasting notes this is a full-bodied, pretty smooth wine with medium finegrained tannins, rich blueberry and blackberry fruit, some spiciness or tarriness---one of the best "budget" Aussie Shirazes I've tasted yet. Still excellent on the second day (after overnight refrigeration). My wife liked it too.
I've only tasted one or two Aussie Shirazes this year that were better (a Two Dudes Gnarly Hands Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz) that I tasted at Vino Volo (BWI), which was sold out next time I passed through, at way more expensive, would be one; a 2005 Slipstream as well.) This partakes of some of their complexity and tight structure, but is definitely not as full of smokiness, tarriness, and such. In exchange, it veers toward lush, delicious fruitiness but without getting sloppy.
On further investigation the origin of the wine is described here.
The $15 price targeted is a great deal for this wine. Major kudos to Pure Love's Jayson Woodbridge for this one, and I'll be on the lookout for its siblings at the same target price: Barossa Jack, Desert Eagle, and Layer Cake. What, no Community Organizer? No matter, just buy this wine, get out your corkscrews, and drill... whoops, it has a Stelvin closure. Unscrew, baby, unscrew!