Impressive for its balance of soft, creamy richness with bright, juicy raspberries. Notes of brown sugar, cinnamon and espresso add a layer of decadence surprising at this price.
— J.C.
(7/1/2009)
Plummy, rich and ripe, with a creamy mouthfeel and dense, chocolaty flavors, this is a hefty mouthful of Barossa Shiraz at a great price. At 14.5% abv, it’s nicely balanced, with a lingering finish. Drink now and over the next couple of years.
— J.C.
(11/1/2011)
Lush and appealing, this is one of the more appropriately named of the Chocolate Box wines. Slightly jammy raspberry fruit is coated in chocolate; even the tannins come across as softly dusty, even vaguely cocoa-like. Drink over the next year or two.
— J.C.
(2/1/2012)
Comprised of nearly equal parts Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro, this is an easygoing, creamy-textured wine with lifted aromas of cherries and clove and juicy, peppery flavors that finish with just the barest touch of astringency. Drink now.
— W.E.
(11/1/2009)
Sparkling Shiraz is an acquired taste, but this is a good introduction to the genre. Simply put, it’s a big, oaky Shiraz with bubbles, bursting with vanilla, blackberry, chocolate and cedar aromas and flavors. Enjoy it over the next few years for its youthful exuberance.
— J.C.
(12/15/2010)
A pronounced herbal note adds a weedy edge to this otherwise full-bodied, plush Cabernet. Cassis fruit is potent without being overbearing, while the oak is prominent, lending structure and vanilla. Drink now.
— J.C.
(2/1/2012)
This boasts some rather prominent herbal (dill, perhaps?) notes, but this is an otherwise creamy-textured, soft Cabernet meant for immediate consumption. Vanilla and black cherry notes start upfront and persist through the slightly warm finish.
— J.C.
(12/31/2010)
Restrained aromatically, with a slight minerally-graphite note, this is a pleasantly stony wine, perhaps a bit austere. It's medium bodied, ending with a touch of grapefruit pith.
— J.C.
(7/1/2009)