A Zelig of Shiraz’s.  First, peppery, spice cabinet, the whiff of basketry as you walk into a Pier 1 Imports.  Vanilla, cassis, smooth like velvet.  That was just before dinner.  With food—a peppercorn NY Steak, BBQd to medium rare with brandied mushrooms and a simple salad—it became a different wine, heartier, stronger, more assertive, cabernet-ish, a musky herbaceousness that trumped the meat.  Traditional wine superlatives fail here because you will perceive this as just another Aussie red; but it is so much more.  Gentle and aggressive, remarkable on so many levels.

Although this comes in at a disappointing 14.5% alcohol, and while not the red of my dreams, it is dreamlike and I would make any excuse to order more red meat simply to pair up this brilliant bottle.   Please don’t hate me Mark Bittman!

A lovely US value, not so much in BC.  Pete’s in Seattle (one day I will blog on the wine-heaven which is Pete’s) offered this at $13.67 a bottle, regularly $15.88.  Everything Wine in Vancouver offered it at $48.99 a bottle.  You do the math.

Price: See above.

Market Liquidity: USA, USA, USA.