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Yalumba Y Series Shiraz/Viognier 2006

yalumba y series shiraz viognier 2006 bottle 2 rating  (1.5/5)

Varietal: shiraz / viognier blend – Price: $15.95 Cdn – website – Winery: Yalumba – Vintage: 2006- Region: South Australia – LCBO No: 624494 – wikipedia icon
Other Reviews: wine scamp | The WineMad Blog 

The back label says this wine is spicy, savoury and silky. I found it to be dull and limp, tasting too much of dishwater and rubbing alcohol, particularly in the tarty finish. Though it was silky! 🙂

I decided to give this  shiraz / viognier blend a try when I was unable to find another bottle of the Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz that I liked so much last week. An LCBO staffer recommended it as a comparable wine that had been a recent staff pick.

I only noticed that this wine had a screw-cap (a sure sign it will disappointing) when I got it home.  How could this be an LCBO staff pick?

This is what shiraz has typically been like for me for the last twenty years and why I have always disliked it – my recent Shiraz experiences (here and here) notwithstanding. You should certainly consider my general distaste for this varietal when assessing this review.

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Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz 2006

jacob's creek reserve shiraz 2006

3.5rating  (3.5/5) – another nice shiraz

Varietal: shiraz/syrah – Price: $17.45 Cdn – Winery: Jacob’s Creek – Vintage: 2006 – Region: South Australia – LCBO No. 665471 Other Reviews: Toronto Life 89 Reference: topwineries.com.au | adegga

Another earthy shiraz. Very similar to the [yellow tail] shiraz but, if memory serves, smoother. It is the boldest Jacob’s Creek wine on their wine scale. There is a less expensive ($12.45) Jacob’s Creek Shiraz (ie: non-‘Reserve’).

My good friend Don Hicks brought this bottle over for another movie night (Elizabeth (1998)). This wine is yet another shiraz that surprised me for being surprisingly good. I’m beginning to think I misjudged shiraz wines lo these last 20 years.

I haven’t yet done a taste comparison between this shiraz and the less expensive [yellow tail] shiraz. When I get a chance I’ll update this post.

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[Yellow Tail] – Shiraz

yellow tail shiraz - bottle

3.5-rating

(3.5/5) – terrific every day value wine
Varietal: shiraz/syrah – Price: $12.25 Cdn – website – Winery: Casella Wines Pty Ltd. – Vintage: 2006 – Country: Australia – LCBO 624544

Spicy, rich, earthy and lovely for the price. Not too dry. A very approachable wine for most palettes. Terrific value. Best of the [yellow tail] line.

This is one of the few shiraz (also known as syrah) bottles of wine I’ve enjoyed – ever. It tastes more like a zinfandel than a shiraz. My sister Colleen introduced me to this wine and I was very surprised that I liked it. I’ve served it to several friends and family and everyone has enjoyed it.

I’ve consumed more than a half dozen bottles so far and it is consistently good. It has become one of my staples.

As you can see from the [yellow tail] home page, there is a very large selection of [yellow tail] branded wines available at affordable prices.  I’ve also tried their, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and the shiraz-grenache and this [Yellow Tail] shiraz is the best of the lot.  The shiraz-grenache was the worst.

Other Reviews: Art of Drink | gremolata

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