Mollydooker Wines Velvet Glove Shiraz 2018, Australia

Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet plums, cooked cherries, raisins, dried figs, alcohol, licorice, vanilla, cedar, cola, spices, milk chocolates, tobacco and peppercorn.

Full bodied, smooth and bold, with medium acidity and long legs.

On the palate black currants, cooked plums, sweet cherries, vanilla, spices, cedar, espresso, cola, light herbs, licorice, mocha and red chili pepper.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Shiraz from Australia. Big and bold, and somewhat sweet. Has a lot of acidity on the finish for all that fruit. Rich and extracted.

Very much “in your face” kind of wine, and not for the faint of heart. Feels very much like a Napa Syrah, with a teeth staining color.

Needs a couple hours to open up properly, which I didn’t have, as it finished too quickly.

Needs 5 years in the bottle to mature properly, and calm down a bit. Will be a 95+ wine in 10 years. Will age nicely in the next 15 years.

Wine Spectator 95 points. Robert Parker 96 points.

Good as a sipping wine, and good with food too. Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

16% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$215.

Penfolds Wines Bin 389 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2018, Australia

Deep Inky in color with a short purple rim.

Dry and very fruity on the palate.

Showing black currants, cooked plums, figs, earth, cedar, leather, chocolates, tobacco, licorice, vanilla, spices and peppercorn.

Fruit forward with medium acidity.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Rich and extracted. Showing nice complexity with a strong nose.

This delicious “baby Grange” is starting to drink nicely now. Still young, and would be better in 5 years. Will age nicely in the next 15 years.

Wine Spectator 92 points. Robert Parker 93 points.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime, which I did not have, as it finished way too quickly.

I had the 2017 a couple of years ago, and liked it even better, even though the 2018 was a better vintage.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with a nice piece of steak.

A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Shiraz.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$70.

Big Table Farm Funk Estate Vineyard Syrah 2019, Oregon

Big Table Farm Funk Estate Vineyard Syrah 2019, Oregon

Dark purple in color with a purplish rim.

Strong nose of black plums, blueberry pie, black cherries, light oak, licorice, wildflowers, spices, tobacco, herbs, light barnyard, milk chocolates and black pepper.

Full bodied, creamy and soft, with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, bitter herbs, spices, light vegetables, earth, barnyard, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Syrah from Oregon. Rich and elegant.

Nicely balanced with nice complexity and a soft mouth feel. Fruit forward and spicy.

Still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly, although already very tasty.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and better with food.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, so take your time. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years. 

This Single Vineyard is showing a very pretty nose, tangy and interesting. Just delicious.

A small production of only 6 barrels. Unfiltered and unfined.

14.6% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$68.

Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz 2018, South Australia

Deep purple in color with a short purple rim.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with medium acidity.

Showing black currants, cooked plums, figs, spices, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs and peppercorn.

Nice finish with fine tannins and bitter herbs.

This is a very tasty Shiraz from Australia. Still young and will drink better in 5 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better with airtime.

Big, extracted and rich, with mild complexity.

A nice sipping wine, and good with BBQ Meats too.

Robert Parker 93 points.

100% Shiraz grapes were aged in American oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$30.

Psagot Winery M Series Sinai 2018, Israel

Purplish in color.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Showing black fruits with oak, licorice, spices, dark chocolates, vanilla and peppercorn.

Dry on the palate with nice balance.

Spicy finish with fine grained tannins.

This is a nice and fruit forward red blend from Israel.

Good right out of the bottle and didn’t change much with air. Tangy and spicy.

Still young and would be nice to revisit it in a couple of years.

Not complex, but nice enough for a weekday evening. The Shiraz feels very dominant here.

A blend of 36% Shiraz, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. Kosher and Mevushal.

14% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$18.

Sean Thackrey Rossi Vineyard Orion 1998 Napa Valley, California

A beautiful color of dark ruby with a wide reddish /brick rim.

Pretty nose of blueberries, cooked raspberries, black plums, currants, licorice, light cedar, wet leaves, black olives, earth, vinaigrette, brine, leather, dried fruits and peppercorn.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, earth, flat cola, vinaigrette, tobacco, herbs, dark chocolates, coffee and peppercorn.

Medium length on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 23 year old Syrah is still drinking nicely, although it is dying rapidly. Showing a nice mouthfeel with nice structure.

Lasted about an hour and a half, but was very nice throughout that time. Only after 30 minutes of airtime, tannins show up and bring nice structure to the wine. Becomes more acidic as it opens up.

This aged Napa Syrah is interesting with lots of complexity and a great mouthfeel. Alcohol is well integrated by now.

Was probably better 5 years ago, but it’s always nice to drink these old wines.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$130.

Starlight Ridge Shiraz 2017, South Eastern Australia

Purple in color with a light purplish rim and medium intensity.

Fruity nose with blueberries, black cherries, chocolates, spices, light earth and peppercorn.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with red and black fruits with light chocolate notes, tobacco and spices.

Tangy finish with soft tannins.

This is a nice and simple Shiraz from Australia. Easy drinking and good for parties.

A nice everyday red wine, fruit forward and simple.

This 4 year old is nicely balanced and spicy. Drink now.

Good right out of the bottle and good by itself. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

86 points.

$20.

https://wineinsiders.com/wine-gift-set/marthas-summertime-sips-case

Joseph Phelps Vineyards Napa Valley Syrah 2001, California

To celebrate 6,500 reviews on Vivino, I chose this nicely aged Syrah.

Dark ruby in color with a brick rim.

Beautiful nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, raisins, vanilla, cedar, licorice, metals, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, vinaigrette and pencil lead.

Full bodied, elegant and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with plums, cherries, blueberries, wood, cloves, vanilla, spices, espresso, dark chocolates, peppercorn, pencil lead and earth.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is wonderful Syrah from Napa Valley. Well balanced and enjoyable by itself or with food. Showing great complexity and mouthfeel.

This 20 year old needs 45 minutes to open up properly, and remove the barnyard smell.

I’ve had this vintage a few years ago, and this is my last bottle. I’m glad it was such an enjoyable wine.

This is gorgeous and delicious. Rich, yet subdued. Elegant and smooth.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a BBQ burger.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

Anarchist Wine Company Rage Against the Machine 2018, California

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose with blueberries, black plums, blackcurrants, oak, licorice, earth, light vegetables, spices, tobacco and chocolates.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with plums, blueberries, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, bitter herbs, light vegetables and peppercorn.

Medium finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice and easy drinking red wine from the North Coast in California. Fruit forward with mild complexity.

Still young and needs a couple of years in the bottle to mature.

Good by itself and better with food.

A good everyday wine that paired nicely with meats and cheeses.

A very interesting blend of Syrah, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest is Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Gewürztraminer, Viognier and Zinfandel. A small production of less than 200 cases.

14.1% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$42.

Tabor Winery Adama Shiraz 2014, Israel

The six-year-old Shiraz from Israel is drinking nicely now. Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel. Fruit forward and a bit stinky, right out of the bottle.

Showing red and black fruits with earth, wood, cloves, barnyard, violets, vegetables, herbs, dark coffee and spices.

Needed 2 hours in a decanter to open up properly and remove some of the stinky nose. Reminds me of a French Syrah.

A good everyday wine. Good by itself, and better with food. I paired it with stinky cheeses.

Aged for 12 months in oak barrels. Kosher. Not Mevushal.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$25.