17 June 2012

COOBARA WINES SHIRAZ - COOL CLIMATE IN A BOTTLE

Coobara Wines is a relatively young venture based near the Adelaide Hills town of Birdwood. This part of the Adelaide Hills is perhaps best known as the destination for the annual Bay to Birdwood car rally. Yet, as with many of Australia’s cooler climate regions, there has been an explosion in vine plantings over the past 10-20 years.

Established in 1992, Coobara Wines has achieved show success, including a Gold Medal at the 2009 International Cool Climate Show for this very wine, the 2007 Coobara Wines Shiraz. Of course, medals and trophies mean relatively little, as many of this country’s very best wines are never entered in competition.

So what of the wine? Texturely, it is medium bodied, and stylistically is unmistakeably cool climate. That said, there’s no black pepper or tapenade alluding toward the Rhône. This is very much an Australian wine, with hallmark menthol adding lift to bright cherry, raspberry and plum fruit. For a relatively modestly priced wine, there’s a fair bit to enjoy here, and there’s the added benefit of being able to find in on the shelf with 5 years bottle age.

This isn’t the most complex, rich, intense or powerful Shiraz one will ever come across, but a wine that delivers a decent amount of flavour and value for money at around $20 a bottle.  The wine held up well over after a couple of days in the fridge, suggesting it will drink for a few years yet.

2007 SHIRAZ
Producer: Coobara Wines
Variety: Syrah/Shiraz
Vintage: 2007
Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
ABV: 14.0%
Closure: Screw cap
Format: 750ml
Retail price: $19.99
Date tasted: 14 June 2012

Tasting Note:
Bright ruby red. Fruit driven nose of cherry, plum and raspberry, fig and menthol lending a touch of lift. Medium bodied, elegant mid-weight wine, tannins are soft and inobtrusive, fruit characters on the nose flow through to the palate, which displays reasonable concentration and decent enough length for the price.
Score: 15/20

2 comments:

WendyMac said...

I have tried Coobara's shiraz in the past and do enjoy them. As you say, they are a reasonable price. As a birdwatcher I like the bird on the label too!

Anonymous said...

Had this last night also - same vintage. Pretty good plum, a little bitter on the finish... Solid effort

Post a Comment