Today I am tasting the 2007 Gumdale Shiraz by Wakley Vintners from Southeastern Australia. This value wine is cleanly packaged and has a plastic cork. I dislike real cork, do you? Now if they could just start using screw tops that would be even better. This will be an interesting tasting as the Australian Shiraz community has come under heavy criticism for using too much oak combined with fake fruit flavors. Shiraz (or Syrah) is one of my favorite varietals and I always look for it to be spicy. Will the gum trees (eucalyptus) aromatically influence this wine.
Aroma
I immediately smell the spices in it. There is cracked pepper, green onion, and a little black currant. One thing I like about it is it doesn’t have any fake floral component. Instead there is a hint of the terroir in the nose. This is a pretty good nose, with subtle dark fruits, spices, and vegetables.
Flavor
The initial flavor is quite sweet and fruity. The mid-palate has a strong sour cherry component. The finish shows some of the spices. I also detect ripe raspberries. This is a medium bodied wine with minimal tannins. I think it should be consumed now and could pair well with darker meats. It would also go well with blue cheese. I am a little disappointed with the weight of this wine and with the lack of spice. However, it is a smooth wine and the sour fruit flavor is a positive.
Rating
This is an average Shiraz. I don’t consider it to be special other than the price being a good value. I am going to score it 87 points.
If you have tried this wine what did you discover on the nose and palate?
