2006 Schild Estate Shiraz

Welcome to my first of hopefully endless reviews, I have chosen a format I'd like to follow but I may update it as time goes on. Let me start with a formal description and review, then I will give a straight honest easy to understand description and review, some quotes from professional opinions followed lastly by price guide and where to buy from. So lets get into it and see how it works out.

A lovely looking wine with a opaque dark plum red look to. Semi impressive legs highlight the 14.5% alcohol as per the label although I suspect it would be more like 15%. Subtly spicy on the nose with sweet berry fruits coming through, the vanilla from the American oak is there subtly if you really go searching for it. Medium bodied on the pallet it is a very easy drinking wine, subtle tannins with a medium length it has tart under ripe black cherry flavours with plum and a hint of vanilla.

To summarise all that it is not a fruity as you expect from a big Barossa Shiraz but is very easy drinking a well priced bottle that will not disappoint. There is a noticeable lack of peppery spice which to a lot of people will be very appealing also the tannins are low which takes that dryness away. If you prefer lots of fruit this is not for you as the fruit is soft and not that prominent.

James Halliday rated this wine at 84 points I would tend not to agree with his low mark by his standards giving it a solid 8/10 for drinking now and relative value for money. It goes great with food and something heavyish like a steak with a red wine jus and some nice greens or to drink by itself with a nice strong cheese like a big blue or any other strong cheese.

It may be hard to come by now days as I cleaned my local bottle shop out of it the other day of their last 3 bottles due to the current 2008 vintage taking over the shelves. I've got 5 more put down to develop a little further. You may be able to find it in your local Dan Murphys or smaller boutique bottle shops but I have not seen it online lately. You could expect to pay anywhere from $16.99 a bottle right up to $22 but I'd say that there are better bottles out there for $22 but I'd settle to pay $19 without too much fuss. I will be doing a review shortly of the 2008 Vintage which I have tasted and as a sneak preview can say it is just as nice if not better and much fruitier.

This is probably going to be one of my most common sized posts and they will fluctuate based on how much I like the wine and how much attention I am paying when I'm drinking it. I may actually re do a review either when I'm concentrating more or after I have had the bottle in the cellar for a couple of years to show you all out there how my opinion can change or improve. Hope you enjoy my review, this bottle and your wine experiences in general. Good luck and happy drinking.