Where from?  Southern Flinders Ranges, Australia
How much? $25-$35
Aging: 18 months in American and French Oak, 50% new french oak.
Alcohol: 15%
980 cases imported to the United States

I am always up for trying out a new Shiraz, so when I noticed Flinders Run on the shelf at my local wine store, it caught my attention.  I always resist buying wine on the label, so I picked up the bottle looked at the interesting label and put it back down.  Well I kept seeing it sitting there every time I was in the store, just staring at me..the wine bottle with the googly eyes!   I noticed the appellation, Southern Flinders Ranges.  Interesting I thought, I am used to Barossa, Hunter, Claire, McLaren, Coonawarra, Padthaway, but I don’t often come across a wine from the Southern Flinders Ranges.  I whipped out my smartphone, and noticed a 92 point rating from Stephen Tanzer, and 91 points from Wine Spectator.  I also noticed that the Southern Flinders Ranges region is located next to the Claire and Barossa valleys and I have enjoyed a lot of wines from both those regions. One thing I couldn’t find was the winery’s website.  But I picked up a bottle anyway, let’s cut to the taste shall we?

Color: Opaque purple with a ruby-red rim
Nose:  Big, fragrant, raspberry
Palate: creamy in weight, ripe and spicy

This wine is decadent, hedonistic yet well-balanced.  If you like a big juicy and spicy this is the wine for you.  As far as complexity, this wine keeps it fairly simple, sticks to what it’s strengths are.  If you are looking for a complex one minute echo of a finish, this wine doesn’t have that, and you will probably need to spend a minimum of $50 for a Shiraz that does.  I would liken the flavor profile to the wines of the Barossa Valley, yet without the earthy component that they sometimes have.  All in all, a good effort.  I think that 91-92 points would be an accurate rating.