Last night, we went off of the spaghetti budget and broke out some excellent Australian Lamb Chops (courtesy of Costco) The simple pan broiled preparation was accompanied by some Pflueters Alsacienne and some petit peas. Second helping was "charcoal broiled peas" courtesy of a certain un-named family member forgetting to turn off the burner.
On my last trip to Mecca, (Costco) one bottle caught my eye. Perhaps there is some sales advantage in utilizing a different color label. In this case, it was earth tone tan.
The Tintara 2003 Shiraz hails from McLaren Vale in South Australia. The label reads a respectable 14.5% alcohol. However, there is so much fruit that one is unaware of the strength of this element in relation to the whole. The nose was powerful and lingering. The body was heavy and syrupy. Notable elements were a hint of pepper plus blackberry and blueberry overtones. The finish went on and on. With still a goodly amount of soft tannins present, it should have a long life. I would give it 17.5~18 on the 20 point Davis scale.
Godzilla
Grade disclaimer: I am basically a harsh grader on everything, and have been known to clean out my sink drain with some bottles of so-called wine. The highest score that I have ever given was 19 in a couple of instances. But then, no one has given me a taste of Petrus '61 or '62 lately. ;-)