2008 Cooralook Heathcote Shiraz

For this week’s pick we took our lead from Jack Brice and his merry bunch of GrapeNuts as they held their regular Tuesday tasting at Braddock’s American Brasserie. The folks at Braddock’s are extremely accommodating, offering $5 pours of the wines that Jack selects in advance, and pairs then with attractively priced small plates. That’s pretty nifty in and of itself, but what makes the tastings particularly appealing is that Jack personally reviews and selects the wines to be served, varying them by winery, region varietal and the like. As a result, there are no run-of-the-mill bar brands being served but, instead, unique gems from all over the world that open the minds and stimulate the palates of the GrapeNuts bunch.

Take this week’s pick for instance: the 2008 Cooralook Shiraz from Yabby Lake Vineyards. Sure, you’ve had a Shiraz from the Barossa Valley before and chances are you were less than impressed. But this one is from Victoria that, with its cooler climate, yields more delicate fruit. The result is a more highly stylized wine more akin to a Northern Rhone Syrah. Sure, there is still loads of fruit, but it is delivered in a velvety package that screams for a good food pairing rather than one that just screams!