Shiraz Expo

You'll remember that I discovered Pol Gessner champagne was available at Dan Murphy's. Given that Hamilton is a little out of the way, you might be wondering how I found out. Well, there's a good answer: I was attending the 2009 Shiraz Expo there back in early May.

I thought it would be good to record for posterity some of the 30-odd Shirazes that I tasted there, and what I thought of some of them. First of all, let me mention the expensive ones, in no particular order:

• Penfolds Grange (2004) ($570) - exceptionally full bodied, cigar/tobacco tastes; very long.
  
• Kays Amery Block - deep fruity liquorice, no smoke/pepper.
  
• Elderton Command - powerful, but limited back palate length.
  
• Grant Burge Meshach - smooth, full bodied spice.
  
• Penfolds St Henri (2001) - dry, low tannin, not particularly fruity. I don't get this wine.
  
• Penfolds RWT - Full bodied to chewy! smooth with fruit/tannin balance, not too spicy.
  
• Saltram No. 1. All spice, where's the fruit gone?
  
• Wolf Blass Platinum - very long.
  
• BVE E&E Black Pepper - Nice complexity, again not too spicy
  
• Eileen Hardy - too light... no body.
  
• Henschke Mt Edelstone Good long tobacco & spices.
  
• St Hallett Old Block - Nice smoky/leathery flavours with good mouth filling body.
• Annies Lane Coppertrail. Light bodied but smooth.
  

Some of the under-$40 ones that I'd like to taste again:

• Henschke Keyneton Estate - balanced & fruity.
• Wolf Blass Grey Label - Chocolate & vanilla hints, medium body, with good length.
• BVE Ebenezer - Smooth, balanced, medium bodied peppery, with front palate length only.
• Leasingham Bin 61 - Light bodied.
• Brokenwood - Syrupy plums with good length and balance.
  
• St Hallett Blackwell - Smoky and smooth, medium body.
• Glaetzer The Bishop - Smooth with well-integrated oak, quite a good length.

Some cheaper (under $20) ones that are probably good value, but hard for me to judge effectively with the other competition.

• Charles Cimicky The Trumps - a medium-weight peppery Barossa shiraz.
• Richmond Grove Barossa
• Thorn Clark Sandpiper
  

 I only tried a couple of cheaper WA wines (Vasse Felix and Cape Mentelle). While I like Cabernets from that side of the country, particularly Margaret River, on this occasion the Shiraz didn't rate.

I look forward to attending another Dan Murphy Shiraz Expo. The value for money was excellent (it was free!), and it was great to find a place with such a big variety of wines. I just need to get to the Wine Emporium in the valley now to compare.