McLaren Vale.
Australia's Chalk Hill Wines uses the moniker Wits End in North America to avoid confusion with the Californian winery of the same name.
A blend of Shiraz (60 per cent), Cabernet Sauvignon (30) and Grenache (10).
Very dark purple in the glass.
Spicy and vegetal on the nose.
Thick and fairly intense, very juicy and fruit forward, with black cherry, plums and blackberries, peppery, smooth and round in the mouth, red licorice, greeness-vegetal notes and some alcohol heat and roughness toward the end.
With time, the alcohol heat subsided and the vegginess increased, before subsiding as well.
A vegetal finish, with sweet fruit. I know this sounds odd, but it really wasn't.
All in all, an easy drinking, fruit-forward wine.
Purchased at $16.95 (Canadian).