Purchased at Vintages for $17.95.
13.5% alc. Very dark garnet with some minor bricking at the meniscus. Spicy oak on the nose with savoury Shiraz aromas and a hint of volatility and fleeting aromas of licorice and medicine. Also some alcohol and a whiff of nitrous oxide. Bright, tart entry with a firm, grippy structure and alcoholic warmth. Puckery tannins coat the mouth and tongue and savoury flavours follow through across the palate. Lots of spicy French oak on the finish.
Overall, it's a good wine ... but I don't find too much in the way of interesting flavours in it. That could be because although I enjoy an occasional warm-climate Shiraz, it isn't a wine that I get overly enthused about. I rarely find the overt peppery meatiness in New World Shiraz that I do in Côtes-du-Rhône iterations of Syrah.
The wine was reasonably enjoyable with barbecued sausages and cumin chicken kebabs - but I would have preferred Pinotage instead.