Simply Good

I've always admired the Penfolds wine labels - simple, informative, classy. And, to boot, I've never tasted a bad wine from these guys. They are one of the largest vintners in Australia, producing millions of cases per year but also Australia's "best" and most collectable wine, Penfolds Grange.
Tonight opened a bottle of their Bin 2, Shiraz Mourvedre, 2004, a blend (mostly shiraz) of two grape types best known from the south of France (shiraz known as syrah there). This is not the usual black cork stainer - the cork has a gentle purple tinge. It is a pretty dark dense looking wine in the glass, though. Light fruit aromas on the nose, there is a real mouthful of fruit on the palate - tastes slightly jammy, more like fresh crisp blackberries. Rich natural tannin background, none of the hefty vanilla oak tannins Penfolds is known for. I was going to say this was not oak aged but the label states "one year in old barrels" - probably very old. The verdict: a solid "GOOD", not a dinner wine but a nice sipper. Value: as usual with Penfolds, you get exactly what you pay for.

Cheers!!