Inky dark in color with a nose of blueberries. On the mid pallet the flavor matches the nose with bright vibrant fruit jumping up at you. I get a mouth full of blueberry, almost jam like. It’s sweet but not over the top. On the finish the wine has some mild tannins backing up the sweetness but not a hint of that Aussie pepperyness I like in a good shiraz. Alcohol and oak are well under control. The finish is on the lighter side of medium. This is very much a fruit forward wine in my book. Frankly it’s not what I expect or look for in an Aussie shiraz. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad wine, just not to my tastes. I would give it an 87-88. A disappointment given the glowing words Parker gave it below. If I had more in the house, quite frankly, I’d take them back. We paired it with a BBQ filet mignon. I endured -15C to BBQ the steak! Gotta love Canada! It went ok with the steak but for me, just too fruity and not enough tannins.
Update: Day two after opening this wine showed a VERY different wine. The fruit forward nature of the wine had died down and the tannins and pepper were a lot more noticeable. I think this wine is just too young. In another year it might show better.
From the LCBO web site:
SMALL GULLY THE FORMULA ROBERT’S SHIRAZ 2006 VINTAGES 142935 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 17.95
Wine, Red Wine 15.9% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : D
Made in: South Australia, Australia By: Small Gully
Release Date: Jan 7, 2012
Tasting Note
Deep garnet colored, the 2006 The Formula Robert’s Shiraz gives moderately intense aromas of crushed blackberries, black cherries, toast with marmite, earth, chocolate box and a whiff of fresh rolling tobacco. Concentrated and full-bodied, the palate is more forward than the nose with plenty of vibrant juicy fruit countered by crisp acid and medium to firm fine tannins lending support. It finishes long and spicy with lingering clove and fennel seed notes. Drink it now to 2015. Score – 90. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW, erobertparker.com, Dec. 2010).
