TAYLORS JARAMAN SHIRAZ 2009

- Clare Valley/McLaren Vale, SA

- $20-$35

- Screwcap

- 14.5%alc

I fear Taylors has lost a bit of focus lately. Personally, I'd love to see the brand concentrate more on creating high quality Clare Valley wines, the type which brought them to prominence in the first place, before this cross-regional blending thing (matched with heavily discounted prices) gets too out of hand. It's just one man's opinion.

The 12 months Taylors' 2009 Jaraman Shiraz spent in American oak (10% new) resonates throughout its aroma. It's lifted by a fragrant whiff of vanilla/mocha/coffee oak, which isn't without appeal, but it does slightly hinder a rather jammy/jube-like scent of raspberries and blueberries residing beneath. Interestingly, I also pick up a note of toasted marshmallow. Although reasonably smooth to touch (for the most part) and perfectly quaffable with simple red meat, pasta or pizza dishes, its palate is moved along by smooth, sweet oak, whilst still leaving a trail of warming aspects and an ill-defined fruit profile that takes on the guise of shiraz fruit compote drizzled over cooked red meat. Structurally it's quite straight forward too, but for a wine with a $30RRP, it's the all too simple flavour profile that really lets me down.

X I had a 'complimentary' bottle of De Bortoli's 2009 Willowglen Shiraz Cabernet at a Spanish restaurant last night, which I believe retails for around $5, and honestly, on the basis of enjoyment, I couldn't pick too much difference between that and this. Drink to 2015.

86 points

www.taylorswines.com.au