2005 R Wines Shiraz The Wine

There are 230 cases of the stupendous, generically named 2005 The Wine Shiraz (a bit of understatement akin to calling The Band a generic rock group). This hulking, brooding effort was aged for 36 months in new French oak and offers up a splendid bouquet of smoked meat, bacon, mineral, scorched earth, blueberry compote, and blackberry liqueur. Opulent, multi-tiered, and thoroughly hedonistic, this sexy, super-intense Shiraz will amply reward a decade of cellaring and should drink well through 2040. R Wines is the company founded by importer and bacon baron Dan Philips and the veteran vigneron Chris Ringland. It encompasses four familiar labels, Marquis Philips (designated MP in these listings), 3 Rings, Roogle, and Bitch, along with 13 others created especially for R Wines. As is usual for master marketer Philips, the packaging is amazingly creative but, more importantly, the wines consistently over-deliver from low end to high end. The conclusion of this report contains a list of Values $20 and Under. Twenty-four R Wines are noted, many of which offer exceptional bang-for-the buck. What follows are notes are for the R Wines over $20. The rest of the Shiraz were sourced from the highly regarded 60+-year-old Ebenezer vineyards of Adrian Hoffman who is a partner in the venture. Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (805) 278-9095