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Monday, August 14, 2006

2004 Yellow Tail “Reserve” Shiraz


A while back Yellow Tail started a “higher end” line of wines called the “Reserve.” I got this on sale for $10, but I’ve seen it listed as high as $16 (which would be absurd). Compare that to the $5-7 regular Yellow Tail, it’s pricier but not bank breaking.

Regular Yellow Tail Shiraz, to me, tastes like fruit juice. It’s sweet, there’s little to no tannin, and when one drinks they’d have no idea what type of varietal they’re drinking. When all is said and done, it’s not terrible, but it’s just sort of there.

This one is better. I’d say it’s somewhere between Yellow Tail and a “good” quality Shiraz. It’s fruity, but not offensively so because it's balanced out by oak. If memory serves me correctly, there is barely a hint of oak in regular YT, but here it's obvious.

There’s mild and smooth tannins with a hint of spice that is characteristic of a Shiraz. There’s some anise on the nose and tastes strongly of raspberries, a hint of anise, and cherries. Honestly, this is much better than I expected.

If you enjoy regular Yellow Tail this would be a good stepping stone into firmer red wine. It’s not spectacular but it’s not bad. If I found it on sale again, or if friends were coming over who weren’t particularly crazy about wine, this would be on my short list of what to pick up.

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