Subtitled 'Nine Lives' this Shiraz tells a story on the back label that I find, at times, hard to follow: "When Rosedale Wines became one of the largest independent producers in the Barosa Valley, they set the 'Cat amongst the Pigeons.'" ... Maybe the 15% alcohol in this 100% Barossa Valley Shiraz is getting to me, but I am not sure I follow. What I do know is that this wine is pretty typically Aussie, in a good way, from first sniff to the last sip. Big full on black fruit greets the nose - it smells soft, sweet and chocolaty, like it should just glide on down. The palate delivers on what the nose recounts, but adds a few surprises along the way ... the black fruit is there in spades, there is a hint of dark cocoa powder, plus (and this is the surprise) a real spicy hit of pepper ... there's also some heat on the palate, and really warms the insides. It's raining tonight, but this wine needs a cold winter's night to really do what it does best: help take the chill off.
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