Box Wines
A wine blog with news and reviews of affordable wines

Price: $9
Maker: Ravenswood Vintners, Reynella, SA, Australia
Varietal: Shiraz
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, natural cork
Alcohol: 13.9%
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Ravenswood Vintners Blend South Eastern Australia Shiraz 2004 is, as the name suggests, an Aussie import under the Ravenswood label best known for their California Zinfandels. If you are looking for Shiraz, Australia isn’t a bad place to look for it. This one has a nice aroma of leather and spice. It’s got jammy raspberry and black cherry notes, a bit of chocolate, and a light oak finish. All in all, it’s what you might expect from Ravenswood - a big, fruity Shiraz with a sort of Zin sensibility.

As befits the Australia origin, the label for this Shiraz substitutes kangaroos for the usual ravens in the circular design. The slogan at Ravenswood is “No Wimpy Wines,” and their Vintners Blend South Eastern Australia Shiraz fulfills that promise.

Price: $6
Maker: Lindemans Wines, Australia
Varietal: Shiraz 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40% blend
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, artificial cork
Alcohol: 13.5%
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Lindemans Bin 55 Shiraz Cabernet 2006 is another bargain blend from this major Australian winemaker. It has blackberry, plum, and cocoa notes with a slightly peppery finish. It isn’t overly complex, but is pleasant and very drinkable.

Tom & Melody said of this blend, “It’s very fruit forward. It’s luscious if one’s taste leans toward fruit dominance. It’s too much if one’s taste leans toward dryness and acidity.”

When it comes to Lindemans blends, we probably slightly prefer their Cab-Merlot. Still, for the price, Lindemans Bin 55 Shiraz Cabernet 2006 is hard to beat.

Price: $5
Maker: Wyalla Cove, Adelaide, South Australia
Varietal: Shiraz
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, artificial cork
Alcohol: 13.5 %
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Wyalla Cove Shiraz 2004 has moved to near the top of my “bargain buy” list. I found it at a local supermarket, Aldi, that is otherwise known for its lack of shopping bags (you have to supply your own) and its inability to take credit cards. That’s perhaps not the most promising start for a wine shopping expedition, but the selection looked a bit like Trader Joe’s - a lot of mystery labels, all priced under $10. In any case, Wyalla Cove Shiraz is a fruity delight for its price. The nose is an enticing blend of leather, licorice, and spice. Cherry and plum dominate the fruity flavor, with some peppery spice in the finish. This Shiraz may not be the most complex wine - it’s a bit sweeter than typical, though hardly a “sweet” wine - but it’s very pleasant and drinkable.

Despite considerable effort,I couldn’t find out much about this winery. They show up as a supplier to the ubiquitous Prestige Wines. Whatever the origin, Wyalla Cove Shiraz 2004 is very drinkable, if not very sophisticated. Give it some air, as it improves with breathing. For the price, it’s hard to beat.

Price: $6
Maker: Banrock Station Wines, Kingston on Murray, South Australia
Varietal: Shiraz (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%)
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, natural cork
Alcohol: 13.5%
Our Rating: 8 out of 10

We’ve seen Banrock Station Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, an Aussie bargain wine, on the shelf numerous times, and finally brought a bottle home. This wine is mostly Shiraz (80%) with some Cabernet Sauvingon blended in. It has a fairly potent aroma of berries, cedar, spice. On the palate, it’s very juicy - we found it to be medium bodied with flavors of ripe cherries, oak, and nicely balanced tannins. It’s not particularly spicy for a Shiraz. We recommend letting this wine breathe for quite a while, as that brought out the fruit and made the wine more pleasant overall.

We hope to see some Banrock Station casks (that’s what boxed wine is called in Australia) eventually. They haven’t hit our local market, but judging by the Banrock Station website they are a major focus of the firm.

Price: $9
Maker: Heath Wines, Bowden, South Australia
Variety: Shiraz
Packaging: 1-liter Tetra Pak
Alcohol: 14%
Our Rating: 8 out of 10

Lizard Flat Shiraz 2004 comes in one of those 1-liter Tetra Pak that seems way too small to hold a third more wine than a 750 ml bottle. It has the typical screw cap closure, making it easy to open and reseal. This Shiraz has some licorice and vanilla in the nose, and is very juicy on the palate. Cherries and blackberries are the main notes, with some oak and rather light pepper. The wine isn’t too complex, but the finish lasts suprisingly well. At 14%, this Shiraz is at the high end of alcohol content for a Shiraz. Overall, Lizard Flat Shiraz is an accessible, fun wine that is well suited to its informal and convenient packaging. It’s a nice choice for picnics, outdoor entertaining, and home consumption.

Oddly, the Heath Wines website suggests, “Drink now or be rewarded by cellaring for up to 5 years.” We’ve got to admit that the idea of cellaring Tetra Paks is a bit foreign, but maybe we’re just old-fashioned. This is the first Heath wine that we’ve knowingly tasted, and we’re glad we tried it. We note they also offer several wines from “100 year old vines” which sound quite interesting, but haven’t appeared in the local market.

Wine Cube Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 2006Price: $10
Maker: Wine Cube
Variety: Shiraz
Packaging: 1.5 liter box
Alcohol: 13%
Our Rating: 8 out of 10

is the first wine in Target’s WineCube series we have tried in a while. We did try Wine Cube Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 2004, and we commented, “The aroma is mild, with berry and oak notes. The flavor is straightforward and juicy, with just a bit of oak and spice to add interest. This wine doesn’t have a lot of structure, but it’s the kind of red that pleases crowds. It’s easy to drink, and would be a fine cookout wine.” The 2006 fits that description fairly well. We found a bit of leather in the nose, and the tannins seemed slightly more prominent. Otherwise, the 2006 was quite similar.

The 1.5 liter cube is a great packaging concept. It seems impossible that this compact box could hold two full bottles, but it does. And, at only 1.5 liters, glass-a-day drinkers won’t get bored by having to consume 3 liters of the same stuff one glass at a time.

Price: $6
Maker: South Africa, Imported by Prestige Wine Group
Varietal: Shiraz
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, artificial cork
Alcohol: 14%
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Makulu Shiraz 2005 is a bold and fruity red wine. There’s a mild berry aroma, but it’s on the palate that this wine gets big. In that respect, this Shiraz is like its sibling, Makulu Iswithi Pinotage 2005. It’s like the Pinotage, too, in its intense fruity character. The wine leads with blackberry and raspberry notes, then transitions into a finish with a bit of oak and a mild tannic bite. At 14% alcohol, this is a heftier Shiraz than most. Overall, we like this wine. We’d prefer more spice for a Shiraz, but this wine is very nice on its own merits. This wine is fruity, but doesn’t have the sweetness of the Pinotage.

According to Prestige, “Makulu means ‘BIG’ in the ancient Zulu language. It is one of eleven native languages of South Africa. Makulu wines are ‘BIG’, displaying distinct fruit characteristics.” Based on this Shiraz, as well as the Pinotage we tried earlier, we have to agree with the characterization of these wines as “big” for their varietals. There’s lots of fruit and flavor, even if they aren’t overly complex or sophisticated.

Shiraz and Syrah wines are often distinguished by their peppery character. As it turns out, this spicy flavor has a rather pedestrian, chemical nature. According to How to pepper up a bottle of Shiraz by Tim Atkin, “The compound responsible for the peppery aromas and flavours in Syrah/Shiraz has been identified. In case you’re interested, it’s called alpha-ylangene.”

Atkin also comments on the distinction between Shiraz and Syrah:

Syrah and Shiraz are used more or less interchangeably in South Africa - but the more a non-French wine tastes like something from the northern Rhône Valley, the more likely it is to be called Syrah. Conversely, that’s why a handful of producers in the Languedoc-Roussillon are perfectly justified in labelling their vins de pays as Shiraz, despite grumbles from their compatriots. The wines have much more in common with the Barossa Valley than they do with Hermitage or Saint-Joseph.

The only danger I see in this discovery is that unethical wine producers might try and “spice up” a wine chemically rather than letting nature take its course. A little alpha-ylangene, anyone?

Price: $15
Maker: Hardy’s
Varietal: Shiraz
Packaging: 3 liter box, push-button spigot
Alcohol: 13.5%
Our Rating: 8 out of 10

Hardy’s Shiraz 2006 is an adequate if unspectacular boxed wine. It has a nice aroma of spice and licorice. The flavor is rounded and fruity, but not all that complex. The fruit has an unusual prune character along with some cherries; there’s oak and faint pepper in the finish. This wine isn’t offensive, but it kind of fails to excite.

This is part of Hardy’s Stamp of Australia series:

Hardys Stamp of Australia offers one of Australia’s most popular, easy to drink range of wines. Stamp of Australia continues the tradition of fine winemaking that Hardys have become recognised for throughout the world, by offering great wine at an affordable price. The Stamp range is identified by the original Australian postage stamp, dating back to 1937, which is featured on all Stamp of Australia wines.

Would we serve this Shiraz with a fine dinner? Probably not. Would we use it for party fare, or glass-of-red-wine-a-day drinking? Sure.

Price: $11
Maker: McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate, New South Wales, Australia
Varietal: Shiraz
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, natural cork
Alcohol: 13.5%
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10

We picked up a couple of bottles of McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate Shiraz 2005 when we spotted it on sale for nearly half price. We don’t buy multiples too often - there are just too many other wines to try and to write about. In this case, though, we almost regret not picking up a few more at the $6 - $7 sale price. This Shiraz has a powerful and pleasant nose, full of juicy berries and spice with a hint of licorice. The flavors were plum and blackberry, with a bit of chocolate. There was very light pepper in the wine’s long, slightly acidic finish. Shortly after opening, this Shiraz was pleasant but not overly distinguished. Surprisingly, the next day it had improved with deeper and more complex flavors. So, give this wine a chance to breathe.

According to the McWilliam’s Wine website,

McWilliam’s Wines has been named 2006 Winery of the Year by leading wine writer and critic, Stuart Gregor… In awarding McWilliam’s 2006 Winery of the Year in the fifth edition of his award-winning book ‘Don’t Buy Wine Without Me’ Stuart Gregor said:

“This award goes to the single winery whose range of wines excels at every price level. It is one of the most difficult decisions to make and I feel particularly for Seppelt, which is runner-up for the second successive year. But McWilliam’s richly deserves this award for its consistency, its dedication to making great-value wines at every imaginable price point and its failure to have a single dud in its entire range.”

High praise indeed, but we can confirm that McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate Shiraz 2005 is no dud.