Barak's Bridge Shiraz 1999

By MICHELE CURTIS

Wine two of our Barak's trifecta. The aromas are enough to send your senses reeling. Just one sniff will scatter your thoughts as you try to pinpoint the actual smells. Is it oakey? Violets? Cough medicine? A touch of liquorice? Perhaps it's more a floral smell?

Who can say, each sniff reveals another characteristic. There's only one thing to do: take a sip and see if that makes things clearer.

There's little of the typical shiraz qualities, no spice or pepper; rather it's an earthy, tart blackberry taste with a bag-load of tannin.

And it gets more interesting every time you take a mouthful - the spice starts to come out, while the vanilla oak flavours add to the congenial taste.

This wine is perfect for a wet spring evening when you just need some alcoholic relief. Open the wine early and give it a bit of air to let the spicy characteristics come to the fore.

Whip up a simple beef stew, some mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach, and soon your worries will float away.

RRP $15.50
3 out of 5