Delicato Shiraz 2005

Price: $17
Maker: Delicato Family Vineyards
Varietal: Shiraz
Packaging: 3 liter box, pushbutton spigot
Alcohol: 13.5%
Our Rating: 8 out of 10

Delicato likes to brag about their many gold medals, and one honor for Delicato Shiraz 2005 is that the wine received a �Best Buy� designation from Wine Enthusiast magazine. Our experience with Delicato Shiraz 2004 wasn’t bad, so we looked forward to the 2005 Shiraz. We found the nose to be filled with dark berries, plums, and spice. The flavor is quite plummy, with blackberry notes and a tiny bit of spice in the finish. It’s a bit sweet, although I hasten to add that it’s not a sweet wine by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, it’s a bit less dry and less complex than I’d like in a Shiraz. On the plus side, it’s a smooth, gulpable wine with a moderately spicy finish.

Delicato seems to be on a roll… Delicato Family Vineyards was named the International Wine and Spirits Competition USA Producer of the Year for the third time in 2006.