Makulu Shiraz 2005

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.