Philip Shaw 2006 No. 17 Australian Blend - 3 Pack
$54.99 + $5 shipping
CONDITION: Red
PRODUCT: 3 Philip Shaw No.17 Merlot Cabernet Franc Cabernet 2006
CT link above

Winery website

Since my birthday is next Tuesday, the appearance of my Golden Ticket on Thursday was a real treat with great timing!
I am very happy to be selected as one of today’s rats and am nervous about writing my very first critique, but here goes:

The wine is a 2006 vintage Philip Shaw No. 17 – a blend from the Koomooloo Vinyard which sits at 900 meters in Orange, Australia, consisting of 55% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The label on the front of the screw-capped bottle is a reserved creamy white rectangle with very simple text showing the name of the wine and a bit of additional information, but the rear label is a colorful cartoony image reminiscent of the opening scene of the TV series “King of the Hill.”

Immediately upon popping the cap the wine pours a nice deep almost purpley red that holds pretty strong color all the way out to the edge where it fades to a nice garnet with a fine lighter edge against the wall. Viewed from underneath the upheld glass the wine has a very nice deep garnet color.
The nose has a definite blueberry note upon pouring and swirling along with maybe a little minerality or perhaps that’s the alcohol? Nothing unpleasant at all. It smells good!

Initial mouthfeel is a little thin and a bit acidic but the acidity fades into a nice, fairly jammy aftertaste. Dark red fruit and some oak. I noticed a hint of alcohol burn down the throat with the first sip but not since then. It is pretty nice just like this and shows a lot of the Cab Franc and Merlot jam up front with a pretty noticeable bump of tannins on the back. A little thin here straight out of the bottle but not bad at all “as-is.” I am interested to see how it drinks after a run through the Vinturi into the decanter. I’ll do that and be back soon!

After a couple of hours in the decanter the wine has developed a more floral, rich nose that still has a solid blueberry note but also deeper red fruit and some chocolate and maybe a little tobacco. The previously mentioned acidity has mellowed into a nice, juicy mouthfeel with plenty of dark red fruit and a nice tannic finish that lingers and gets more complex for several moments. Paired with some Irish cheddar the wine really shines and is delicious. My wife had already prepared some cedar planked salmon for dinner and, even though I would have loved to have grilled a nice steak, the wine stood up well and enhanced the smoky, cedary salmon very nicely.

Final opinion:
I really like this wine. It is not as big or as complex as some I’ve had but it is a nice, rich, easy drinking red with a little bit of in-your-face fruit balanced with some solid tannins. I’m a fan of big reds and of deep color and though this is not a huge wine, this wine makes me happy. Thanks Wine.Woot for the early present!!

Wow. That's the shortest list of states I've seen. Not even VA made the list.

nimhgrad wrote:Wow. That's the shortest list of states I've seen. Not even VA made the list.

I know, I was all set to pull the trigger and saw that Va wasn't on the list-sigh

On Thursday, November 3rd we received a FedEx note that they couldn’t deliver a package. I order enough off of Wine Woot that I couldn’t be sure if I was missing something I had ordered – but I strongly suspected my first Golden Ticket – and the next day it arrived! My dream comes true!

On opening, we both took a look at the bottle and think it is interesting – the front looks classy – with a mysterious No. 17 referenced. The back has a cartoon of some people enjoying wine – and my wife loved the duck, puppy, and bunny in the grass on the picture.

We opened the bottle and gave it about an hour to breathe. The screw top seems solid – quality. On pour, the wine looks good – perfect color for a cab.

We decided on a three-phased tasting approach as many have done here – standalone, with cheese, and with a meal.

Phase 1:
So we each sampled a glass, with my wife noting a cherry and a deep fruit nose, and me noting cherry, plum, and the lack of any minerality. As we tasted – the taste was more substantial and deep than the nose – this is a moderately complex, well made wine. Its very nice – and I would certainly purchase – expecting a retail price in the $20 range. It has a solid earthy taste with more fruit than the nose, and a good mouth feel and depth.

Phase 2:
For our second tasting, we sampled with some Gouda cheese. My wife said the berry flavors jumped out at her. I would agree – and I also tasted some minerality that I didn’t taste before. This wine pairs very nicely with this cheese.

Phase 3:
About an hour later, we had additional glasses with dinner. For my wife and kids – this is pasta in a pumpkin sauce. For me and my fear of most things carbs – I’m having some extra spicy buffalo wings. So – will the wine overpower the delicate pumpkin sauce? Will the wings overpower the wine?

I’m happy to report that the wine held its own very nicely with dinner – and didn’t overpower the pasta and sauce too much – although it pairs best with stronger tastes for sure.

Conclusion:
I would recommend this wine – I don't think it is a screaming value for the price, but a solid value - and I suspect it will age quite nicely.

Thanks for being patient with my first post and first review!

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!......

I saw the 2008 is AUD25 a bottle on their website. Would hate to think how much shipping would be

First time lab ratting. Box came in at work, not realizing how much explanation it would take, I exclaimed "I've been lab-ratted".

Burgundy 750ml bottle w/twist enclosure, "Philip Shaw No 17"; Bordeaux blend
Appellation: Orange; TWAOW says Orange is high altitude, volcanic soils growing on the slopes of inactive Mount Canobolas; region known for notable pure natural acidity.

Poured 4 oz into balloon glass and remainder to decant.

Pours opaque purple/ruby; moderately aromatic with cassis, stonefruit, some heat.
Notable acidity in the taste, strong tannins, just shy of harsh (glad I decanted most of this) moderate body, stone fruit and red berries with a medium finish. Finish overshadowed at this point by semi-parching tannin.

After 1 1/2 hours in decanter: the heat in the nose is almost gone, replaced by green pepper, still has stone fruit, cassis. The tannins calmed seriously down, much more drinkable and open.

After 2 + hours in the decanter, my wife arrived at the hacienda and sampled more with me. At this point it had settled into a very drinkable, pleasant, red. The crisp acidity and balanced tannins at this point make it an almost "refreshing" red.

Had about 4 oz left in the decanter 24 hours later, did not seem substantially different from the 2 hours of decanting the night before.

Overall impression: nice, serviceable red blend, would go great with red meat/sharp, salty cheese. Definitely improves with decanting; might also be a good candidate for putting a couple years of hunker-down on.

There is an article about "right bank" blends in the most recent Wine Enthusiast. Long story short: they're gaining popularity because they're more approachable young and very food friendly vs. CS and CS-based blends which can be rather rough for their first few years.

Essentially buy 2 get 1 free

slow day, pass

fredrinaldi wrote:slow day, pass

I would have bought this if Virginia had been on the list