90+ Cellars are Negociants with a twist, not only do they buy wine from various wineries and put their own label on the bottle, they only buy wine that has received, at some point, 90+ points from one of the leading Wine publications. The Lot 37 Shiraz is sourced from a winery (as a Negociant wine, they cannot say, by contract, who made the wine) located in the McLaren Vale growing area of South Eastern Australia. The wine industry is Australia is having difficulties right now, so this is an area that should be ripe for bargains. The alcohol content is 14%.
The color is a deep dark opaque black cherry red with a pink halo. An interesting nose, strawberry jam, followed by buttercream frosting, a faint whiff of coffee and mowed hay. Good, rich flavors upfront, extracted blueberry and blackberry, licorice, a little milk chocolate and vanilla. The mid-palate shows light Shiraz spice, raisin and Smuckers strawberry jam. The tannins are fairly light and the acidity gives the Shiraz some nice length. The finish is jammy fruit and vanilla and while the intensity fades quickly, does linger.
The 90+ Cellars Lot 37 Shiraz is a lush, rich, delicious, but balanced Shiraz. A couple of years ago a 90 point Shiraz was par for the course and the Lot 37 is a throwback to those days, the difference, in 2010 is the Lot 37 is 14% alcohol and in 2007 the alcohol content would have been 16.5%. A powerhouse Shiraz always pairs well with BBQ and the Lot 37 is no exception.
