Retailers of wine love to display over 89 wines that will capture the consumer’s eye. Yes, every once and awhile my name pops up on the shelves or in a magazine advertising the wine. Take or leave it as to scores. My advice is to find a reviewer you are consistently in agreement with and follow your guru. Perhaps you may just want to ask if they are in the “business of reviewing wine”. Who pays their salary? Are they in the over 89 game simply to be featured in the shelf displays to “gain recognition”? Are their scores suspiciously high on a consistent basis? Are they charging winemakers a fee to review or some other fee such as having a critic’s rating affixed to bottle with the critic’s name? You are the best critic of course and if you are happy with that bottle of peach flavoured Chardonnay good on you mate!
This Farmer’s Leap Random Shot 2020 Shiraz from Padthaway in South Australia has an impressive 96 from the Limestone Coast Wine Show. And yes want to compete in the show? Well often you must pay an entrance fee, table fees and even a fee for affixing a wine show sticker on your bottle. Wine shows and competitions are for profit. Follow the money!
Aroma: A good measure of oak in this with corresponding vanilla and coconut. Big time blackberry, black cherry, cola and a small dribble of dark chocolate.
Palate: Broad based and evenly spread tannins. Blackberry and black currant rule the roost but it lacks depth obfuscated by a bit of sourness. It is hot at 14.5% alcohol.
Personality: A real charmer on the nose with skillful use of oak but flash does not always equate with cash.
Food Match: Hot Italian sausage on a bun aka a Friday night wine.
Cellarbility: Given its moderate cost perhaps there is nothing to lose by setting aside a few and trying over a three-year period but I would expect minimal ageing improvability.
Price: $16.95 CDN (Ontario).
RKS 2024 Wine Rating: 89/100. 2021 Limestone Coast Wine Show 96.
(Farmer’s Leap Random Shot 2020 Padthaway Shiraz, Farmer’s Leap Wines, Padthaway, South Australia, 750 mL, 14.5%).
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