Anthropology Shiraz

Wine: Anthropology Shiraz.

Grape: Shiraz

Region: Central Ranges, New South Wales, Australia

Vintage: 2010

Price: $8.99

Availability: Vons

In the glass: Anthropology Shiraz is a very dense eggplant color with a pitch blackish core going out into a deep violet rim definition with high viscosity.

On the nose: It has big forward peppery red and black fruit dominated by bramble, huckleberries and crushed black currants, laced with black licorice, licorice root and peppered beef jerky, with hints of phenolic compounds and earthy minerality.

On the palate: The wine is overwhelming with black fruit concentrate, showing intense blackberry liqueur, blueberry pie, black licorice, loganberry jam, huckleberries, spicy pepperwood components, chewing tobacco, earth-laden minerals and vanilla-laced new oak. The midpalate is meaty with black fruit, luscious mocha notes and fruit-driven minerals going into a lush and extracted finish that shows more black plums and licorice root.

Odds and ends: The sustainably farmed Anthropology Shiraz comes from an area of Australia that is not the typical home of big chewy shiraz wines, but a place known for more elegant wines and eucalyptus trees full of koalas. You might remember the Australian wine "invasion" led by Yellow Tail, followed by a slew of high-scoring and rather pricey wines from primarily the Barossa Valley. Those days are over, and prices on Australian wines have dumped, despite the strengthening of their dollar against ours. Nevertheless, this is an interesting wine and considering I haven't found an Australian wine interesting enough to review for almost nine months, this is quite the Anthropological revelation! It is a wine that normally sells for about $20 but Vons has it on a super special through February for $9.49 and at only $9 if you buy a six-pack. Sporting a lovely packaging job and the ever-handy screw-cap, this is perfect for this time of the year, especially with a hearty meatloaf fresh out of the oven. Drink it now through 2015.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.