Annie's Lane Clare Valley Shiraz, 2002

I find that many mid-priced Australian Shiraz wines drink at their best from seven to nine years of age. This allows the oak tannins to integrate while the ripe fruit is still dominant.

The color and the aromas of the Annie's Lane Shiraz are reminiscent of sweet dark cherries, deep and ripe. You can smell the toffee/coffee oak at the bottom, but fruit scents and flavors are layered on top--ripe plums and blueberries and pie cherries. The oak tannins on the palate are fairly well integrated, framing the fruit flavors rather than blocking them. The longer the wine sits in the glass, the better it gets. Ripe mid-palate and finish.