Looking for layers of fresh jammy fruit and hints of spice, than this is your wine. Floods of red raspberry and blackberry flavors combine perfectly with aromas of white pepper that fill the glass. These lead into a very full bodied wine that reintroduces all the aromas into flavors and adds additional spice and light whispers of cocoa. This wine is more full bodied than some of its Australian counterparts especially in its fruit forwardness. The finish is beautiful allowing all the flavors to combine and linger in the mouth with anticipation of the next sip.

This is a great hamburger wine, with the smokiness of the grilled meat and all the condiments, it compliments the fruit and spice in each sip. Another wonderful menu idea is grilled dry rubbed ribs with a mustard BBQ sauce. The tanginess of the meat and sauce will tame the fruit flavors and work perfectly with this Shiraz. Some people have asked what the difference between Shiraz and Syrah is, and the answer is none, the grapes are the same and the only difference is the spelling of the name and sometimes where it comes from, being Australia or the United States.

R.H. Phillips has been producing some excellent wines at reasonable prices for some time now. They have recently changed from cork closures to a new type of screw cap. This new screw cap is more discrete than some of the others on the market, and looks like a thick foil cap. In the near future we will see more wines going to alternative closure methods, it provides a fresher wine, easy to reseal, and easier to open.