The Auswine Forum

Hey folks,

I'm a big (dark) chocolate fan, so I appreciate a nice shiraz (or shiraz/cab) with hints of dark chocolate. Can't go wrong with dark berries and chocolate.

Got any good recommendations (preferably $25 or under)? I'm still a newcomer to good wine, so haven't found a whole lot yet (but perhaps it is often there but I don't notice). I understand the choc overtones come from the oak?

One cheapy I can suggest: Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2007.

Thanks, J

Mocha can come from oak. Chocolate may come from oak but is predominately associated with regional character. McLaren Vale Shiraz especially has chocolate and I find it in Barossan shiraz as well at times. Don't know enough about the Barossa sub-regions to pin-point however.

cheers

Carl

A good example of chocolate in Barossa shiraz would be Dutschke Oscar Semmler Shiraz but its twice your price point. So go for his St Jakobi Shiraz. Both St Jak and the OS are blended from the St Jakobi vineyard. My feeling is that Lyndoch wines have good chocolate character, but that is just a personal opinion.

For those who want some idea of the regional character of Shiraz in the Barossa I would suggest trying the Chateau Tanunda Terroirs of the Barossa. Each is around $50 but worth the price. The notes Chateau Tanunda has for the wines would argue that the Greenock wine has the chocolate, but my tasting of the wines put the chocolate in Lyndoch. To each his own!

EDIT: I should read my notes before I spout. In the Chateau Tanunda Terroirs of the Barossa there is chocolate in the Lyndoch wine, but I noted bitter chocolate in the Greenock wine.

Mike

Hello

There are many

but at your price range try

Elderton Shiraz, the 2005, or 2006 vintage

these usually are classic Barossan dark chocolate hints, and should be right in your price range!

Thanks guys for your suggestions. I'll check them out! Cheers, J.

JamieB wrote:Hey folks,

One cheapy I can suggest: Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2007.

Must give that a try and see if I can spot the chocolate.

Maxwell Lime Cave Cabernet should do the trick.

Waiters Friend wrote:Maxwell Lime Cave Cabernet should do the trick.

I'll see if I can find that one too!

Thanks

Peter Lehmann Clancy's 05 (shiraz, cab, merl @ $10-$15) has a lick of dark chocolate. Not as much as I found in the 02 though. Had a couple of bottles of the 05 recently while discounted - it's usually an agreeable quaffer but hadn't tried one for some time.

Cheers

daz