Wine Review - Cliff 79 Cabernet Shiraz: Good Aussie Value Blend...But We Do Have A Backstory...

So, before we begin we need to present full disclosure on this and a number of future wines we will be tasting.  We were approached by a representative of a wine distributor here in Canada to sample and provide, should we decide to, tasting notes on some of their brand selections.  This is a no strings attached agreement, so they have provided us with some wines for us to try and review at our discretion.  Our feedback is entirely optional and we let them know right up front that our reviews will be impartial and a true reflection of our opinion, good or bad.  They were completely agreeable to that and we will absolutely remain true to that principle.  We do not feel we are at the point of needing a tasting policy but as this is our first foray into having wines provided we wanted to be as transparent as possible and we are certain it will be an education.

That said, we have received a number of selections and we will be potentially providing tasting reviews over the coming days and weeks.  We will also be strictly maintaining our budget and value wine threshold of $30 and under for any wine provided to us.  So, you will not suddenly see us reviewing Chateau Latour on the same page as say, the wine we are reviewing now.

Now onto this wine which is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz Blend.  The wine does not look to represent a vintage (i.e. 2010 or 2011, etc).  There is none on the label and we were unable to find a vintage chart online.  This leads us to believe it is a blend that could be a private label for made for Canada, but we are not too sure about that.

Either way, this wine is a tasty little number.  At $12 locally, it is a super value wine that really does have a lot going for it.  In the glass it is a medium bodied wine which has a cranberry juice visual in the glass.  It is almost a glowing red at the bottom in the light.  It looks nice and for a blend seems to lean towards the Shiraz look in the glass.  

The nose is interesting to say the least with a bit of oak or cedar in there mixed with blackberries and figs with maybe a little road tar or rubber mixed in.  There is a note (call it rubber) in there that is more of a challenge to nail down but it is an interesting nose that does not indicate it is a $12 wine.

The palate is more complex than we would expect for a $12 wine.  It is a little tart and tannic on the mid-palate.  It starts with that familiar Shiraz residual sugar note but that dissipates quickly with the tartness and it finishes a little flabby.  The tartness just kind of fades off at the end and as opposed to lingering, it just kind of falls off.  The vanilla and berry notes continue with the taste and they certainly are nice but the balance only goes so far.  Again, at this price-point we are pretty impressed.

	Tasting Notes:	Score:
Sight (0-5)	Cranberry coloured wine that almost glows in the bottom of the glass when held up to light.  Medium body on the swirl and a respectable wine.	3.75
Smell (0-5)	Woody notes combined with blackberries, black currents, figs, and road tar.	4.0
Taste (0-10)	The palate is interesting starting with a Shiraz feel of sugar and transitioning to tart and then falling off a bit at the end.  Solid black fruit flavours present as a nice tasting wine though a bit more balance would put this wine over the top for the price.	7.75
	Total:	15.5 / 20 (77.5%)

Again, this is a solid example of a good Quality Price Ration (QPR) wine.  The quality of the wine is absolutely acceptable but when you couple it with the fact that this wine is only $12 the value factor goes up. We must say we like the wine but we would not necessarily go out of our way to find it.  We had someone taste the wine and tell us if that it was priced at $15 they would not be too fussed about it.  So, if you are wanting to enjoy a nightly glass or two of red wine that will not break the bank but still go with or without food, we would definitely recommend this one as a candidate.

Keep on tasting!

Chris & Shannon

PS - if you have an opinion about wine reviews from wines provided by producers or distributors we would love to hear it.  We are new to this end of the Blog-o-sphere. :)