Wine review: 2006 Jim Jim shiraz

I was at the wine store last week (it seems like I visit every week, though usually a different store to compare atmospheres), buying some bottles as gifts for friends. When I go into a wine shop, I'm like Alli in a shoe store. You can't leave without at least glancing at everything.

I noticed this cool label for Jim Jim ("the down-underdog"), an Australian shiraz from McLaren Vale, which is on my list of travel destinations. The label prominently features a hand-drawn dog, and so I was attracted to it right away. It was an impulse buy, and a good one.



A couple of nights ago, Alli made a hash of spicy sausage, fried potatoes, onion, and mushrooms. It was absolutely delicious, and I wanted to try the shiraz with it. It was a great match, just really nicely complementary.

The wine is surprisingly rich for its youth, goes really well with singed (pan-seared, grilled, lightly fried) food. It's easy to drink, not much acidity, but a very nice tail end, a long smooth finish.