Now what do you really get in a wine that costs this much? In this case you get a pleasant shiraz that it perfectly suited to casual get togethers. It goes great with cheese, cold meats, olives, and even chocolate. You could serve it easily with poultry, fish, or red meats. No, it would not impress your wine taster buddies but over a barbecue in summer or a house party in the winter, it does just fine.

The 2012 McGuigan Black Label Shiraz is made with fuit sourced from vineyards in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales and is a wine designed to be a transition from whites to reds. It has attractive aromas of blackberry, plum, toast, oak and clove on the nose and plum and sweet vanillin on the palate. It is a medium bodied, dry/off-dry, fruity wine; with quite refreshing acidity, soft tannins and a medium, clean finish. This is food friendly wine, drink now - 2018 (screw cap enclosure). My impression: NOTHING SPECIAL, 87 pts - re-tasted privately. Tasted in May/14 at 'Tasted during McGuigan luncheon and wine tasting at CIBO restaurant ' http://grapeselections.com/mcguigan-wines/.

See my wine recommendations readily available at the LCBO here:

http://grapeselections.com/grapeselections

or here @

http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy

An ok Australian shiraz, but a little too sweet for me. There are better at this price point