2005 longview single vineyard adelaide hills devil's elbow cabernet sauvignon

http://www.longviewvineyard.com.au

the bottom line - nice complexity in this australian cab. i found the herbal aroma a bit off putting, but the silky smooth chocolate finish is something special.

alcohol - 14.5%
residual sugar - n/a
total acid - n/a
final pH - n/a
blend - 40% cabernet sauvignon, 60% shiraz

aroma - sweet cherry with some herbal and cocoa notes
flavor -fruity medium bodied, nice acid with a creamy chocolaty oaky lightly tannic finish.
price - $19.96
verdict - 88, WS85

2003 thorn-clarke shotfire ridge curvee barossa

http://www.thornclarkewines.com

the bottom line - according to thorn-clarke, "the shotfire ridge range has one key goal - to build consumer loyalty by over-delivering in quality". I admire the goal and the words held true for this $20 blend.

alcohol - 14.1%
residual sugar - n/a
total acid - 7.18
final pH - 3.54
blend - 43% cabernet sauvignon, 29% shiraz, 13% cab franc, 11% merlot, 4% petit verdot

aroma - cherry, vanilla, spice, green pepper
flavor -fruity black cherry, chocolate, full and balanced, nice acid structure with a smooth lingering earthy finish.
price - $19.99
verdict - 90, WS87