With new winemaker Lawrence Buhler taking over the reins at Colio I have a feeling the winery is in good hands; I’m also interested to see what he does with this grape variety. This is his predecessors wine and Tim (Reilly) did a nice job getting a good balance between Shiraz fruit and Syrah smoke into the glass. The nose is smoky, meaty and perfect for carnivores who like to congregate around the BBQ. The palate doles out the Syrah-style white pepper, well-spiced with smoked meat character, all with Shiraz-style fruit: cassis, black raspberry and blackberry with a dry toasty finish. Price: $19.95 – Rating: ****+