Pretty much anything remotely spicy, peppery or leaves your mouth feeling like it's on fire I steer clear of. That being said, I know there are a lot of Shiraz/Syrah's out there that don't have these "hot" qualities, but for the most part that's what people want or expect out of it.
When we brought this wine into the store a few months ago I couldn't resist grabbing a bottle. The label, the name, the write up on the back, it all intrigued me and made me smile - sold!
2008 Punch in the Face Shiraz from Australias Barossa Valley. Make sure you're sitting down for this one, at 16.7% it's gunna knock you on your ass. As soon as I opened the bottle I could smell the pepper <sigh>. When I dipped my nose in again I got some ripe berry and cherry notes. I swirled it around, took a gulp, let it sit for a second, then swallowed. It had a bright acidic beginning then slowly let go into black pepper and dark jammy flavours with a nice smooth finish. After letting the bottle open up for about a hour or so I had another glass and my exact quote word for word in my wine notes were "Peppery to the MAX! capitals and all, hahaha. I did enjoy it and I would probably get it again. It would be great with some BBQ meat or a hearty stew. Overall at $25 a bottle, it was the only punch in the face that I've ever felt good about.
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