Woop Woop Shiraz (2006)

The 2003 Woop Woop Shiraz was the first wine I ever liked, the wine that made me realize I may actually start enjoying wine. I had to go through quite a few before I got to that one. Up until a few weeks ago, I had not seen it anywhere else but Morris. It remains a good value for USD 10.99 at Lakeridge Liquors in St. Paul, MN.

At any rate, it remains a good, medium-bodied red wine. I'm not sure if this isn't as good a vintage or my palate has simply improved, but this bottle didn't move me as much as the 2003.

The nose is not too complex, mainly oak with a hint of cedar, and an unfortunate whiff of latex. While this Syrah doesn't have any more alcohol than any other wine, it smells hot, the alcohol that comes off is almost more reminiscent of a Zinfandel than a typical Syrah.

The body was much better, with green and black peppers, mixed berries, and a very subtle wintergreen wrapped up in a long, pleasant finish.

I was in charge of the wine selection for the evening and the chefs did not really specify what they were cooking, so this seemed like a safe choice and it was with pork enchiladas. Off-hand I couldn't think of an absolutely ideal pairing. There are a few things you should know though. First, it is worth the extra few dollars over the Charles Shaw and Black Mountain Syrahs for the complexity in the body. Second, Woop Woop is now bottling their wines with a rather interesting LDPE closure. This one was made completely of LDPE. Many synthetic corks have an LDPE core surrounded by a more inert material such polyurethane. It is not terribly easy to remove and when it does, make sure you are holding the bottle tight lest the closure go one way and the bottle another. I am also wondering if the latex on the nose was from the LDPE leeching into the wine. This would not be a remote possibility, I was surprised they didn't use a more inert material.

Website: http://www.woopwoop.com.au/about/ .