Almost: Petaluma’s good (but not quite great) B & V Vineyard Shiraz 2015

Petaluma B & V Vineyard Shiraz 2015

Remember when Petaluma was one of the industry benchmarks? Sadly, the brand has had at least 5 ownership changes since then, and the wines are a mere shadow of what they were. Anyway, this Shiraz comes from the B + V Vineyard, which lies on the eastern side of the Hills. Matured in an astonishing 72% new oak for twenty months. Woah that’s some weird treatment for Adelaide Hills Shiraz. Saturated purple mauve red, it’s a large wine for the Hills – punctuated by sweet vanilla bean oak, and lavish slightly sausages and warm plum fruit. Inky and over the top red that’s not without charm. But too much oak and alcohol despite the length and width. Good but should be better. Best drinking: I’d wait a year or so for the oak to settle. Then a decade of drinking ahead. 17/20, 90/100. 14%, $39.99. Would I buy it? No.