2005 Spier Shiraz-Mourvdre-Viognier Western Cape Vintage Selection

The blend of grapes is French (Rhone, to be precise), but the wine is actually from South Africa. Shiraz (only called this in South Africa and Australia - everywhere else it's known as Syrah), Mourvedre, and Viognier (a white grape often blended in with other grapes for its highly aromatic nature) aren't necessarily blended together in the Rhone, but they're all grown there, and I can see where Spier came up with idea of combining them.

Shiraz and Mourvedre share a gaminess, with complimentary red fruits. Shiraz/Syrah is frequently blended with Viognier in the Northern Rhone. They all "like" warmer growing conditions. And they've certainly made a nice wine here.

As a good Shiraz should, this wine has a deep, inky garnet color, with plenty of black pepper, earth, vanilla, and cassis on the nose. There's also an undercurrent of slate and some pronounced cocoa. The cocoa, cassis, and some mellow smoke carry over onto the palate, along with well-balanced acidity and fairly refined tannins. The texture is a little coarse, likely due to the high alcohol (15% ABV! Ouch! though totally characteristic of the grape varietals involved and the Mediterranean climate of the Western Cape). But the wine has quite a long finish and the flavors on the palate continue to evolve in the mouth after the wine has been swallowed (no spitting here!).

Overall, a recommended wine. It's not super cheap ($15-$20), but it's certainly worth the money, I give it an 87.