Penfolds Koonunga Hill 2006 Shiraz Cabernet

After designing a "bespoke pro-cess" all day with my British pals, it was time for a Wednesday wine.

This Aussie red blend is 78% shiraz and 22% cabernet. The first thing I notice is a strong bite that overpowers the finish. Tobacco and oak on the nose. A sign of quality wine (in my book) is when you can pick up on multiple flavors - I've found that tough to do with most under $10 wines, but the Koonuga Hill is full of dark fruits such as plum and gives flavors of chocolate and oak. And then that bite kicks in. At $8/bottle at Costco (and easy to find), it's not too shabby with a 5/10 rating. And to see how Australian I could be, I even had a Mint Slice and a Tim Tam while sippin' my cheap wine.

P.S. it's summer hiatus time, so although I'll be busy drinking content for my next several posts, you won't see them on the site next week. Just check out the categories to the right and catch up on past posts! I'll miss you.