Fans of VinoDuo know that Gary can't get enough of Shiraz from Australia's Barossa Valley. And yet our only posting to date was the summer's rave review of the 2003 Torbreck Woodcutters Shiraz. We decided to remedy the oversight with a three-fisted sampling of wines from the region. Could they live up to the 2003 Torbreck?

Kurtz Boundary Row Shiraz 2000        $26
Gary discovered this wine by accident a year or so ago. Apparently the bottle's distinctive shape made it ideal for holding up a sign in the Chardonnay section of the store! Noticing it was from 2000—a good year for Barossa Valley Shiraz—he bought it and cellared it until this week.

Like all Shiraz it had a peppery aroma with chocolate, berry, and pepper flavors. It was full, smooth, and consistent throughout its taste. "You know you're drinking a quality wine," Gary said. It was pretty mellow for a Shiraz; probably not drinkable in another six months. We're glad we caught it in time.

Three Rings Barossa Valley Shiraz 2005     $16
Three Rings was recommended by the wine buyer at our local shop who seldom steers us wrong. The Washington Post also raved about it, saying, "A collaboration between star wine maker Chris Ringland, whose Three Rivers Shiraz sells for $300 a bottle, and his American importer, Dan Philips of the Grateful Palate, the 3 Rings Shiraz brings Ringland's delectably over the top style to a broader audience."  Since we would never pay $300 for a bottle of wine, we figured we were the "broader audience" the Post was referencing.

We were taken in by its deep ruby color and wonderful smoky flavor. Gary found it drinkable but "not ready for prime time." He suggests laying it down for 2-3 years to let the tannins settle out. Lisa said "lay it down be damned. This is drinkable right now."  And since the bottle was already open, drink it we did.

Cimicky Trumps Shiraz 2003    $19
We almost turned down this wine fearing that Trumps was a misspelling and somehow Donald had gotten his hands on the wine industry too. But no, it's a true Aussie Shiraz. Deep, dark ruby color. Leather on the nose. Peppery flavor. Robert Parker said of the 2004 that it had a "flamboyant nose of road tar, blackberry, and cassis." Um, is that a good thing?  Fortunately, we didn't smell the road in the 2003, just the fruit. We actually found it a bit harsh and felt it could use a few years in the cellar.

2004 Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz    $19
None of the newcomers jazzed us as much as the 2003 Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz we tasted last summer so we concluded our sampling with the 2004 to see how it faired. Well, hats off to winemaker David Powell for a vintage that easily meets the quality of the 2003. Smooth, supple, rich, and luscious. A clean palate with no hard edges.

We're sticking with Torbreck as our #1 Barossa Valley Shiraz in the under $20 category. If someone wants to send us the $300 Three Rivers Shiraz I'm sure we'd be happy to try it.