2008 Gemtree "Tadpole" Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia (Elsewhere $14.99)

An untamed animal with minimal intervention (that means no filtering, no fining, and pretty much no hand of the wine maker in evidence whatsoever), this is a naturalist's dream: 100% juicy, soft and drinkable Shiraz in a fruit-forward, jammy and yet balanced style. A fantastic value and a lot of bang for around ten bucks. "Since I became aware of this property last year, I have been extremely impressed with the quality and value they have to offer. James Halliday, who is one of Australia's foremost wine writers and founder of the Coldstream Hills winery added them to his list of ten 'dark horses' to watch. The grapes are grown organically and since 2008 they have become 100% biodynamic. For every bottle sold, they also donate to Greening Australia which supports the wetlands on their property. Last year the Wine Spectator gave their 'Uncut' Shiraz ($19.99) 92 points and it made the Top 100 list, and by the way, we recently were able to procure another dollop of this fine wine. The Spectator also awarded 90 points to the 2007 Tadpole, and I'm here to tell you the 2008 is even better. For a wine at this price, it shows remarkable concentration with a perfumed nose of blueberry, blackberry, iron, crème de cassis and a hint of milk chocolate. On the palate the wine is rich with good acidity and silky tannins that present superb balance and length. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration." (Jim Chanteloup, K&L Australian wine buyer)