2007 Fat Bastard Shiraz
YEAR: 2007WINERY: Fat Bastard
FLAVOR: Red, Shiraz
ORIGIN: France
PURCHASED: Safeway, Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $11
NICKNAME: "Fat Bastard Shiraz"
Psydr Short & To-The-Point Wine Reviews
Below are reviews of fun little finds purchased locally. The typical cost per bottle is $10 or less, and the label probably has a little more pizazz than your traditional Barolo. But don't judge the bottle by the label. These reviews are personal and certainly non-professional evaluations of wines we've tried. Enjoy!
March 26, 2009
YEAR: 2007WINERY: Fat Bastard
FLAVOR: Red, Shiraz
ORIGIN: France
PURCHASED: Safeway, Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $11
NICKNAME: "Fat Bastard Shiraz"
February 9, 2009
2005 Washington Hills Shiraz
YEAR: 2005WINERY: Washington Hills
FLAVOR: Red, Shiraz
ORIGIN: Columbia Valley, USA
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $7
NICKNAME: "Washington Hills"
3 Reviews:
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February 9, 2009 at 11:19 PM ,
psydr said...
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3 OUT OF 5 STARS
A nice, solid wine. The nose tipped me off to the concoction's sweetness. A little thin and whispy for a Shiraz, but I rather like such a wine these days. The flavor was indeed sweet, but this sensation was almost immediately followed by bitterness. In fact, I had no sooner confirmed the sweet taste on the tip of the tongue when the tannins hit the back of my tongue. Nothing to be upset about. The tannins are gone in a flash. This is followed by nothing. Oddly enough, there is a distinct lack of flavor in the aftertaste...
All-in-all a good vino. Just not great. It did compliment my flank steak quite well this evening, but I just can't quite allow myself to award a fourth star. I'll just have to stick with my gut instinct here. -
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February 16, 2009 at 10:55 PM ,
said...
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I'm curious to know more about the compliment that this wine paid to your flank steak. What did it say?
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February 18, 2009 at 5:18 PM ,
psydr said...
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The flank steak was marinated in a homemade kalbi sauce for a couple of days, so the resulting product was slightly sweet with a hint of sesame. Cooked to perfection with a hint of red center, the meat was matched perfectly to this vino selection. We all know red wines are to be consumed with red meat, but this pairing was quite remarkable.
Literally, I believe I heard, "hey meat, fancy meeting you hear."
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August 28, 2008
2007 Yellow Tail Shiraz
YEAR: 2007WINERY: Yellow Tail
FLAVOR: Red, Shiraz
ORIGIN: South East Australia
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $9
NICKNAME: "Hoppin' Shiraz"
1 Reviews:
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August 28, 2008 at 9:27 PM ,
psydr said...
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4 OUT OF 5 STARS
With it's strong berry influence and it's near complete lack of tannins or bitter aftertaste, I think Yellow Tail is bound to have another hit on their hands. Bravo Yellow Tail! This is a very good Shiraz.
Of note: One thing missing is a wee bit of earthy palate. The bottle would benefit from a little more substance. As is, the flavor suggests a lack of aging in oak barrels... keeping me from awarding the beverage with the coveted 5 STAR rating. I'll bet this bottle could use a little more time in the racks. Perhaps a year or more. Too bad I rarely have such patience. Good thing for YOU!
Using the new site search option here on Psydr Wine Reviews, I was quickly able to find my previous review of the 2006 vintage. I also gave it a 4 STAR rating. Nothing better than a consistent winery.
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1 Reviews:
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August 28, 2008 at 7:41 PM ,
psydr said...
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3 OUT OF 5 STARS
This vintage is quite good for a mere seven bucks. It's a little bitter but has a rather pleasing dark cherry flavor. The legs are a little thin, but this is a quality I actually prefer in a shiraz. It's the syrup-legs of the thicker vinos I disapprove of.
Goes well with pizza!
Buy it. Try it. Tell the World what you think...
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April 13, 2008
2006 Jacob's Creek Shiraz
YEAR: 2006WINERY: Jacob's Creek
FLAVOR: Red, Shiraz
ORIGIN: Barossa Valley, Australia
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $8
NICKNAME: "Jacob's Shiraz"
1 Reviews:
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April 20, 2008 at 12:26 PM ,
psydr said...
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3 OUT OF 5 STARS
Here's another average wine. Good. Not great. Inexpensive. Maybe a tad on the sweeter side for a Shiraz.
These bottles seem to be about as readily available as bot Yellow Tail and Alice White and similar in quality. There seems to be several cheap, inexpensive Aussie wines out there at the moment. I enjoy each of them. However, none of them are my favorites... so far.
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2006 Fat Bastard Shiraz
YEAR: 2006WINERY: Fat Bastard
FLAVOR: Red, Shiraz
ORIGIN: Carcassonne, France
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $10
NICKNAME: "Fat Hippo Shiraz"
1 Reviews:
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April 13, 2008 at 7:43 PM ,
psydr said...
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4 OUT OF 5 STARS
A nice Shiraz. A few tannins here, but the flavor is nice. Bright, rich color. A wonderful Shiraz with a fantastic label. Who wouldn't love a Fat Bastard Hippo? Well done Fat Bastard.
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March 31, 2008
2003 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Shiraz
YEAR: 2003WINERY: Columbia Crest
FLAVOR: Red, Shiraz
ORIGIN: Columbia Valley, USA
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $10
NICKNAME: "Columbia Crest Grande Shiraz"
1 Reviews:
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April 1, 2008 at 12:51 AM ,
psydr said...
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5 OUT OF 5 STARS
First of all, this is a great wine. 5 STARS without a doubt. There's a wonderful cherry/oak flavor which comes together perfectly. Hats off to Colombia Crest. This is their best wine yet!
Okay, this is one of those moments of personal awkwardness. I'm pretty sure I've already reviewed the "regular" Columbia Crest Shiraz. And I believe I gave it a 5 STAR rating... which it deserved. However, if that's the case, then I have to come up with a new rating system, because this wine is easily TWICE as good as their "regular" shiraz. This Grand Estates stuff is the bomb. Damb, it's good!
Does this really mean I have to come up with a new rating system? No. It just means there's a wide variety of vinos which fit in the 5 STAR catagory. And ALL of them are incredible.
Is there one 5 STAR that's better than another? Of course. Absolutely. But my intention here is to make sure that if you were to pick up any wine I rate 5 STAR, you're going to be one happy camper.
We all need variety. Remember one thing: The bitter makes the sweet sweeter. There's soooooo much truth to that I won't even begin to approach the subject here...
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March 21, 2008
2004 Columbia Crest Shiraz
YEAR: 2004WINERY: Columbia Crest
FLAVOR: Red, Shiraz
ORIGIN: Columbia Valley, USA
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $9
NICKNAME: "Columbia Crest Shiraz"
1 Reviews:
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March 21, 2008 at 8:31 PM ,
psydr said...
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5 OUT OF 5 STARS
Delicious! This is a great wine. In general, all Columbia Crest vintages and varietals can be used as a successful standby. They never disappoint.
If you were to throw a party and know absolutely nothing about wine, then the one thing you should be aware of is this: Columbia Crest will ALWAYS please. They haven't produced a single failure to my knowledge.
The Shiraz is sweet, but not too sweet. It's smooth and goes well with anything I've thrown at it. Tonight I had Lamb Korma. Perfect accompaniment.
Damn, I'm ecstatic Columbia Crest does what they do. Nice work folks. Keep it up. I don't personally know another winery which can be counted on without fail year after year, vintage after vintage, and across sooooo many varietals...
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March 3, 2008
1 Reviews:
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March 4, 2008 at 12:55 AM ,
psydr said...
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2 OUT OF 5 STARS
Tastes a bit like carbonated grape juice. Not quite to that extent, but something is surely wrong here. At the same time I didn't find it awful. At first I was tempted to rate this wine a 1 STAR but ended up enjoying it enough to give it 2. Hmmm... Maybe this has something to do with the amount of the wine I drank. We'll never know.
Either way, there's no real need to purchase this wine. Why not spend $6 bucks on something that tastes much better.
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2 Reviews:
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March 4, 2008 at 1:01 AM ,
psydr said...
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3 OUT OF 5 STARS
A strong flavor of current and cherry here in my opinion. I almost gave this bottle a 4 STAR rating... but didn't. Not a bad bottle. My only issue is that I believe it was a $15 or $16 bottle on sale for $10.
Much better wines are available for half the price. This wine is a good example of why we produce this blog. -
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February 19, 2009 at 9:50 PM ,
said...
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2 out of 5 stars
I think 3 out of 5 stars was being generous.
My 2005 bottle was $8 at Costco in Atlanta.
Very dry. Otherwise forgettable. Sorry.
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February 23, 2008
2 Reviews:
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February 23, 2008 at 10:40 PM ,
psydr said...
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1 OUT OF 5 STARS
This is a bad, bad wine. And I don't mean that in the good way. This stuff is thicker and sweeter than molasses. Honestly, it was difficult to swallow. It's a good thing the sink drain is only a few feet away. This bottle will not be finished by yours personally. I'm pretty sure the toilet will see the end of this offering.
The reason I didn't give this bottle a ZERO: Because it's not quite as bad as the worst wines I've tried. But I would NEVER serve this stuff to anyone I didn't despise.
Usually I apologize to a winery I give such a low rating to, but in this case I'm not going to... A ONE is not a ZERO. -
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May 9, 2009 at 12:39 PM ,
said...
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Wow, clogging the sink drain. Funny. Hey, review some white wines.
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February 20, 2008
1 Reviews:
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February 23, 2008 at 4:31 PM ,
psydr said...
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2 OUT OF 5 STARS
A little too earthy for me. Tastes a lot like wood and not necessarily the oak variety. Not sure what's going on here. I just don't particularly like it.
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February 13, 2008
1 Reviews:
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February 13, 2008 at 11:42 PM ,
psydr said...
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2 OUT OF 5 STARS
Found this wine in a small grocery mart on the way to work this morning. Honestly, it's not too hot. Bitter for a Shiraz. Not my fav.
However, you do get a liter-o-wine for your 10 bucks. That's like 33% more!
Still, I'll pass... Too bad. I liked the label quite a bit. Black & white. Simple.
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February 10, 2008
2006 Alice White Cabernet Shiraz
YEAR: 2006WINERY: Alice White
FLAVOR: Red, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Shiraz
ORIGIN: South Eastern Australia
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $7
NICKNAME: "Alice White Blend"
Labels: 2006, 4 STAR, Alice White, Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mixed Varietal, Red, Shiraz
1 Reviews:
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February 10, 2008 at 7:44 PM ,
psydr said...
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4 OUT OF 5 STARS
Alice White is on a roll. These are good wines. This is just a tad bit more tart than the plain ol' Shiraz, but still very good. For $7 at your local convenience store, these wines are a steal.
Keep up the good work Alice!
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February 6, 2008
1 Reviews:
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February 6, 2008 at 10:46 PM ,
psydr said...
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2 OUT OF 5 STARS
Honestly, this wine just isn't very good. I found it very bland with a hint of icky in the background. Don't get me wrong. It wasn't terrible. And considering it's $4/bottle cost it's probably some sort of bargain...
There are better $3 bottles out there, so why buy this one?
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February 5, 2008
2004 Rock Rabbit Shiraz
YEAR: 2004WINERY: Rock Rabbit
FLAVOR: Red, Shiraz
ORIGIN: California, USA
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $10
NICKNAME: "Rock Rabbit Shiraz"
1 Reviews:
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February 5, 2008 at 9:39 PM ,
psydr said...
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5 OUT OF 5 STARS
This is a delicious wine. Another great find. Of course, it's price borders our theshold here. Not that we haven't broken it before.
A strong taste of cherry here for sure. More obvious than I've ever tasted after a single swallow. Certainly cherry. Not just fruity.
Okay, here's a conundrum: The front of the bottle clearly states the varietal to be Shiraz. Yet the vintage is of California... making it a Syrah. Then, on the back of the bottle, the statement is Syrah. A little weird I say.
Confusing? Yes. But given the nature of things and that these grapes were harvested in California, we have to call this a Syrah... right?
Regardless of Rabbit's confusion, most importantly, you should go out and pick up a bottle of this wine. It's yummy!
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February 2, 2008
Mattie's Perch Cabernet Shiraz
YEAR: None Given, Purchased 2008WINERY: Mattie's Perch
FLAVOR: Red, Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
ORIGIN: South Eastern Australia
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $7
NICKNAME: "Koala Blend"
Labels: 3 STAR, Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Maggie's Perch, Mixed Varietal, Red, Shiraz
1 Reviews:
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February 2, 2008 at 4:59 PM ,
psydr said...
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3 OUT OF 5 STARS
Another decent wine. Smooth and supple. I don't really have anything good or bad to say about this wine. It had a good flavor, just not inspiring. Not sweet. Not too bitter.
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1 Reviews:
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At
February 2, 2008 at 3:19 PM ,
psydr said...
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3 OUT OF 5 STARS
Smooth and basic. My first sip had a slight tart aftertaste, but those which followed did not. The label is a bit cheesy, but what's in a label? This is a good wine.
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January 31, 2008
2005 Leaping Horse Shiraz
YEAR: 2005WINERY: Leaping Horse
FLAVOR: Red, Shiraz
ORIGIN: California, USA
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $8
NICKNAME: "Leaping Aweful"
1 Reviews:
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January 31, 2008 at 10:15 PM ,
psydr said...
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0 OUT OF 5 STARS
This was a rather disappointing Shiraz. On my first swig I tasted something I just couldn't quite place. It was an unpleasant flavor. After a glass, I still can't nail it. If I had to guess, I would just say it was rotten. Perhaps it's a bad cork. I don't know. I just know I don't like it. It's friggin' terrible.
Avoid this wine at all costs... unless you've received an unwanted dinner invitation and wish to ensure you'll never be invited back again. If that's the case, then take a couple of bottles. Pretend you like it, if you can stomach it, and they're sure to shun you. Your hosts will surely believe you mad and attempt anything to remove you from their lives once and for all.
Honestly, I think I'll pour the remainder of this bottle down the drain.
Sorry Leaping Horse. I don't enjoy giving bad reviews, but this stuff is awful. Perhaps I'll try another just to ensure this bottle wasn't urinated in by a disgruntled employee.
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January 30, 2008
2005 Purple Moon Shiraz
YEAR: 2005WINERY: Purple Moon
FLAVOR: Red, Shiraz
ORIGIN: California, USA
PURCHASED: Seattle, WA
AMOUNT: $3
NICKNAME: "Cheap Purple"
3 Reviews:
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January 31, 2008 at 6:44 PM ,
Jay said...
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5 out of 5 stars
Mmm...spicey. Was my first thought. Just enough dry, just enough sweet. Oddly, while I was tasting it, a word that came to mind was "purple". I then noticed the name on the bottle.
This is my favorite in quite a while. I've gotta get back to it before Erica drinks it all! -
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February 5, 2008 at 8:14 PM ,
psydr said...
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4 OUT OF 5 STARS
I found this wine to be very smooth. Complimenting my Superbowl chips, guacamole, and cheese dip quite nicely. It wasn't quite perfect. There was a charge of sweetness that put it slightly over the edge for me. Given its $3 cost, I'd say it was well, well worth it. -
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February 13, 2008 at 4:37 PM ,
erica said...
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5 out of 5 stars
This Purple Moon syrah is smooth and delicious. My first sip was not as sour as with some other wines i've tasted. In fact, it was quite sweet (but not overwhelmingly sweet). In addition to a ripe cherry flavor, it also hinted at a spicy oak and earthy
flavor.
This purple potion is the Angelie Jolie of all wines. Yes, it is THAT good. it has a sexy, very appealing label. In addition to its beautiful purple exterior, it has substance and complexity, with a multicultural blend of spicy and sweet goodness.
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1 Reviews:
3 OUT OF 5 STARS
Very pungent cherry with a dull aftertaste. Not bad, but not as good as previous Fat Bastard offerings in my opinion. Very, very dark purple in color. More like a Cabernet than a Shiraz. Good flavor though. Not too strong. No bitter end. Honestly, I'm surprised by the difference a year can make. While I wouldn't hesitate to purchase this bottle again, I don't highly recommend it either... and I remember really enjoying the previous Fat Bastard Shiraz. Oh, well. What can one do?
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