Rex Goliath Shiraz

Rex Goliath

Shiraz

Origin: California

Vintage: N/A

Alcohol: 13.5%

Okay, so once again I'm reviewing a pretty cheap wine and once again, I've poured myself a slightly overfilled glass.  

Oops!  

It's some weird subconscious thing.  Cheap wine = drinking more.  And I know, it makes it hard to swirl, sniff, and all that formal wine jazz.  But hey, it's cheap wine so who cares.  Anyway...

 

Not too long ago I reviewed the Rex Goliath Free Range Red wine (link is here) which I found a bit underwhelming.  I was hoping their Shiraz would fare better, so I bought another bottle with that giant 47 pound Texan circus rooster and saddled up.  

Yes, you read correctly.  

The rooster on the label is of a giant rooster that was in a circus in Texas.  Why a California winery chose this as their icon?  And for a wine, no less?  I haven't a clue.

The Rex Goliath Shiraz pours a deep purple and smells of blackberries and oak.  Tasting brings surprisingly dry raspberries, plum, black licorice, and a good deal of oak.  The finish is short, yet smooth, with relatively mild tannins.

This really isn't a bad wine at all.  And for the price ($5), it's a pretty damn good California Shiraz.  Overall, the Rex Goliath Shiraz is considerably better than their Free Range Red.  

Rex Goliath, you have redeemed yourself! 

*For other Shiraz reviews click here.  There are also a few write-ups about the differences (or lack thereof) between Shiraz and Syrah.

Drink This: if you want a well above average Shiraz around the $5 price point.   This would easily make a good everyday type of wine.

Don't Drink This: if you're looking for a cheap, sweet red wine.  Like I said in the tasting notes, this was surprisingly dry, especially for a budget wine.

Cheers!