INSIDER'S PICK: 2012 SEVILLE ESTATE SHIRAZ YARRA VALLEY 'THE BARBER' $16.99

This is a call back to a producer we've done in a few recent Select Six and Insider Picks with their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (still available, still GREAT values), and while many may think Australian Shiraz doesn't have a lot of surprises left we are always looking for an opportunity to provide a new perspective. Victoria surrounds Melbourne and is a relatively mild climate, receiving cooling influences from both the Tasman Sea and Great Australian Bight. The conditions are similar to some of the Californian coastal regions and South Africa's Cape, which are both well regarded for their production of Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs. The Yarra Valley sits just outside the city, much as Napa does with San Francisco/Oakland, and their wine industry has evolved into a tremendous travel destination as well as their 'eat local' food and farm to table scene. Their biggest problem for us East Coasters is that there are so many other sources for their style of wine between here and there; we have direct lines from the Rhone, South Africa, and California that flood our market with all sorts of spectacular wines. This wine we are offering deserves attention at its usual mid-$20 retail price, but it was getting lost in the shuffle, so we have the chance to bring it to you for a little bit better price. OK, a LOT better price.

From the first pour it's obvious this is not the stereotypical Shiraz, with much cooler red fruits on the nose, almost tart red cherry and eucalyptus notes, and eventually getting in some dark raspberry notes as it opens up. Lots of the warm climate Shiraz throw out everything they aromatically the moment they're opened, but this has lots to offer with patience. The palate is impressively polished with very silky dark tannins that allow all the savory red and black fruits to cross the palate with almost no hard edges and zero sweetness or thick extraction. Which isn't to say this wine is 'light', either. It just doesn't fall into what most would consider the usual Aussie wine mode, instead paralleling wines from Crozes Hermitage in the Rhone or the cooler climate efforts from California. A delicious value for the limited time we have it at this price.

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