One of my favourite Fermoy wines is the Reserve Shiraz. Yes, the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is pretty good, but this is my current selection. Somewhat cheaper than the Reserve Cab Sav, the Reserve Shiraz whilst not cheap offers a good drink and a bit of a discount. The Fermoy Reserve Shiraz is typically matured for 12 months in a mix of new and seasoned French oak barriques.

Ok, so what does the Reserve Shiraz offer then? This is a finely structured and complex shiraz with a fine finish, not overly peppery like a Coonawarra shiraz. Deep red in colour, this wine has plenty of legs, I needed to check the tasting notes to check the cellaring potential, my initial estimate was five to eight years. This was interesting as the tasting notes indicated 5+ years potential, this is where you like to be understated.

This is a medium bodied style that has been likened to a cool climate syrah, one might describe as more of a French style shiraz. The aroma has been described as violet, raspberry and even roasted meats, I am pretty surprised with this one. The palette is described as dark fruits, aniseed and cacao. So what are dark fruits? They are blackberries, blackcurrents and possibly even black cherries. So absolutely, do I like the Reserve Shiraz? The standard Fermoy was not my favourite selection in their range, the Reserve Shiraz is different, yeah, it is pretty good.