Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz 2006

I usually enjoy Peter Lehmann's under £10 reds as they make good quaffing wines, and Barossa Valley Shiraz is probably my favourite type of quaffing wine.

Although this wine has all the things I like about this style of wine - the rich, deep fruit flavours, alcoholic warmth and general accessibility, I am starting to find the oak a bit distracting. It's not woody oak, it's the vanilla. It's starting to resemble wine with vanilla extract added. Although I really like Clancy's, I was starting to notice the strong vanilla notes in it as well.

Perhaps it's just too much of a good thing - over the summer we had several bottles of Peter Lehmann Barossa Valley reds. I don't actually think Shiraz is a great summer wine (despite all these wine writers endlessly recommending it for BBQs).

Lastly, I think it could also benefit a few more years in the bottle to help tame the oak, as it's still remarkably fresh.

Peter Lehmann
Barossa Shiraz 2006
Barossa Valley, Australia
Waitrose
3/5