Jacobs Creek - Shiraz Cabernet 2003 > Reviews (3)

The lodger borrowed a bottle of my cheap Tesco red wine on Monday of this week and promised to replace for the weekend, what a surprise I got then when he produced a bottle of Jacobs Creek Shiraz Cabernet. Thanking him with a huge grin on my face, I proceeded to hide the bottle in my bedroom under my bed - why cos hes cheeky enough to ask to borrow a bottle again, knowing that he'd then have the pleasure of drinking the Jacobs - method in his madness hahahaha.

Anyhow Friday of the same week, the lodger was out with his mates, perfect for a girlie night in. After having a lounge in a Lush bubble bath, reading the book of the moment, with my dog layin next to the bath, I got my PJ'S on and arranged the candles in the living room, popped the cork of my Jacobs and settled down to watch a DVD - Bridget Jones ok so its predicatable but hey its feel good.

Back to the wine - the subject of my review - Jacobs Creek Shiraz Cabernet Vintage 2003 (South Eastern Australia), the bottle in front of me is a a 750ml bottle with a alcohol volume of 13.5%, there are 10 UK units in this bottle, so If you finish the whole bottle, no driving home!!! I believe it usually retails for about £4.99 in most supermarkets or off-licenses, but mine was a present so Im not too sure, as the Netto at the top of the field usually sells Jacobs Creek quite cheaply at around £3.00 a bottle, which is possibly where this bottle came from.

The front label is white, the writing is predomintly black with the Shiraz Cabernet in red with a burgandy cork cover with Jacobs Creek in gold lettering on a black back ground. The back label again white has a plotted history about the wine and informs me that the wine was imported by the Orlando Wine group. There is a web address - www.jacobscreek.com, which for the purpose of this review I have checked out. It is an interesting web site too, but back to the wine.

On corking the bottle, you are greeted with an abundancy of berries smells, very powerful. The wine is a deep plum colour, and sits on the glass just right. The first taste was again berries with a hint of plums and a oaky after taste. Very smooth, not too overpowering. The label states it is a medium bodied wine, and I must admit I do like a full bodied red, but this was bordering on a full bodied. It isnt a wine to guzzle its a wine to savour or drink with a meal, perhaps a beef stroganoff or pasta and mature cheese.

But where is Jacobs Creek made - According to the web site any where in the south eastern area of Australia, where 98% of all Australian vineyards are located.
A potted history -
Immigrants from England, Germany and Poland arrived in Australia in 1842 and established one of Australia's best-known and historic wine regions, the Barossa Valley. Jacob's Creek is an actual river flowing through the Barossa Valley region. The first commercial vineyard to be located on the banks of Jacob's Creek, was located between the townships of Rowland Flat and Tanunda. . The wine in question came from the Barossa Valley and was produced by Orlando Wines, which was founded by Johann Gramp in 1847.

Over the last 15 years Jacob's Creek has been the international export success of Australia. Australian wines are reffered to as the 'New World' wine producing region. New World wines should be
- innovative
- easy to understand
- accessible
- generous in flavour.
The Grape -
There are 3 red grape varieties grown in the Barossa Valley region, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. The main white grape varieties are Riesling, Semillon and Chardonnay.
Shiraz is probably the wine for which the Barossa Valley region is most famous for. The region also produces excellent quality Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The Shiraz grape is the most widley planted variety in Australia and is used to produce medium and full bodied wines. The shiraz wines mostly benefit from been matured in oak, which means they can be kept for years.

Would I recommend this wine to friends and family, yes I would it provides an excellant drink whether accompaning a meal or just to drink at a party. I would say the Jacobs Creek label is a label to trust.

Thank you for reading my review.