Jacob’s Creek Reserve Barossa Signature Shiraz 2009

Jacob's Creek is a significant Australian wine brand all over the world, not in the least because for many people it is the first Australian wine they try. Strangely, however, most serious Australian wine drinkers have little idea about these wines. I'm often confronted by the entirely inaccurate perception that they're the old-fashioned fruit bombs that popularised the export forays of Australian wine two decades ago. Instead -Ę while like every wine ever made they're only as good as the fruit they're sourced from -Ę they have a balance, elegance and purity of fruit that still surprises me. The least expensive Jacobs Creek wines are made with much the same philosophy of wine quality as the top-drawer labels. They often punch well above their weight. As you can possibly tell by now, I'm a fan. That's because every year when I taste all of them, I walk away happier for the experience.