Wine of the Week; 2011 Hardys Shiraz William Hardy

Every Thursday I feature a wine I particularly enjoy, whether it’s something new and different, is a great value, or from a producer worth checking out.  For this week, my Wine Of The Week is the 2011 Hardys Shiraz William Hardy.

The Winery

Hardys, as it is known today, is a brand that was started in 1853 by Thomas Hardy of Devon, England,  after immigrated to Australia.  The first vineyards were planted in 1854, mostly to Shiraz and Grenache (check out the full history here).  Shortly thereafter, he started producing small casks of wines from his vineyards, and the wines were well-received in both Australia and UK.  From humble beginnings, the company founded by Thomas Hardy evolved into Accolade Wines, a global wine company, selling some of the world’s best-known brands in over 80 countries, including Australia, the UK, mainland Europe, the US, Canada, Japan and China.

William “Bill” Hardy, who is a fifth generation Winemaker, and Brand Ambassador runs the company.  He studied Oenology at University of Bordeaux and received training at McLaren Vale in his family’s Tintara Cellars.

He shares the same passion as his great-great grandfather, and founder Thomas Hardy…creating beautiful wines” that capture the very best of Australia of cool climate viticulture, characterized by quality, consistency and complexity.

The produces a very diverse full line of wines, including the top of the line Eileen Hardy Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Pinot Noir.

The Wine

The wine is blend of fruit from both cool  and warm climate wine regions of Australia, including McLaren Vale (39%), Riverland (35%), and Clare Valley (15%), Other (11)%. It is made from Shiraz with a very small percentage of Malbec added. The wine was fermented and aged in French and American Oak.  14.5% alcohol.

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My tasting notes follow:

Ruby color with pleasing and fresh black and red fruit, cedar wood, spice and a whiff brown sugar aromas. On the palate it’s between light and medium-bodied, with medium-acidity, and balanced with inviting cherry, plum, black raspberry, and hints of dark chocolate and spiced vanilla flavors.

Rating: B+: This wine offers very good value at an SRP between $16-18! Recommended!

Pair with: I drank this wine over the course of a couple of nights.  I enjoyed with corned beef hash one night, and smoked ribs the next, and the wine paired nicely with both.  Consider pairing with hamburger, or lamb too!

Sample provide by Folsom + Associates for review

Ratings Key:
(A+) – 98-100/Extraordinary
(A) – 94-97/Outstanding
(A-) – 90-93/Excellent
(B+) – 86-89/Very good
(B) – 80-85/Good
(C) – 70-79/Bleh
(D) – 50-69/#Fail

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This article is original to ENOFYLZ Wine Blog.com. Copyright 2013 ENOFYLZ Wine Blog. All rights reserved.