2000 Juveniles

If readers want to know what the quintessential Australian fruit bomb tastes like, check out the 2000 Juveniles, a tank-fermented blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Shiraz, and 20% Mourvedre. Bursting at the seams with juicy blackberry, cherry, and currant fruit, it offers copious quantities of spicy, peppery characteristics, sexy, seductive glycerin levels, and a creamy texture that defines the word hedonism. It is not going to make old bones, but for drinking over the next 2-3 years, this is a fabulous, fruit-filled effort from Barossa. Anticipated maturity: now-2005. This wine not only makes for compelling drinking, but it is also a huge amount of fun, and isn't that what it's all about? If I had to give an award to Australia's finest winemaker in 2001, it would be hard not to consider David Powell. Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (888) 472-5283