Wine of the week: McGuigan The Plan 2016
by Wine Curmudgeon Posted On
McGuigan The Plan – an Aussie shiraz that shows sense and sensibility
McGuigan The Plan – an Aussie shiraz that shows sense and sensibilityAustralian red wines are infamous for high alcohol, jammy, too ripe fruit, and an absence of balance. So what’s the catch with McGuigan The Plan, which clocks in at an almost unbelievable 12.5 percent alcohol?
Chalk it up to the wonderful unpredictability of wine, where we should regularly discover how little we actually know. McGuigan The Plan ($13, purchased, 12.5%), though it’s from a top producer, is about the last thing one expects from an Australian red made with shiraz – it shows sense and sensibility, to steal a phrase. Yes, it’s rich and fruity, with lots and lots of blackberry. But the wine isn’t hot or sweet, the way some too alcoholic wines can be. Plus, there’s a little spice (and maybe even some pepper) in the middle. And I could swear I tasted a tannin or two. Honest.
In this, McGuigan The Plan is one more reason not to judge a wine before you taste it. It needs food, but with summer burgers or barbecue, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Imported by Palm Bay International
Sounds like my kind of summer red. Where did you find it, some store only in Texas?
Wine.com, Mike
Thank you, sir. That should have been my first stop, these days.