When I first got serious about wine I started with Australian Shiraz since you could get really good quality for not a big price. My first wow Aussie Shiraz was the 2003 Tim Smith Barossa Valley Shiraz which stole the show at one of my first wine off lines (wine off lines are where a bunch of wine geeks gather to drink good wine). 3 of my favorite wines of all time appear here and from Australia. While Australia signature is Aussie Shiraz they make some amazing Grenache Blends. Shiraz (Syrah) is to the Northern Rhone what Grenache is to the Southern Rhone.
I have been drinking Kaesler wines for years. They make some of the best wines in Australia for the money. The Bogan and Old Bastard are amazing Shiraz wines while the Avignon delivers in the Grenache category. The have 3 categories of wines which makes it simple for the consumer: the Stonehorse series, the Estate Series and the Limited Release Estate.
The 2012 Kaesler Avignon is primarily a blend of Grenache 86% and 14% Shiraz. This is a wine that is drinking really well right now. I don’t think I would age this 4 or 5 years as it is already 92 points on a pop and pour. Enjoy this over the course of a few days!
TN: 2012 Kaesler Avignon (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley)
Day 1: Opened for about 3 hours. Nice Garrique, red currants, subtle spices and pine tar. This drinks more like a CDP than any other Aussie Grenache Blend I have ever tasted. An absolutely stunning value (won’t tell you what I paid for it). An early candidate for QPR of the year and will be hard to beat. Will be interested to see what this does on day 2 and 3. 92 points
Day 2: Still singing with similarities to day 1. Very intense wine with tons of flavors complexity. Long finish. A true find. Wow!!!
Day 3: Didn’t make it that long as it was so good on day 2!
Final Score: 93 points
Final Recommendation: This can be popped and poured right now or cellared for 2 to 3 years. I would recommend holding some for day 2.
Found locally: $14
Wine Searcher: $34.99
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/kaesler+avignon/2012