Please help

[stevebody]

Nothing AT ALL against Penfold's wines - they're great and probably the most readily available of the Aussie fine wines - but there are an awful lot of really wonderful upper-tier Aussies, and not just Shiraz.

Chateau Tahbilk has a bottling produced from the oldest Shiraz vines in the country, planted in 1864 or something like that. It's one of the most amazing wines I've ever tasted, like a really great Barolo in size and character.

Maybe THE best wine I've ever tasted - certainly the most interesting - is the Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz. The range of flavors is astounding and the balance and profile are dazzling.

Both of these will run about $75-$85.

Ask your local wine shop steward for suggestions, too, or visit my store's website at esquin.com, here in Seattle. Being on the West Coast, we have access to a ton of interesting Aussies, including about a half dozen wines from the Grateful Palate importers that the Wine Advocate gave a perfect 100 points to. Any good wine shop on the Left Coast can locate great stuff for you.

Hope this helps!