The 2021 The Musician Cabernet Shiraz is a reliably juicy, bright and value-for-money midweek red. Raspberry pastille, black cherry, cassis and licorice make up the uncomplicated and irresistible display of fruit in the mouth. From memory, there is no oak, or very little oak, here, and it is all vibrancy and juiciness. Not complex, but very satisfying. The legacy continues.

Deep garnet purple in color, the 2010 The Musician, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, gives well defined aromas of crushed black currants, wild blueberries and spiced blackberry preserves with hints of cinnamon stick, cloves, nutmeg and licorice. Medium to full bodied, it offers a good concentration of vibrant, juicy berry flavors with refreshing acidity and a medium level of chewy tannins. The finish is long and purely fruited. Drink it now to 2015. Catching-up with owner Brian Lynn recently, in addition to his current releases I tasted through verticals of Majella's Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and The Malleea to track the evolution of the styles. The results go to show, it certainly pays to put a few bottles of these well constructed wines away. Majella does not currently have a US importer.

While I never like to pick favorites, Majella's -The Musician- is a wine that I often drink at home because it so consistently over-delivers on quality, balance and a sense of place for its price. A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Shiraz, the deep garnet-purple colored 2009 The Musician Cabernet Shiraz displays wonderfully expressive aromas of cassis, crushed blackberries, some eucalyptus, fragrant violets and red roses plus a waft of lavender. Full bodied and very concentrated, it's not shy on the structure with crisp acid and medium to firm level of fine grained tannins. The finish is long and juicy with the faintest suggestion of toast. Approachable now, it should continue to drink until 2015. Majella was represented by The Grateful Palate in the USA, its current importer situation in that market remains unresolved. It is available in around 30 other markets around the world including Canada, the UK and most of Asia.