The 2008 Shiraz offers up aromas of cigar box, damp earth, smoked meat, bacon, and blueberry. Packed with flavor on the palate, it is full-bodied, round, and altogether pleasure-bent. Drink it over the next 4-5 years. With veteran vigneron Chris Ringland now in charge of the winemaking, I can state unequivocally that this is the finest collection of Marquis Philips wines since the label was started in 2000. Nevertheless, these wines will be controversial because all but one of the non-Roogle wines is over 16% alcohol. The small but vocal crowd of Australia bashers will have a field day taking these wines to task as they do with the Mollydooker wines (which seem to sell out anyway). Ringland is concerned about flavor and balance which is what these wines are all about. Those seeking low alcohol, subtlety, and finesse should of course look elsewhere. Those who want a big mouthful of sensual pleasure should read on. The Roogle Series is meant to be a bargain-priced introduction to the Marquis Philips upper level wines. The Marquis Philips wines are predominantly sourced from McLaren Vale while the Roogle wines are multi-regional.Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (805) 278-9095

The 2006 Shiraz was barrel-fermented and aged in predominantly American oak for 12 months. It offers up fragrant aromas of cedar, smoke, tar, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Full-bodied, opulent, and structured, this intense, well-balanced Shiraz will evolve for 2-3 years and drink well through 2016. It is an excellent value. R Wines is a new company founded by importer and marketing genius, Dan Philips, along with co-owner, renowned winemaker, Chris Ringland. Winemakers for R Wines are Chris Ringland, Lisa Wetherell, Andrew Hercock, and John Hughes. It encompasses four familiar labels, Marquis Philips, 3 Rings, Roogle, and Bitch, along with 13 others created especially for R Wines. Needless to say, the packaging of these wines is amazingly creative but, more importantly, what is in the bottle consistently over-delivers from low-end to high-end. The R series features Cabernet Sauvignon from the Barossa and a Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon from McLaren Vale. The labels portray different takes on the letter “R”. Consumers owe it to themselves to read the witty back labels. The Marquis Philips wines have established a six year track record of delivering a big bang for the buck. The wines are now made by a team put together by Dan Philips and Chris Ringland with absolutely no change in quality. Starting with the 2006 vintage, however, all of the fruit is sourced from McLaren Vale. The other change of note is that Merlot has been dropped from the program, primarily because of the difficulty of finding Merlot good enough to merit the M-P label.Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (805) 278-9095