The 2006 Evil Incarnate Shiraz stains the glass as it delivers aromas of sage, rosemary, blueberry, and chocolate. Rich, full-bodied, super-concentrated, and succulent on the palate, this impeccably balanced effort has sucked up all its oak. It has enough structure to evolve for several years and should drink well through 2021. R Wines is the label created by Dan Philips for wines sold predominantly but not exclusively for under $20 a bottle produced in-house under the direction of Chris Ringland. The wines are discussed in the order in which they were presented. The last four wines are made from the grapes grown in the Shiraz vineyard of Adrian Hoffman in the Ebenezer district of Barossa Valley. Hoffman was responsible for all the harvesting decisions, and the wines were made by Chris Ringland. They are all still in barrel but will ultimately receive 36-40 months in new French oak.Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (805) 278-9095

The purple/black 2005 Evil Incarnate Shiraz (230 cases) was aged for 36 months in new French oak (now entirely absorbed by the wine) and offers up an other-worldly, kinky perfume of liquid slate, licorice, pencil lead, smoked meat, blueberry, and blackberry jam. This high-octane Shiraz is full-bodied, voluptuous, thick, and rich, with gobs of succulent, spicy blue and black fruits, enough ripe tannin for 6-8 years of further evolution, and a long, pure finish. It should be at its best from 2015 to 2035. R Wines is the company founded by importer and bacon baron Dan Philips and the veteran vigneron Chris Ringland. It encompasses four familiar labels, Marquis Philips (designated MP in these listings), 3 Rings, Roogle, and Bitch, along with 13 others created especially for R Wines. As is usual for master marketer Philips, the packaging is amazingly creative but, more importantly, the wines consistently over-deliver from low end to high end. The conclusion of this report contains a list of Values $20 and Under. Twenty-four R Wines are noted, many of which offer exceptional bang-for-the buck. What follows are notes are for the R Wines over $20. The rest of the Shiraz were sourced from the highly regarded 60+-year-old Ebenezer vineyards of Adrian Hoffman who is a partner in the venture.Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (805) 278-9095

In another galaxy is the 2004 Evil Incarnate Shiraz, a wine sourced from 40-80-year-old vines from the Hoffman Vineyard in the Ebenezer sub-region of the Barossa. It was aged for 36 months in French oak hogsheads. It has a super-expressive nose of smoke, scorched earth, game, blueberry, and blackberry. Full-bodied and structured, it should be cellared for 4-6 years. Despite its size, this wine remains surprisingly light on its feet. This lengthy wine should drink well through 2025. 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.Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; (805) 278-9095