Western Living Magazine
Protected: Work where it feels like home, say goodbye to the commute
The Ultimate Home Design Guide: Top Designer Tips for Every Room
You’re Invited: WL Design Talks With Trish Knight and Nicole Varga
5 Incredible New Wineries Have Hit the Okanagan
The Grape Escape for Wine Enthusiasts
The Gin of the Summer (and Fall, Winter, Spring) Is on Sale
Dark Skies in Utah: Chasing Cosmic Connection on the Road
Cycling the Emerald Isle: A Windy Adventure on Ireland’s Greenway
Glamping Utah: Adventure Has Never Felt So Good
Trending Now: 10 New Furniture and Homewares for Fall 2023
Paint Trends 2024: No One Can Agree on the Colour of the Year
Discover California Closets – BC
Q&A: Meet the Texas-Based Contemporary Artist Dan Lam
5 Reasons to Enter the WL Design 25
Introducing Western Living’s 2023 Designers of the Year Award Winners
Mad Fish has returned to the market, with a side of subtlety along for the ride.
Mad Fish 2010 Western Australia Shiraz $23If I’m being totally honest, I didn’t really notice that Mad Fish, with it’s distinctive turtle label, had left the market because for the past few years, I haven’t spent a lot of time in the Aussie Shiraz section of the liquor store. Too much alcohol, too much jammy fruit, too much of a lot of stuff. But I’ve been getting back into all things OZ and my first point of landing has been Western Australia, which from its cooler perch about 2200 km west of Barossa, has lead they way for restraint in down under wine. And in this bottle that translates into a lower alcohol level (14%) and a slightly less deep ruby colour in the glass. On the nose, there’s a hit of spice more than a wallop of fruit and trend that continues in the mouth where there’s a pleasant feisty black pepper note that harkens more to Cornas than McLaren Vale. The bottle has some nice age on it, but the fruit and body remain lively—again not a word I often use for Aussie Shiraz—but am happy to say in praise of this bottle. If we’re lucky, this is a shape of things to come.
Are you over 18 years of age?