Waterford "Kevin Arnold" Shiraz, Stellenbosch 2002

Deep red.

Smoky, meaty, slightly feral nose, but not crazy. Hazelnut paste and a medicinal note too. Far better than it sounds.

Deep, round entry, with a gamy, saline edge. Smoked meat permeates the mouth, with unobtrusive tannin framing everything.
If there's fruit here, I don't see it. Don't really miss it, either.

Not great, but this has personality ...

$30