2005 Red Heads Studio "Yard Dog" Red

Here is the story of four Australian buddies in the McLaren Vale who band together to by a wine bar called Red Heads. They convert the bar into a studio winery and produce some small batch wines with ugly labels like this one. Instead of putting the main grapes first, (Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon), they feature the blending grapes as the main ingredient and use the Merlot and Cabernet as the blenders. The 2005 Red Heads Studio "Yard Dog" Red is a three grape blend that is 46% Petit Verdot, 30% Merlot, and 24% Cabernet.

The color and texture are rich, with dark fruit with a ripe berry and cinnamon taste. A wine that would go great with a barbecue, this one tasted better as it opened up, suggesting that a bit of decanting would help. 87 points and 11 bucks a bottle, this one kicks Yellow Tails butt. By the way, these guys a nuts! And that's a good thing.