This wine was conceived by a desire of three friends to make wine together. We wanted to make a classic Australian Shiraz that would taste like a wine at twice the cost. We made one vintage of a reserve wine, also Shiraz and spectacularly good. I asked Ian Kidd to come up with an idea that would capture the partnership and we came up with the name 3 Rings.
It also had one of my all-time favorite back labels: “A donkey could make good wine from the Barossa grapes that go into 3-Rings Shiraz. But in the hands of a magician like Chris Ringland, you get much, much more. Oenopalidromic complexity. This rich, dark and lavish wine has all the complexity of a palindrome. Unfortunately, the palindrome is “Ass, or a Barossa?” But why choose? This perplexing tri-rigular flavor circus goes well with anything (and anyone) you bring to the table. Or take home for a snack. South Australian winemaker Chris Ringland, grower David Hickinbotham and importer Dan Philips have conjured a musical nectar with hints of Famolares (TM), first love and pleather. More prosaic tongues find blueberries, cream and spice (yet not, oddly, grapes.) You’ll need many lengthy tastings to denote all the tones, so you’d better get started!”
Wines: Shiraz, Shiraz Reserve.
Place: Barossa Valley, Australia.
Winery: R Wines.
Designer: Ian Kidd, Adelaide, Australia
Availability: Limited.