The 2006 Dead Letter Office Shiraz was barrel-fermented and spent 12 months in mostly American oak, 20% new. Deep crimson-colored, it offers up notes of cedar, vanilla bean, pepper, earth notes, black cherry, and blueberry. Smooth-textured and easygoing on the palate, this seamless Shiraz can be enjoyed over the next six years. James Halliday says of Padthaway, “?It is on the way to nowhere. If you can pass through Coonawarra without noticing very much, you can pass through Padthaway without noticing anything at all.” Be that as it may, this is where the Longbottoms added grape growing to their other farming interests and began Henry’s Drive Vignerons. It quickly became clear that high quality grapes could be grown in Padthaway (they became the foundation of the Marquis-Philips line) and, subsequently, The Henry’s Drive, Parson’s Flat, and Pillar Box labels have gained significant traction in the USA market over the last ten years thanks to their superb price to quality ratio.Importer: Quintessential Wines, Napa, CA; www.quintessentialwines.com