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Houghton Shiraz

Quite the antithesis to the cool, wet vintage of the east, Western Australia enjoyed an outstanding, warm 2011 season. Houghton captures the mood of the year even in its bargain entry point. This is an impressively full, vibrant purple wine of admirable concentration of black plum and crunchy, rep blackberry fruits. The finish lingers with focused persistence, well supported by fine-grained tannins, with the endurance to sustain it for some years yet. $8 at Dan’s.