Sweet versions of dry wines can be absolutely stunning.  Whether it be late harvest Riesling, or Zinfandel based port, these wines off nice compliments to dessert or some spicy dishes.  While Shiraz has shown up on First Pour Wine before as a Port, it’s never come on a sweet wine on it’s own.  Shiraz of course tends to be full of jammy berries, chocolate, and tobacco, so how could it go wrong?  Hailing from South Africa, Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz 2015 seeks to show just how good Shiraz could be at doing this.

Sight:  Bright magenta from edge to edge

Smell:  The smell is green and stemmy, but raspberry tends to jump in as well.   Hints of currant and spice are present in the background.

Sip:   Sweet to start, and only a hint bright.    There’s a certain amount of residual sugar, cranberry, and raspberry present.  Everything ends up being a little less ripe than you’d hope, and doesn’t quite come together.  There herbal and stemmy notes present themselves full force over time.

Savor:  The ending builds in raspberry and strawberry notes, but doesn’t quite round out sufficiently

Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz is definitely not jammy, but it is sweet.  The whole experience lacks a lot of depth, and doesn’t make a cohesive sip from smell to savor.  Rather it ends up being a bit on the mundane side, and even slightly underripe.  Something you wouldn’t expect or want from a sweet wine.  If you want something sweet, this is an option, but not one to expect anything complex or mind blowing from.

Verdict:  Stemmy, Semi-sweet, Raspberry, Currant
Rating: 60
Price: $10
Western Cape, South Africa
Available at Wine.Com