Having been matured for 24 months in new and 1 year American puncheons, the 2005 Calliope Shiraz emerges with a deep garnet color and a core of prune and kirsch aromas edged by a real spiciness – cinnamon and nutmeg – giving lift to the ripe fruit. Medium-high acid and a medium level of velvety tannins with lots of fruit and spice flesh come through on the full-bodied (and then some) palate. The finish is long and a bit hot. Drink this wine now through 2015+. Best known for their rare, fortified vintage blends of Muscat and Tokay – the style that really put Rutherglen on the fine wine map – R L Buller also produce some very good if robust table wines that speak of the region’s hot growing season.Importer: Southern Starz, Huntington Beach, CA; tel. (714) 892-3030

The 2004 Calliope Shiraz, fermented with native yeasts, also spent 18 months in mostly old oak. Yields were a low 1.5 tons per acre. Black in color, the wine has a superb nose of spice box, blueberry muffin, and chocolate peppermint patty. Full-bodied and layered with flavor, this in-your-face effort should be cellared for 2-3 years after which it will provide pleasure through 2020. R. L. Buller & Son was started in 1921 by the grandfather of Andrew Buller, the current winemaker. The winery remains one of the quality leaders in the production of sweet wines from the warm terroir of Rutherglen. Moreover, the wines cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world.Importer: Ken Onish and John Gorman, Southern Starz; tel. (714) 892-3030