The Yellow Tail cuvees I tasted are surprisingly good for wines made in such enormous quantities. The 2002 Yellow Tail Shiraz reveals a deep ruby color along with additional earthy/blackberry notes, a full, jammy palate impression, medium body, and a fresh, pure style. In short, this is a tasty, clean, well-made wine that probably can be found at discounters for less than $5.It is no surprise to me that consumers are intelligent, and should never be under-estimated. Since there are no remaining stocks of the 2001s, I did not have an opportunity to see how they age, but these 2002s all have merit. In some wine circles it is fashionable to criticize wines of this genre, but, if the truth be known, these are surprisingly well-made offerings.All of these wines are intelligently packaged with designer labels and synthetic corks.The importer for Yellow Tail is William Deutsch and Sons, White Plains, NY; tel. (914) 251-WINE

This wine offers grapy, dark fruit with a touch of dry earth and an aroma of buttered toast. The acidity and fruit are balanced, but lack the structure that more noticeable tannins would provide. Best Buy. —K.F. ——K.F.(3/1/2003)—— 86