The 2008 Poor Thing Grenache spent 16 months in neutral French and American oak. Dark ruby-colored, it sports an already complex nose of damp earth, underbrush, garrigue, raspberry and kirsch. Intense, concentrated, and seamless on the palate, it will deliver enjoyment for another 8 years. R Wines is the label created by Dan Philips for wines sold predominantly but not exclusively for under $20 a bottle produced in-house under the direction of Chris Ringland. The wines are discussed in the order in which they were presented. The last four wines are made from the grapes grown in the Shiraz vineyard of Adrian Hoffman in the Ebenezer district of Barossa Valley. Hoffman was responsible for all the harvesting decisions, and the wines were made by Chris Ringland. They are all still in barrel but will ultimately receive 36-40 months in new French oak.Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (805) 278-9095