Another outrageously cheap wine from Mike Press in the Adelaide Hills. As with some other Mike Press reds, this seemed a bit oaky on initial release, but it’s drinking really well at the moment.Rich black pepper and dark fruits on the nose. Lively and with good depth, if not great complexity. On entry, quite mouthfilling and quickly flavoursome. The wine funnels generously to the mid-palate, whereupon it washes the mouth with fruit flavour. Medium to full bodied, there are further notes of spicy black pepper and blackberry. These two notes are dominant, but vanilla oak props up the flavour profile and adds extra interest, and there’s a slightly herbal edge to the palate that is distinctive and tasty. Not a hint of confectionery; in fact, the wine’s fruit flavour is nicely three-dimensional. The wine’s structure is assertive enough to match the its dense fruit flavour. There’s a nice interplay of fine acid and ripe, dry tannins. Really quite satisfying length.An attractive wine that packs a lot of flavour into its asking price. It’s not a wine you need to work especially hard at which, let’s face it, is sometimes a most welcome thing.Mike Press WinesPrice: $A8.34 ($100/dozen)Closure: StelvinDate tasted: April 2007