($22, Vintage New World): Wines from Peter Pratten’s Capel Vale property consistently fulfill the potential of Western Australia.  Pratten, a radiologist by training before entering the wine business, has spent his medical career crisscrossing Western Australia, and as a dividend developed a clear knowledge of what varieties grow best in each locale. This wine, from his regional series — in this case the Mount Barker region — ranks just below his extraordinary single-vineyard bottlings, which sadly are not readily available in the US.   An atypical Australian Shiraz, this one has attractive minerality and spice with less of the full-blown ripe fruitiness usually associated with that variety.  Despite weighing in at 15% alcohol, it is not overblown, but well balanced. 90 Michael Apstein Jan 20, 2009