Some of you may already be acquainted with my love of rich, red wines. You know the kind. The kind that warm you up and wrap you in their deep aromas and flavors. Perfect when the seasons start to change, and you’ve said your good-bye’s to summer’s Sauv Blancs, at least for now. That’s the kind of wine that this evening begged for, even though the leaves haven’t changed yet.
I perused my wine rack to see what might hit the spot, and lo’ and behold, I came across this Australian lovely. I already had a pot of thick bolognese on the stove, so (even though it’s not Italian) this would be perfect. Perfect, but not without some effort.
Ok, a lot of effort.
After the foil wouldn’t let go for love or money, and the cork broke, and the ah-so failed to do its job, I did what any wannabe wine pro would do. I grabbed an iced tea spoon and shoved the cork into the bottle.
So now that I’ve washed the kitchen down, and since my shirt has stopped dripping wine, I wanted to share with you a few thoughts on the wine.
In the glass this deep, opaque, leggy red was begging me to drink it. As I turned the glass toward my nose, the rich aromas of cassis and dark currant rushed out of the glass. I pulled my nose into the rim to discover violet and leather, with just a tiny bit of graphite swirling below. A little cedar and eucalyptus were there, just around the edges. The first sip was just wonderful. Smooth and full, with black fruit and spice. The acidity was perfect and lingering. Just lovely.
This wine is a Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot. It has an alcohol of 14.5, but no real heat, which was a pleasant surprise.
In retrospect, the effort was worth it. Well worth it.
Tasting And A Critic 