The theme of tomorrow’s release is the red wines of New Zealand.
New Zealand, of course, is deservedly famous for its white wines (particularly sauvignon blanc), and sheep. But that’s another story. The country’s red wines are less well known since the New Zealand climate is generally much cooler (and therefore less conducive to the growth of most red wine grapes) than that of neighbouring Australia. Nonetheless, New Zealand produces a full range of red wines, especially syrah and, more recently, pinot noir.
I must confess that I remain a little sceptical of New Zealand reds. There is nothing wrong with them but, with inevitable, and sometimes extremely tasty, exceptions, I found that many syrah’s had a flavour of green pepper (indicative, at least to me, of grapes that were not sufficiently ripe). Many pinot noirs tasted too much of sour cherry and little else, likely because the vines are still far too young.
I should immediately attempt to qualify this large generalization. New Zealand does produce good red wines. It’s just that you can get as good or better elsewhere, especially when price is figured into the equation.. Still, if you know where to look, there are very good reds in New Zealand. One region in particular which impressed me was the Gimblett Gravels region near Hawkes Bay on the north island. The terroir in this particular region is really expressive, imparting a pleasant, gravelly character to the wines.
It is difficult to do a vintage chart on New Zealand reds because there are a number of different regions, each with its own, quite distinct, micro climate. However 2008, 2004 and 2002 are generally acknowledged to have been good years in most of the red wine producing regions.
WHITE WINES
There are quite a few good whites in this release.
If it’s sauvignon blanc, you’re after, try the Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($14.95) from New Zealand. Expect red apple, white grapefruit, gooseberry and peach, with just a hint of sweetness on the finish. A refreshing wine, with lots of well integrated acid, and a good buy at the price. Good with a garden salad, or whitefish
The Pierre-Luc Bouchard Muscadet Sevre et Maine 2007 ($16.95) from the Loire, is also very refreshing with a nice, long finish. It’s a bit lighter than the Spy Valley, with apple, grapefruit, mineral, herbs and a honeyed finish (without being sweet). Vintages would suggest pairing with mussels or clams, and I agree, although it’s good on its own.
It feels very odd to be recommending a gewürztraminer from Italy when there’s one from Alsace (and from a good Alsatian producer at that) available, but that’s what I’m going to do. The Cantina Tramin Gewürztraminer 2007 ($19.95) is one of the most interesting gwertz’s I’ve ever had, and I think it’s quite a treat even though it’s quite different. Expect the characteristic white flowers (both on the nose and on the palate) but there’s some lovely candied apricot and rich citrus as well, with a finish that won’t quit. Traditionally, gwertz’s are paired with Thai or spicy Chinese food, and this one would work nicely with either, but this is a big, rich wine – it will dominate mild flavoured dishes.
So, if you want a more traditional, lighter gwertz, there certainly nothing wrong with the Pierre Sparr Reserve Gewürztraminer 2007 ($18.95), from Alsace. Expect white flowers, orange blossom and mineral, on a medium bodied, refreshing wine that won’t disappoint, but won’t blow you away either.
I’m not forgetting chardonnay. Depending on your pocket book, there are three good choices:
- The Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay 2007 ($17.95) from Chile has a finish as long as its name, and a lot going for it. Expect red apple, pear, vanilla, creamy oak, quince and hazelnut flavours on a rich, full bodied wine that will complement most any dish short of red meat.
- For a couple of dollars more – shades of spaghetti westerns – you can have the Evans & Tate Chardonnay 2006 ($19.95) from Western Australia. This is also a full bodied, oaked chardonnay with well balanced acid, and aromas and flavours of peach, melon and nectarine, and creamy vanilla. Elegant and mouth filling, with a long, satisfying finish.
- I’m not sure I’d pay the extra money, but there are people who swear by California chardonnay, and it’s hard to disagree that wines like the Arrowood Chardonnay 2005 ($34.95) from Sonoma have a little extra. This is a beautifully balanced, rich melange of flavours – lemon curd, apple, peach, apple, vanilla, soft oak, and honey - with the right amount of acid to keep it from being cloying. A very nice wine that would work well with a chicken dish, even chicken in a cream sauce.
SPARKLING WINES
For a celebration wine, or to complement lobster, you could do a lot worse than Niagara’s own Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catherine Brut ($29.95). This isn’t Krug or Salon, but it will compare favourably with higher price sparklings (including a good many champagnes). Expect a creamy, mouth pleasing wine, with lots of brioche, some green apple, pear, grapefruit, and lime. Drink on its own, or with virtually anything that you’d pair with a white wine.
RED WINES
Before getting into this release, I’d like to recommend a general list wine, the Negroamaro Salento MezzoMondo 2007, from Apulia in Italy. At $8.95, this wine is a bargain. It’s an IGT, composed mostly of sangiovese, and full of rich cocoa and dark, juicy plum. This is an amazing wine for the price, and I’ve run through cases of it. It will complement burgers, pasta sauce, pizza, beef…you name it. Buy this wine.
At the beginning of this missive, I mentioned the Gimblett Gravels region of New Zealand. The C.J. Pask Gimblett Road Cabernet/Merlot/Malbec 2006 ($19.95) comes from that region, and is well worth trying. This Bordeaux like blend is a rich, medium bodied ready melange of black plum, cassis, smoked meat and leather, that will work well with a grilled steak or roast beef. It would help to decant for a half hour or so, but it will open in the glass if you don’t have time.
If you’d prefer the real thing to a faux Bordeaux, this release is for you. It features a number of offerings from the extraordinary 2005 vintage, which is just starting to come into its own Any of them would satisfy, but the best of them is the Chateau Grand Mayne 2005 ($79.00) which is drinking well now (with a couple of hours aeration) but will last nicely for a special occasion any time within the next five or more years. Expect a rich, complex wine, with aromas of earth and cedar, and a wonderful palate of cassis, vanilla, earth, plum, blueberry. This is a big, chewy wine that will go well with red meat, especially if it isn’t too lean.
But 2005 wasn’t the only good year in Bordeaux. The Chateau Verdignan 1999 didn’t come from a celebrated vintage, but it has had had 10 years to mature and it’s quite ready now. Best of all, it goes for $29.99. It’s a very nice, traditional Bordeaux, with a nose of earth, leather and black cherry, and all of that plus vanilla, cassis and smoke on the palate. Your next good steak or lamb dish will taste much better with this wine with this wine in your glass.
Moving further down the price spectrum, the Fengrove Shiraz 2007 ($16.95) from Australia, is a good buy. This is dark, full-bodied wine, a bit jammy, with aromas of mint, black cherry and tobacco, on the nose, and rich, dark berry flavours on the palate. Very ready to drink, perhaps with spareribs.
Also in the budget range, the William Cole Columbine Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($15.95) from Chile is also good value. It has flavours of black current, chocolate, spice, raspberry, coffee and black pepper, with lots of structure and soft tannins. A good house wine which will drink well on its own, or complement a burger or a steak.
The Gnarly Head Merlot 2005 ($17.95) from California is a rich, slightly metallic and very juicy, blend of blueberry, cassis, mint, licorice, chocolate and leather. This is a opulent wine at a budget price, with soft tannins and a long, juicy, but not jammy, finish. I liked it a lot, and you don’t often find good California reds at this price. It would work well with hard cheeses, beef or ribs.
There have been a lot of good, budget priced wines in this release, but, if there are extra coins in your jeans, you could go for the Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2006 ($47.95). This, like most wines from this region, is a rich, ready, chewy offering with a multitude of flavours – cassis, black cherry, cloves, cedar, tobacco and vanilla. It will keep for at least five years, but you can drink it tomorrow.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Vintages Release - May 2, 2009
This Saturday’s release features two of the most prestigious, and prolific, wine regions in the world – Tuscany and California. If you can’t find something you like in at least one of those two regions, well…maybe you don’t like wine at all.
The major grape in Tuscany is sangiovese, although most other well known varietals - notably cabernet sauvignon, merlot and shiraz – are used extensively. The production of most wines in Tuscany (as with all of Italy) is controlled by a series of DOC(G)’s (Denominazione di Origine Controllata (e Garantita), most of which have rigid standards as to the proportion of grape varietals used in the wine, the production methods to be employed, and the amount of time that the wine may be aged (in oak). It is not uncommon for the DOC’s to forbid artificial watering, even under drought conditions. These standards do operate as a strict method of quality control.
Notwithstanding the strictness of these rules, Tuscan producers succeed in turning out some the best known and best wines in the world. However, many Italian producers chafed at the application of the DOC rules, and, in 1992, created a new designation, the IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), for which there are very few rules. Tuscan wines in this category are often referred to as “Super Tuscans”, and some of the province’s best known labels fall into this designation. However, there are few guarantees of quality which accompany the IGT designation, since it is a catch-all for virtually all Italian wines that are not made according to DOC rules, and, as such, it includes most table wines as well as some of the world’s most famous labels.
Best years in Tuscany recently: 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2006
California, of course, produces wines from almost all of the major varietals, and boasts a variety of climates and terrains extremely conducive to grape growth and wine production in general. Although California cabernet sauvignons and chardonnay are probably their most famous (and expensive) wines, the state also produces lovely pinot noirs, merlots, and zinfandels, just to mention a few.
It is no coincidence, in light of the climactic conditions, that some of the world’s most recognizable labels come from California.
Best years in California recently: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2004
As to this release, and although you can find some good, reasonably priced, choices, many of the better offerings fall into higher price categories.
ROSÉS
One wine that won’t set you on your economic uppers is the Vina Aljibes Syrah Rosé 2008 ($13.95) from Spain. I’m not normally a rosé fan because they’re often too sweet, but this one is very dry, although there is a hint of sweetness (balanced by acid) on the long finish. From the deep colour, you might think this to be a fairly heavy wine, but it isn’t. It’s light and refreshing, with a faintly raspberry nose, and strawberry, pear, cherry and raspberry, with just a touch of butterscotch, on the palate. A very nice, hot weather sipper, that will go with almost any kind of salad, white fish, or on its own.
SPARKLING WINES
I have never tried the Déhu Pere et Fils Grande Reserve But Champagne ($59.95), but I bought a bottle for my wife, who’s away and is as discriminating a champagne drinker as there is. I bought it because this is a very unusual champagne in that it is produced with 100% pinot meuniere, a grape which usually appears in small quantities, if at all, in other champagnes. This is because it is generally considered to be bigger and less delicate than the other two champagne grapes, chardonnay and pinot noir. However, I recently opened a bottle of 100% pinot meuniere (the first I’ve ever had) from Australia, and it was delicious, with lots of rich brioche flavour and toast. That experience, together with some very favourable reviews elsewhere, convinced me not only to buy the bottle, but to recommend it here. Aside from the toasty notes, expect green apple, and enough acid to complement seafood (even grilled, in a cream sauce, or in butter).
WHITE WINE
The value white in this release is the Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($18.95) from South Africa. Expect a refreshing but slightly herbaceous wine, with lime, green apple, and herbal notes that is one of the few to go with asparagus, as well as grilled whitefish, or chicken.
California specializes in chardonnay, and does it well. My only complaint is that it’s pricey, but you won’t go wrong with any of:
- the Acacia Chardonnay 2007 ($36.95). This is a classic, cool weather chardonnay with nicely melded flavours of Bosc pear, lime, apple, hazelnut, vanilla and butterscotch. It has a long, slightly tangerine finish and will go well with shellfish.
- the La Crema Chardonnay 2007 ($29.95) is an old favourite. Expect a clean, mouth pleasing taste of honeyed citrus and vanilla, with notes of white flowers and oak, and a touch of mineral on the long, satisfying finish. Good on its own, or with white fish or chicken.
- The Scott Family Estate Dijon Clone Chardonnay 2006 ($24.95). I assume that the inclusion of “Dijon” in the name is to evoke thoughts of Burgundian chardonnays, and this wine does have something in common with its French counterparts. It has some caramel, but it is de-emphasized in favour of apple, ripe red grapefruit, oak, spice and smoke. A complex, refreshing wine.
Of course, if California doesn’t appeal to you, there’s always the real thing from Burgundy. The Domaine Delorme et fils Vieilles Vignes Pouilly-Fuisse 2006 is a mouthful to say, and not easy on the wallet ($32.95), but it’s the real deal. Expect lots of honey, vanilla and oak, with layers of green apple, melon and peach. It would go well with chicken or even pork
RED WINE
It’s a bit hard to choose between a series of good Tuscans, even bearing in mind that none of the big names from the region – eg. Sassicaia, Tiganello, Ornellaia, and Solaia – are present in this release. Nonetheless, I can certainly recommend the following:
- the Casa Emma Chianti Classico 2006 ($19.95) is back. This reliable wine is a very good example of a good chianti classico. It has a kind of cherry cola flavour, with herbal notes and licorice. This is a concentrated wine for a chianti with good mouthfeel and a long, almost effervescent finish. As with most Italian wines, it has enough acid to complement the acid in cooked tomato, as in pasta sauce.
- at $15.95, the Fattoria Poggio Alloro Chianti 2007 is remarkably similar to the Casa Emma (but $4 cheaper). The cola like flavour is even more pronounced, but the wine is dominated by sour cherry which gives way, just before the finish, to a surprisingly (and pleasant) sweet core. This is a food wine, which may be a little too over-powering on the palate by itself, but will smooth out very well with tomato based pasta or strong cheese.
- The Barone Ricasoli Rocca Guicciarda Chianti Classico Riserva 2005 is a step up in price ($24.95) and quality from the previous two wines. It is softer and smoother, with leather, smoke and earth overlaying the sour cherry and licorice. The tannins are quite pronounced which means that the wine could use another year or so in the bottle or, at least, a couple of hours of decanting, before serving. This is also a food wine.
- Some of the best wines from Tuscany are from Brunello di Montalcino, and the Leornardo da Vinci Brunello di Montalcino 2004 fits the quality mold. The price, at $59.95 isn’t even that bad considering what you can pay for a top brunello. This is a smooth, balanced, well structured wine with multiple layers of flavour- smoke and leather, black cherry, cassis, mocha, raspberry and violets. a lovely wine, made to be consumed fairly soon (after decanting for an hour), preferably with a lean cut of beef.
- I have not had the Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi 2004 ($114.95) but this wine has been so highly touted and rated that I could not ignore it. Unlike the other wines listed here, this is mostly made with cabernet sauvignon, with assists from merlot and alicante. The reviews uniformly suggest that this is a big, voluptuous wine, rich and almost chewy, with masses of cassis, black plum, vanilla, smoke, herbs and cedar. The downside – aside from the price – is that it is no where near ready and needs at least another three, and more likely five, years of aging. Buy it, put it away, forget about it, and you’ll have a wonderful surprise when you find it again in a few years.
California also produces some lovely reds, not least of which is the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($89.95). The Caymus is an iconic wine, deservedly so in that it is terrific year after year. This is a huge wine, redolent with dark, rich fruit, and soft but gripping tannins. I could go on. This is a great wine, but I think that you’re paying too much for the name. So, instead, I’d propose either of:
- the Dominus Estate Napanook 2005 ($53.95). I tried this wine, virtually side by side with the Caymus, only a few weeks ago, and I thought that the Dominus was far better value. This is also a big wine with complex flavours of cassis, tobacco, leather, cherry, earth, plum and a little pencil box. It has great mouth feel, a long finish, and it’s relatively ready now (with aeration). Serve with red meat, and plenty of it.
- the Duckhorn Merlot 2006 ($63.95) is also a beautiful wine, and is also ready. Forget everything you thought you got out of Sideways, this merlot is big, soft and juicy, with dark plum, raspberry, black cherry, earth and leather. This is a luxurious wine that will wrap itself around your palate and not let go. Once again, red meat is indicated as a complement.
Of course there are wines from regions other than Tuscany and California, although space and time do not permit me to deal with too many of them today.
However, I really enjoyed the new offering from one of my favourite wineries, the Zenato Cormi Merlot Corvina 2006 ($19.95). I like Veneto’s Zenato winery because I think that it consistently delivers high quality wines at reasonable prices, and this wine is no exception. It is a 50-50 mixture of Merlot and Corvina, and the end result is a big wine, very raisiny as a result of the corvina, but the merlot softens it and imparts flavours of bitter chocolate, black cherry, coffee and raspberry. I served this wine following a very good brunello, costing more than twice as much, and it didn’t suffer by comparison.
The Reilly’s Dry Land Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 is a bit pricey (at $31.95) for an Australian cabernet, but if you want a big wine that doesn’t cost $60, this is it. Expect black plum and cassis, with smoke, coffee and cedar, and a long finish. I won’t go so far as to say that this is a special wine for a special occasion, but it will do until one comes along. Decant for at least an hour, and serve with red meat.
The major grape in Tuscany is sangiovese, although most other well known varietals - notably cabernet sauvignon, merlot and shiraz – are used extensively. The production of most wines in Tuscany (as with all of Italy) is controlled by a series of DOC(G)’s (Denominazione di Origine Controllata (e Garantita), most of which have rigid standards as to the proportion of grape varietals used in the wine, the production methods to be employed, and the amount of time that the wine may be aged (in oak). It is not uncommon for the DOC’s to forbid artificial watering, even under drought conditions. These standards do operate as a strict method of quality control.
Notwithstanding the strictness of these rules, Tuscan producers succeed in turning out some the best known and best wines in the world. However, many Italian producers chafed at the application of the DOC rules, and, in 1992, created a new designation, the IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), for which there are very few rules. Tuscan wines in this category are often referred to as “Super Tuscans”, and some of the province’s best known labels fall into this designation. However, there are few guarantees of quality which accompany the IGT designation, since it is a catch-all for virtually all Italian wines that are not made according to DOC rules, and, as such, it includes most table wines as well as some of the world’s most famous labels.
Best years in Tuscany recently: 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2006
California, of course, produces wines from almost all of the major varietals, and boasts a variety of climates and terrains extremely conducive to grape growth and wine production in general. Although California cabernet sauvignons and chardonnay are probably their most famous (and expensive) wines, the state also produces lovely pinot noirs, merlots, and zinfandels, just to mention a few.
It is no coincidence, in light of the climactic conditions, that some of the world’s most recognizable labels come from California.
Best years in California recently: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2004
As to this release, and although you can find some good, reasonably priced, choices, many of the better offerings fall into higher price categories.
ROSÉS
One wine that won’t set you on your economic uppers is the Vina Aljibes Syrah Rosé 2008 ($13.95) from Spain. I’m not normally a rosé fan because they’re often too sweet, but this one is very dry, although there is a hint of sweetness (balanced by acid) on the long finish. From the deep colour, you might think this to be a fairly heavy wine, but it isn’t. It’s light and refreshing, with a faintly raspberry nose, and strawberry, pear, cherry and raspberry, with just a touch of butterscotch, on the palate. A very nice, hot weather sipper, that will go with almost any kind of salad, white fish, or on its own.
SPARKLING WINES
I have never tried the Déhu Pere et Fils Grande Reserve But Champagne ($59.95), but I bought a bottle for my wife, who’s away and is as discriminating a champagne drinker as there is. I bought it because this is a very unusual champagne in that it is produced with 100% pinot meuniere, a grape which usually appears in small quantities, if at all, in other champagnes. This is because it is generally considered to be bigger and less delicate than the other two champagne grapes, chardonnay and pinot noir. However, I recently opened a bottle of 100% pinot meuniere (the first I’ve ever had) from Australia, and it was delicious, with lots of rich brioche flavour and toast. That experience, together with some very favourable reviews elsewhere, convinced me not only to buy the bottle, but to recommend it here. Aside from the toasty notes, expect green apple, and enough acid to complement seafood (even grilled, in a cream sauce, or in butter).
WHITE WINE
The value white in this release is the Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($18.95) from South Africa. Expect a refreshing but slightly herbaceous wine, with lime, green apple, and herbal notes that is one of the few to go with asparagus, as well as grilled whitefish, or chicken.
California specializes in chardonnay, and does it well. My only complaint is that it’s pricey, but you won’t go wrong with any of:
- the Acacia Chardonnay 2007 ($36.95). This is a classic, cool weather chardonnay with nicely melded flavours of Bosc pear, lime, apple, hazelnut, vanilla and butterscotch. It has a long, slightly tangerine finish and will go well with shellfish.
- the La Crema Chardonnay 2007 ($29.95) is an old favourite. Expect a clean, mouth pleasing taste of honeyed citrus and vanilla, with notes of white flowers and oak, and a touch of mineral on the long, satisfying finish. Good on its own, or with white fish or chicken.
- The Scott Family Estate Dijon Clone Chardonnay 2006 ($24.95). I assume that the inclusion of “Dijon” in the name is to evoke thoughts of Burgundian chardonnays, and this wine does have something in common with its French counterparts. It has some caramel, but it is de-emphasized in favour of apple, ripe red grapefruit, oak, spice and smoke. A complex, refreshing wine.
Of course, if California doesn’t appeal to you, there’s always the real thing from Burgundy. The Domaine Delorme et fils Vieilles Vignes Pouilly-Fuisse 2006 is a mouthful to say, and not easy on the wallet ($32.95), but it’s the real deal. Expect lots of honey, vanilla and oak, with layers of green apple, melon and peach. It would go well with chicken or even pork
RED WINE
It’s a bit hard to choose between a series of good Tuscans, even bearing in mind that none of the big names from the region – eg. Sassicaia, Tiganello, Ornellaia, and Solaia – are present in this release. Nonetheless, I can certainly recommend the following:
- the Casa Emma Chianti Classico 2006 ($19.95) is back. This reliable wine is a very good example of a good chianti classico. It has a kind of cherry cola flavour, with herbal notes and licorice. This is a concentrated wine for a chianti with good mouthfeel and a long, almost effervescent finish. As with most Italian wines, it has enough acid to complement the acid in cooked tomato, as in pasta sauce.
- at $15.95, the Fattoria Poggio Alloro Chianti 2007 is remarkably similar to the Casa Emma (but $4 cheaper). The cola like flavour is even more pronounced, but the wine is dominated by sour cherry which gives way, just before the finish, to a surprisingly (and pleasant) sweet core. This is a food wine, which may be a little too over-powering on the palate by itself, but will smooth out very well with tomato based pasta or strong cheese.
- The Barone Ricasoli Rocca Guicciarda Chianti Classico Riserva 2005 is a step up in price ($24.95) and quality from the previous two wines. It is softer and smoother, with leather, smoke and earth overlaying the sour cherry and licorice. The tannins are quite pronounced which means that the wine could use another year or so in the bottle or, at least, a couple of hours of decanting, before serving. This is also a food wine.
- Some of the best wines from Tuscany are from Brunello di Montalcino, and the Leornardo da Vinci Brunello di Montalcino 2004 fits the quality mold. The price, at $59.95 isn’t even that bad considering what you can pay for a top brunello. This is a smooth, balanced, well structured wine with multiple layers of flavour- smoke and leather, black cherry, cassis, mocha, raspberry and violets. a lovely wine, made to be consumed fairly soon (after decanting for an hour), preferably with a lean cut of beef.
- I have not had the Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi 2004 ($114.95) but this wine has been so highly touted and rated that I could not ignore it. Unlike the other wines listed here, this is mostly made with cabernet sauvignon, with assists from merlot and alicante. The reviews uniformly suggest that this is a big, voluptuous wine, rich and almost chewy, with masses of cassis, black plum, vanilla, smoke, herbs and cedar. The downside – aside from the price – is that it is no where near ready and needs at least another three, and more likely five, years of aging. Buy it, put it away, forget about it, and you’ll have a wonderful surprise when you find it again in a few years.
California also produces some lovely reds, not least of which is the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($89.95). The Caymus is an iconic wine, deservedly so in that it is terrific year after year. This is a huge wine, redolent with dark, rich fruit, and soft but gripping tannins. I could go on. This is a great wine, but I think that you’re paying too much for the name. So, instead, I’d propose either of:
- the Dominus Estate Napanook 2005 ($53.95). I tried this wine, virtually side by side with the Caymus, only a few weeks ago, and I thought that the Dominus was far better value. This is also a big wine with complex flavours of cassis, tobacco, leather, cherry, earth, plum and a little pencil box. It has great mouth feel, a long finish, and it’s relatively ready now (with aeration). Serve with red meat, and plenty of it.
- the Duckhorn Merlot 2006 ($63.95) is also a beautiful wine, and is also ready. Forget everything you thought you got out of Sideways, this merlot is big, soft and juicy, with dark plum, raspberry, black cherry, earth and leather. This is a luxurious wine that will wrap itself around your palate and not let go. Once again, red meat is indicated as a complement.
Of course there are wines from regions other than Tuscany and California, although space and time do not permit me to deal with too many of them today.
However, I really enjoyed the new offering from one of my favourite wineries, the Zenato Cormi Merlot Corvina 2006 ($19.95). I like Veneto’s Zenato winery because I think that it consistently delivers high quality wines at reasonable prices, and this wine is no exception. It is a 50-50 mixture of Merlot and Corvina, and the end result is a big wine, very raisiny as a result of the corvina, but the merlot softens it and imparts flavours of bitter chocolate, black cherry, coffee and raspberry. I served this wine following a very good brunello, costing more than twice as much, and it didn’t suffer by comparison.
The Reilly’s Dry Land Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 is a bit pricey (at $31.95) for an Australian cabernet, but if you want a big wine that doesn’t cost $60, this is it. Expect black plum and cassis, with smoke, coffee and cedar, and a long finish. I won’t go so far as to say that this is a special wine for a special occasion, but it will do until one comes along. Decant for at least an hour, and serve with red meat.
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