I hereby proclaim it officially Spring! Yes, it snowed only 2 days ago, and there is still some of the nefarious white stuff on the ground, but the sun was warm today and I'm breaking out the rosé. This was my rosé of choice last summer - it's inexpensive, delicious, and ubiquitous. There were 10,000 cases imported into the United States, so chances are you can find it just about anywhere.
Something like 80% of the wine made in the Côtes de Provence are rosé; something about the climate and the cuisine in Provence demand this sort of refreshing, food-friendly wine. A variety of grapes are allowed for rosé blends in this region; in this bottle we have a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon. It makes for a delightful, light copper-salmon color in the glass, and aromas of fresh strawberries, orange blossom, green apple, and green grass waft from the glass. It smells like last summer.
The flavors on the palate are fresh and vibrant, and absolutely summery. Strawberry predominates, but I also get some orange rind and more green apple. The acid is there, and a hint of tannin. My only complaint is a fairly high level of bitterness, which I don't remember being a feature of this wine last time I tasted it. But paired with some food, it takes the edge off and makes for a tasty, fresh wine. Welcome back, Spring!
Vintage: 2009
Grapes: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Côtes de Provence, France
Price: $10
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
2006 Penfolds Shiraz South Australia Bin 28 Kalimna
This was one of the first wines I bought when I first starting "collecting" wines (I'm not really a collector - I tend to have between 14-17 bottles at any given time - but there are some I'm holding onto so perhaps I qualify as a collector-in-training?). I'm not sure what has moved me to open it tonight, as I have nothing momentous to celebrate, except for the fact that I have a day off tomorrow. A rare and much appreciated occurrence.
Penfolds is the producer responsible for Australia's most expensive wine, Grange. This bottle is from a significantly lower echelon, made from grapes sourced from different areas in Australia, but I expect it will still be a nice wine to sip for the evening. It's a Shiraz, so it's possible it could be a really big wine, but I don't have to go anywhere so the 300% ABV won't be a problem.
It's dense and dark in the glass; not inky purple, but a deep, deep garnet. It's so dark I can't tell if the wine is clear or cloudy, though I feel like I see a hint of turbidity. While the color of the wine is no trifle, the aromas are surprisingly delicate. There's fresh mint, wet stone, blackberries, and a hint of toasty oak. Very attractive. Interestingly, I don't get any of the black pepper and smoky, roasted meats that I often associate with a shiraz or syrah.
In the mouth - this is 100% not the wine I expected it to be. I think I might let it sit and open up a bit more before drinking it, because it's surprisingly muted and tight right now. Aside from the alcohol (which is appreciable), I am not getting much flavor or texture at all, aside from a lingering impression of black olives and anise. The acid levels appear correct, and the bitterness is in proportion to the tannins such as I can sense them. But right now, then wine is just very thin. I will report back in about an hour.
______________________________________
So, here we are over 2 hours later, and the wine has opened up only moderately. I have to say, this is probably the most restrained Australian shiraz I have ever tasted. Some smoke did evolve on the nose, and the palate is a hint juicier and the tannins are more apparent, but by far the most prominent element is still the alcohol. All in all, I actually quite like the elegance of this wine; if the alcohol were about 1-1/5% less, it would be a real winner.
Vintage: 2006
Grape: Shiraz
Region: Australia
Price: $26
Penfolds is the producer responsible for Australia's most expensive wine, Grange. This bottle is from a significantly lower echelon, made from grapes sourced from different areas in Australia, but I expect it will still be a nice wine to sip for the evening. It's a Shiraz, so it's possible it could be a really big wine, but I don't have to go anywhere so the 300% ABV won't be a problem.
It's dense and dark in the glass; not inky purple, but a deep, deep garnet. It's so dark I can't tell if the wine is clear or cloudy, though I feel like I see a hint of turbidity. While the color of the wine is no trifle, the aromas are surprisingly delicate. There's fresh mint, wet stone, blackberries, and a hint of toasty oak. Very attractive. Interestingly, I don't get any of the black pepper and smoky, roasted meats that I often associate with a shiraz or syrah.
In the mouth - this is 100% not the wine I expected it to be. I think I might let it sit and open up a bit more before drinking it, because it's surprisingly muted and tight right now. Aside from the alcohol (which is appreciable), I am not getting much flavor or texture at all, aside from a lingering impression of black olives and anise. The acid levels appear correct, and the bitterness is in proportion to the tannins such as I can sense them. But right now, then wine is just very thin. I will report back in about an hour.
______________________________________
So, here we are over 2 hours later, and the wine has opened up only moderately. I have to say, this is probably the most restrained Australian shiraz I have ever tasted. Some smoke did evolve on the nose, and the palate is a hint juicier and the tannins are more apparent, but by far the most prominent element is still the alcohol. All in all, I actually quite like the elegance of this wine; if the alcohol were about 1-1/5% less, it would be a real winner.
Vintage: 2006
Grape: Shiraz
Region: Australia
Price: $26
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)