Category Archives: Red

Domaine de la Chanteleuserie Bourgeuil Cuvée Beauvais 2006

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All signs point to vin de terroir: little bits of unidentified crud on the cork, cheap glass, a label that looks like it was generated with Broderbund Print Shop circa 1992, and a Kermit Lynch importer’s sticker on the back.

Sure enough, the wine is noticeably light in color in the glass, and it doesn’t smell like a New World wine at all. There’s sort of a sweet, smoky, summer sausage smell (sorry for the alliteration, it just came out that way) here, balanced out with dusty closet and violets. In terms of feel, the wine is light in the mouth, fairly tannic, and leaves behind a noticeable whack of unresolved tannins; it’s presumably best eaten with something meaty to balance out the tannin. It’s not unpleasant, though; I remember the very first wines I ever tried as being somewhat similar.

Being a Californian, is it just possible that I’ve grown up with wines designed for American consumers? That is, wines that are designed to be as innocuous as possible? The surprise tannin onslaught is kind of enjoyable; it leaves a pleasant tobacco leaf taste behind, and it’s a nice change from the usual fruit bomb effect that leaves you with nothing but a hangover the next morning.

Over time, I came to the conclusion that this doesn’t taste like any wine I know of, and that’s a wonderful thing. I have no idea if this is typical for Bourgeuil; I’ve never had it before (only Chinon). Plus, at this price, c’mon, there are a million boring Californian wines for fifteen bucks out there – why not try something radically different for a change?

Domaine de la Chanteleuserie
Price: US $14.99
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: June 2008

Meerlust Rubicon 2001

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Beautifully, richly purple, my first thought here was simply “wow, so this is what a really good, ripe, New World fake Bordeaux smells like after it’s aged for a few years.”  There’s a bit of good old fashioned lead pencil, some cedar box, rich, dark damson fruit, and just a hint of dust (strangely, it reminds me of the classroom I once taught in in Germany; it was a cold, concrete room with not much to smell save for the cigarettes students had smoked before class). It also smells just a bit burnt-sugar sweet; it’s something like raspberry crème brûlée, but not overtly so.Surprisingly medium-bodied, the taste begins all red fruits, and then suddenly shifts gears to a sort of shoe-leather, tobacco-leaf earthiness with a high, violet-leaf note as well; then, it fades out slowly, with subtle supporting acidity, ending on a somewhat sweet (not sugary, just sweet) note with gentle spiciness and good length. There aren’t any aged characteristics that I can discern really; this still tastes just great seven years after harvest.This wine’s a keeper – probably the best I’ve had in a month. Great stuff! I imagine it’ll still be in great shape a decade from now – shame I only bought the one bottle!MeerlustPrice: US $25Closure: CorkDate tasted: May 2008

Casa Madero Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

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There’s a hint of boysenberry fruit leather to this wine; it seems ever so slightly stewy, but is it intentional? Is this meant to run along the lines of a full-bore McLaren Vale cabernet? Or is this a traditional claret that failed, slightly? Color-wise, it seems a bit watery at the rim, with a dark purple, orangey-red hue, relatively unusual for Cabernet; it definitely looks more Old World than New.

With some time, it has kind of a chocolate tobacco box smell to it, but again with a stewed berry component. There’s also a fair whack of something like damp earth – it’s a very earthy, loamy smell that suggests just the tiniest hint of brettanomyces. It’s not unpleasant, just subtly present.Fairly acidic and bright, the wine doesn’t taste anything like it smells, and pretty much nothing like what American wines taste like. There seems to be a tomato-leaf note here, which isn’t too bad, along with a hint of licorice; overall, it’s a bit flat, but there’s a spiciness and nerve that’s moderately appealing. The tannins are very well judged, providing firm support right through the finish; they’re nicely ripe and provide a useful counterpoint to the acidity.

Thinking about this wine a bit more, some more traditional fruit flavors do arrive, but even then, they verge on the porty and, well, confected (with apologies to Julian for saying that). Ultimately, this seems like a wine that does as well as it can given the circumstance; this is from the oldest winery in the Americas (they’re now in their 5th century of production), and it’s in what probably seems like an insane location to most winemakers: the Mexican state of Coahuila, which is improbably located well inland from the Gulf of Mexico a few hundred miles southwest of San Antonio, Texas. Given the presumably difficult climate, and given the quality of Azteca de Oro brandy, it seems like table wines might not be the best call for this area, but you know what? This wine is still a lot more interesting than many wines we produce here in California, so I think it’s worth a look. Heck, I’d love to try their high end wines – of course, God only knows where you could find them (and I’m not traveling to México City any time soon, alas).

Casa Madero
Price: $159 (about US $15)
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: May 2008

Clonakilla Ballinderry 2005

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Canberra’s not known for its Cabernet-based wines, but I’ve enjoyed several vintages of this, Clonakilla’s version of a Bordeaux blend. It underwent a name change a couple of years ago but otherwise remains the same. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, more or less in equal measures.Savoury aromas that show dried blackcurrant, flowers, meatiness and cedary oak. This is certainly not a berry-driven, straightforward aroma profile. Instead, it’s a bit funky and austere, and is about definition, not generosity. The palate shows more of the same, with the oak translating to a pencil shaving note that is prominent without becoming unbalanced. Flavour through the entry and mid palate sits in the higher registers, in that the dark berry fruit is edgy and taut, intense and complex, and doesn’t relax enough to generate a sense of richness or plushness. Partly, this is due to very fine tannins that dry the mouth from a relatively early point in the wine’s line, but I suspect it’s also a matter of style. Certainly not a criticism, but rather indicative of where the wine is “at” right now. Fruit sings linearly through the after palate, and continues on to a good finish. This is a pretty serious wine of high quality that really needs some time to relax, fatten out and become more drinkable. That said, give it a good decant or some vigorous swirling, and you’ll be drinking an elegant wine that will give you something to think about if your mood tends to more analytical tasting. After an hour or so in the glass, it’s already gaining some weight and depth, which seems to indicate a promising future.ClonakillaPrice: $A35Closure: StelvinDate tasted: May 2008

Meerea Park The Aunts Shiraz 2003

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One from the cellar. As an aside, the first bottle I had of this wine was tainted with a strikingly unpleasant mercaptan rubber cabbage stink, and was replaced courteously and promptly by the winery. All subsequent bottles have been clean as a whistle.More than a dash of smoky, sweet oak; it’s prominent but also complementary to the fruit’s aroma profile, which is ripe, dense and savoury. There’s almost liqueur-like black cherry and some Hunter earth, maybe even a hint of cured pork, dark and slightly brooding in character. Entry is flavoursome, with good immediacy and some interesting textural complexity. There’s nice mix of silkiness and powdery phenolics. Full bodied, the wine’s mid-palate is still quite focused and primary, sweetly oak heavy as per the nose, and strikes me as resembling adult bubble gum (if such a thing existed). Nice presence on the after palate, where the wine lightens a little and prepares for a finish of excellent length and deliciously ripe tannins. It’s not typically Hunter in style, but that’s neither here nor there, as the wine is coherent in and of itself. Overall, the impression is flavoursome and rustic, but never obvious or clumsy. Try this wine with equally assertive food — a tasty dish of pasta and rich ragu would be perfect.Meerea ParkCost: $A25Closure: CorkDate tasted: May 2008

Casella Wines [yellow tail] Cabernet Merlot 2007

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It’s tempting to write about this wine in terms of how important it is to Australia’s wine industry, or perhaps to express curiosity regarding what such a cheap wine actually tastes like, as if it were the vinous equivalent of a trip to the red light district (ie something that other people do). In reality, I’m a big fan of cheap wines for purely practical reasons. Firstly, I can’t afford to drink top or even middle tier wines every day. Secondly, there are few things more exciting to a wine lover than finding an excellent cheap wine. Thrift and pleasure, a top combination in my books.A hit of clean, sweet red and blue fruit on the nose. It’s easy, simple and, to me, screams of industrial winemaking. The palate is surprisingly acidic (though balanced) and this helps to pull the sweet, somewhat cloying fruit flavours back into line. There’s a lot of blueberry and a little spice on the palate. Quite flavoursome but not identifiably varietal. I can’t really detect any tannins. Its character pushes the boundaries of what I understand to be wine, and suggests a simpler beverage altogether. Having said that, it’s very well made, and I’ve no doubt it succeeds in being what it’s supposed to be. I can imagine someone who otherwise disliked wine, especially red wine, may find this surprisingly delicious, as it avoids the more challenging aspects of most other styles (savouriness, tannin, etc). It responded neutrally to food, and its sweet flavour profile didn’t seem to either enhance or detract from the roast beef meal with which it was served.For me, though, this wine holds limited interest, even as an everyday quaffer. It doesn’t communicate a sense of region or style, and instead seems intent on suppressing its individuality. Even in a very inexpensive wine, I like to taste where the grapes have come from, and hopefully to feel like the wine is communicating to me as an individual and not as a demographic. Perhaps my notion wine is overly romanticised or naive, but I do know there are cheap wines on the market that, to me, better encapsulate their origins.[yellow tail]Price: $A8Closure: StelvinDate tasted: May 2008

Dog Point Pinot Noir 2006

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I loved the 2005 vintage of this wine, and remember it as a generous, wonderfully regional Pinot of utmost deliciousness. Hence, great expectations for this wine.Somewhat hazy ruby colour. Intense, not-quite-funky aromas of sour red fruit and sweet spice (cinnamon/nutmeg, etc), perhaps some autumn leaf as well. There’s quite a lot going on in there, but it’s seductive, not intellectual. It’s also a bit reserved at this stage. An entry with impact, partly due to a flavour profile that registers as sweeter than the nose suggests. Acid moulds the wine’s flow quite assertively, and this creates some textual interest while adding a bright, edgy quality to the fruit flavour. A deeper, plummy note emerged as the wine sat in glass for a couple of hours. There’s a nice sense of widening as the palate progresses, and the finish shows excellent continuity, with ripe, slightly grainy tannins. Oak is notably well balanced.Compared to the rather lush 2005, this shows as a tighter, more controlled wine, perhaps needing some time to relax and unwind. For my taste, it’s just a tad brash for full satisfaction right now. One to revisit in a year or so, perhaps.Dog PointPrice: $A35Closure: CorkDate tasted: May 2008

Saddleback Pinot Noir 2005

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Peregrine’s second label Pinot, composed of Central Otago and Marlborough fruit. I’ve noticed this blend of regions in a few Central Otago producers’ lesser wines. It’s an interesting mix in theory, with both regions having quite distinctive Pinot flavour profiles in their own right. Second tasting of this wine, with more positive results this time around.Initially stinky and somewhat unattractive, with stale spice notes dominating a nose of disjointed fruit flavours. After a few minutes, though, the wine is cleaner and more delicious. The Marlborough influence is evident, with a tamarillo-like note in amongst the more Central Otago cola and plum flavours. Good intensity and enough complexity to make it worth smelling repeatedly.Good, flavoursome entry that shows more bright, moderately sweet fruit flavour alongside slightly smokey, spice notes. Certainly prominent acidity, but not overwhelmingly so. Entry continues to a fruit-driven, medium bodied mid-palate of tasty tamarillo and red fruits. Moderate intensity of flavour, and although flavours are bright, they are also dense enough to be mouthfilling. Mouthfeel is quite velvety and sophisticated. The fruit intensity drops off rather precipitously through the after palate, and the finish is consequently a bit hollow.Perhaps not a wine for regional purists, as it’s neither here nor there when it comes to communicating a sense of place. If you can get past that, however, you’ll find a tasty wine of distinctive character and reasonable price. Try it with pork.PeregrinePrice: $NZ25Closure: StelvinDate tasted: May 2008

Joseph Drouhin Vero Pinot Noir 2005

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Medium red in color, almost cloudy, and smelling like strawberries in potting soil, this wine comes across more Oregon than Burgundy… but giving it some air brings out a distinct sour cherry candy note that really does seem more Old World than New.Body-wise, this is fairly big for a Pinot with moderate acidity (nothing too scary), some nice grippy tannins on the finish, and a fairly decent oaky flavor that matches nicely with the rich red fruits. All in all, this seems like it’s designed to blend potentially otherwise not saleable lots of pedestrian red Burgundy into what turns out to be a pretty decent bottle of wine at the price. I don’t really get a sense of place here, but what I do get is a lovely red wine that’s aching to be drunk with salmon or Serrano ham. Delicious.DrouhinPrice: US $19.99Closure: Cork [crumbly, low quality cork]Date tasted: April 2008

Lake's Folly Cabernets 2005

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Anyone not familiar with Max Lake’s writings on food and wine is well advised to acquaint themselves with his rather extensive bibliography. He is a gourmand of the finest sort; an unashamed sensualist who is not afraid to deeply question the sources of his pleasure. It’s been a while now since Mr Lake sold the Lake’s Folly winery to Peter Fogarty, and the wines have been made for some time not by the Lakes but by Rodney Kempe. No matter — the grapes are the same and the general approach remains constant.

The 2005 Cabernets is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, 11% Merlot and 8% Shiraz.A dense, dark colour, with bright flashes of purple and red. The nose presents a delightfully inscrutable aroma profile. Inscrutable because it is deep beyond immediate perception, yet offers tantalising glimpses of ripe fruit, dried flowers, meatiness and high quality oak. As with the best wines, it knows more than you do.

From entry onwards, fruit of the highest quality coats the tongue, spreading flavour that is both intense and of satisfying density. It unfolds in a focused line, widening steadily towards the mid-palate. Acid provides most of the structure through the entry and mid-palate, but it’s a subtle acidity, fine and subservient to the density of the fruit. Medium bodied, this wine is as much Hunter Valley as it is Cabernet, and its character will feel like coming home to enthusiasts of this region. Others, though, may lament its tendency towards regionality, perhaps at the expense of overt varietal character. Personally, I love it. The after palate remains focused, while lightening a little in tone. Impressively long finish, as velvet tannins coat the mouth with intensely sweet berry flavour.

Wine is an intersection of region, producer and consumer, at its best when these elements are positively aligned. I could drink this every day, so well does it match my idea of good wine.

Lake’s Folly
Price: $A50
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: April 2008