Tasting Delish Wine
Once again I reiterate the fact that winetasting is a very subjective discipline! A 100 point wine to one can mean nothing more than what a 92 or 93 is to another. In fact, for anyone who has read my article in Grapevine Magazine (Spring Issue), the whole system of attaching a number to a wine's relevance can be somewhat insulting to a good wine and disheartening to one that is only fair. The fact is humans need figures to equate to prestige and quality. To me, three words figure in my wine vocabulary-----I Like It---or conversely, four words-----I Don't Like it.. Any further explanation does not muster up any other type of response. The rest is only evidential!
Some years ago I went to a party and took with me a wine I rather favoured. I liked it. However word got around the group that a wine-guy was present! While I was still new to the field, there was always some creep who would want to upgrade his status by demeaning mine. It happens!
He was the first to plough through the group and approached the table I was at and took a gulp of the wine.
"I don't like this at all" he blurted just so everyone could hear him. The I don't like this was fair enough to me and I could accept that BUT, seeing that I was not perturbed by his chant, he followed up with the phrase: "This wine tastes like shit!" He should have stayed at "I don't like!"
That did it! I calmly interjected, just loud enough for others to hear. "What kind of shit?
He looked at me with astonishment. I repeated , "What kind of shit?"
I went on, "Is it horse shit, cow shit, fish droppings, human shit, dog shit ---just what kind of shit does this reminds you of? If you are going to use a general description then back it up!"
Caught by surprise, he shut up and made his way out of the party. I later used this incident to suggest that a descriptive will validate your terms But if you did not have one, just saying that you do not care for the wine is fine enough.
The only thing I can say is that in winetasting as in many other instances one's organoleptic descriptors may be used to convey the question as to why a wine pleases or not. The actual liking or not is solely his or her own verdict. No one can tell you to like something or not!
I obviously like the following wines. Numbers reflect my appreciation of Price/Quality Ratio.
WHITE
Chateau de Chenas, Le Paradis 2023 Beaujolais, Fr., $21.95 95/100.
Colour: Golden Lemon Yellow
Nose: Stone fruit (Peach, apricot), white fruit (pear), Floral, Passion Fruit, Honey
Palate: Medium body, creamy, butter fat, smooth nice balanced/cream finish.
Food: Lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, Linguini Carbonaro, food with cream sauce!
Comments: A lovely wine! While I have rated a number of white Beaujolais far lower (88, 90)
This wine makes a case for a higher mark. Exceptional balance and roundness made from the Chardonnay grape from a vineyard that produces some fine Grand Cru Beaujolais.
The Angove Story
In 1886 Dr. William Thomas Angove moved his family from England and established a medical practice in the Adelaide Foothills of South Australia. Along with other medical doctors of that time such as Lindeman and Penfolds, he started dabbling in wine vines and quickly found a customer base to his winemaking. His wine vineyards increased from a mere 4 hectares to 40 hectares. He passed in 1912.
His son, Thomas "Skipper" Angove, took over the reins and built the first Angove winery and distillery in Renmark.
Thomas's son, Thomas William, joined the firm in 1940 and further developed the winery ---exploring such innovations as the "Bag in the Box" wine concept and also expanding crushing facilities as well as expanding the wineries vineyards.
John Carolyn Angove is the current Chairman of the winery and as Managing Director further expanded winery resources and vineyard redevelopments as well as working to develop inroads in the arts, charity work and the Australian Wine Industry.
John's children, Richard and Victoria are now joint Managing Directors with daughter Sophie as Viticulturist.
The winery is continuing its growth under such good management!
Angove 1886 Chardonnay 2024 Mclaren Vale $14.95 94/100
Colour: White
Nose: Apple, pear, citrus, tropical fruit, mineral
Palate: Medium, well balanced and integrated with a fresh clean finish.
Food: Pasta with cream sauce, sea food pasta, chicken
Comments: An outstanding price at this level. the mark is strictly due to the enormous quality/wine ratio!
RED
Angove 1886 Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 South Australia $14.95 93/100
Colour: Garnet
Nose: Mint, currant, herbal veggie, black cherry some vanilla.
Palate: Medium to full, soft tannin, integrated, long pleasant finish with some anise
Food: Superb barbeque wine, roast beef, grilled veggies.
Comments: another good quality wine for a great price!
Angove 1886 Shiraz/Mourvèdre/Grenache 2024 Barossa Valley $14.95 92/100
Colour: Dark red
Nose: Pepper spice, dark fruit, vanilla, currants
Palate: Full bodied, balanced, integrated, concentrated anise/fig finish
Food: Possibly game such as venison, pork loin, hard cheese
Comments: Like other Angove products produced here, the wine is very high in quality versus price and adaptable to many meal types. Reminds me of a Chateauneuf du Pape in some ways
Crux Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 Mendoza Argentina $17.95 96/100
Colour: Ruby red
Nose: Dark fruit, violets, slight herbal elements, vanilla, pepper spice, some smoke.
Palate: Full bodied, concentrated, nice soft tannin, nice balance and long persistent finish
Food: A great game wine that will meet challenges from various types of food such as roasts, turkey, wild boar. The wine is a food magnet as it seems to combine with many foods.
Comment: This is the third time I tasted this wine and it has not disappointed me and it seems to be a dollar cheaper than last time. Ironically, I reviewed this wine blindly and gave it the same score. A better wine at this quality/price ration is difficult to find! The wine is listed as Cabernet Sauvignon but research has found a blend of grapes of Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot, Tempranillo.
Buxy Cote Chalonnaise Pinot Noir Burgundy Vintages Essential 28284 $23.95 95/100
Colour: Garnet red
Nose: Strawberry, cherry, floral cherry blossom, some smoke, earth
Palate: Full body, concentrated, dark currant, very long fruit finish
Food: Lamb, fowl, stew
Comment: Incredible value, in British Columbia it is selling for $34.90. A good Burgundy at $24 is nothing short of amazing. Well worth the points attached.
Caparzo Sangiovese Tuscany Vintages #44090 $14.95 94/100
Colour: Ruby red
Nose: Red fruit, (cherry, strawberry, raspberry) some herbal,
Palate: Full body, dry warm mouth feel, balanced and evolving, persistent flavourful sweet fruit finish
Food: Pork roast,
Comments: Worth more than the above price! A "go to wine at any restaurant based on price and quality. A vintages wine that would appeal to most of the general public.
Cota 700 2022 Dao Touriga Blend Portugal Vintages #41901 $16.95 94/100
Colour: Red
Nose: Dark Fruit (blackberry, black cherry, currants and sweet mulberry), hint of vegetal, earth
Palate: Full bodied, well balanced and rich with mixed evolving flavours of dark fruit, pleasant sweet finish.
Food: Lamb stew, beef, roast chicken, duck and game
Comment: Some suggestion of pine on the nose but could not sense it. DAO is a great wine region of Portugal that is continuing to make great strides in the making of fine wine. Touriga Nacional, Tempranillo and Alfrocheiro grapes are used in its making. Keep eyes on the prices and enjoy now!
Bird in Hand; Two in the Bush Shiraz Adelaide Australia $!8.95 93/100
Colour: Red
Nose: Floral violets, dark fruit, pepper spice,
Palate: Medium to full body, rich flavour, soft tannin, balanced, long persistent fruit finish
Food: Beef burgers, steak, grilled veggies, cold cuts , rabbit stew
Comments: Nice barbeque wine
Doppio Passo Appassimento 2023 Primitivo Puglia, Italy General list, $14.95 94/100
Colour: Red
Nose: Ripe cherry, chocolate, blackberry, black currant , plum
Palate: Full body, mild sweetness, concentrated dark fruit flavour, pleasant long spicy finish
Food: Red meat, hard mature cheese, sausages, roasts
Comment: Made similarly to Amarone where by grapes are dried until they look almost like shriveled raisins (but not quite) and then are vinified. This allows the resulting wine to have greater concentration and flavours, The wine is basically dry to the taste though it may have some sweetness. It can be used to complement a meal or be used as an aperitif. Amarone usually costs $$$ so this wine made from basically Primitivo grapes is a fraction of the cost!
