From the company literature:  “…deep crimson red colour.(note that is the English way of spelling color)  Juicy rich aromas immediately strike the nose with a wide spectrum of fruits including raspberries, cherry and plum intermingle with milk chocolate, vanilla bean and roasted coffee. ..layers of creamy tannins form the foundation of this wonderfully opulent fleshy and fruit driven wine.  The palate is succulent with subtle, spicy integrated oak and traces of black pepper.”

$22 at Fry’s Marketplace.  I decanted for an hour, and then had my first sip.  Too intense.  Waited another half hour, couldnt wait any longer.

On the nose I couldnt find anything really substantial, a little bit of red fruit, a little bit of coffee. While I was sniffing away I did notice the color…dark dark crimson,  it looks delicious.

On the palate it was an intense fruit bomb.  Tart red fruit, raspberries, and black pepper.  Not just traces of black pepper, lots of black pepper. I was picking up a little heat from the 15% alcohol content as well.

The consensus at the dinner party was that this wine was not worth the original price tag of $42, and it was also not worth the new marked down price of around $22.  The guests thought it should be priced $12-$15, it was just too intense for most people’s tastes, including mine, and I actually like an intense Shiraz, but I was hoping for a little more complexity for the price.

Tim

Next free tasting is this weekend, Saturday November 28 2-5:30pm in store

Bleasdale Winery Portfolio tasting

The Bleasdale Winery produces wine in Langhorne Creek, South Australia. The Potts family have owned and made wine there for 5 generations. I had the pleasure of meeting Robbie Potts, brand ambassador and brother of the current winemaker, at a wine tasting in September. True salt of the earth character – one could easily visualise a bush hat with corks swinging from it as his normal attire

Planned for the tasting will be the following:

Chardonnay/Riesling blend (white)
Langhorne Crossing Shiraz/Cabernet/Malbec blend (red) – this is a popular wine in our store
Malbec – Although the winery has used Malbec in its blends for some years this is their first single varietal wine produced from this grape. I scored 2 cases out of 28 shipped to BC. Rivals Argentinian Malbecs and at under $20 and well worth trying.
Frank Potts – named after the founder of the winery, its 89% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot/Merlot
Generations Shiraz – this is their icon wine – gorgeous.

All these wines are great value across a spectrum of style and price. Hope we’ll see you Saturday

Coming Up

Malbec Taste-Off on Saturday December 5th, featuring 3 Malbecs (so remember to make notes on the Bleasdale). Two will be from Argentina and one from Cahors in France – the spiritual home of Malbec. We will be sending an eGrapevine reminder next week on this one.

On Friday in early August, my friend and I, drove around the winding roads of Route 3965 (Sderot Hahotsvim) up from Highway 1, past the Sataf junction, and on and up Route 395 to Kibbutz Tzuba.  At the entrance of the kibbutz, drive past the gate and take the second left and follow the sign to Yekev Tzuba.  The winery’s rectangular and unassuming building lies to the back of the kibbutz overlooking a bluff and an ancient wine press from the first millennium.  As you drive up to the building you can see the vineyards to the right and Tzora Winery’s vineyard to the north.

We met Paul Dobb – the head winemaker, at around 8AM in the morning, and we moved upstairs to the understated but quite lovely tasting room that overlooks the ancient wine press.  Paul said, he has plans to spruce up the winery with a deck and a tasting bar, which sounds nice, but I found the current setup quite enjoyable.  The winery is growing since we last visited them, and they are releasing new single varietals.  The first new varietal is the 2007 Pinot Noir.  A lovely French Burgundy look-alike with Israeli attitude.  Besides the new Pinot Noir, Tzuba is shipping some of their wines to the USA through Royal Wines (the largest importer of kosher wines).  Tzuba has sold all of last year’s wines except for their top of the line Metzuda series, which they are in no real rush to sell to distributors, because it is a wine that is just coming into its own, and has more life left in it.  So, the 2005 vintage of the Metzuda blend can be found both locally in the US and in Israel, while the rest of the lineup, which is long and impressive are only available locally in Israel.

The lineup, which is visible at their website, is quite impressive, with a nice variety of both red and white wines.  When we were last there we had a chance to taste a few of the white wines.  This time around, the white wines were from shmitta (2008 vintage), and so we did not partake of them.  The vines that Paul helped to plant in 1996 are growing well, and the varietals are now starting to show quite nicely.  The Sangiovese is starting to come around, the Pinot Noir is now solid enough to stand on its own and not be plowed into the Red Belmont (their table wine).  Their noble varieties have been solid since day one, Cabernet, Merlot, and Shiraz.  I am really looking forward to the day when they start selling Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.  Till then we will be more than satisfied with the current crop of red options.  The white wines are a different story.  Beyond the Chardonnay (both late and normal harvest), none of the whites are standing on their own.  The winery plants many white varieties, but none of have yet to be sold on their own – Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are blended into the White Belmont.  Viognier is lurking, but not yet bottled into anything.  Though we did not taste the Chardonnay this time, the last time we tasted the 2006 vintage, it was quite lovely.  We tasted the 2007 White Belmont at the Jerusalem Wine Festival, and were equally impressed by its tart yet ripe flavors.  Either way, both the red and white wines from Tzuba will keep many a wine connoisseur quite happy.

When talking with Paul while tasting some wonderful wines, he explained to us that the winery’s mantra is about creating value based world class wines.  To that point the wines are priced reasonably within Israel, while in the US, the prices are a bit higher, but that is more about the importer than Tzuba.  Currently, Tzuba is producing 40,000 to 50,000 bottles a year, and they are planting new vineyards to allow them to grow the winery.  On an aside, Kibbutz Tzuba, will be ripping up their fruit trees and replacing them with grape vines, according to the Jerusalem Post.  This is not because of the increased interest in grapes and wine, but rather because of the increased concern over water shortages within Israel.  As the article states, grape vines need a tenth or less of the water required for fruit trees, and since grapes can fetch at least as much on the open market, they will be replacing their fruit trees with grape vines.  I just thought that would be interesting to report.  On the way out of our wine tasting, I took some pictures of the current vines (in the distance), and the fruit trees right next to them.

I want thank Paul and the Tzuba Winery for taking the time to meet with us and to show us how far the winery has come and a wonderful glimpse into its flourishing future.  The wines notes follow below in the order they were tasted:

2007 Tzuba Tel Tzuba Pinot Noir – Score: A-
The nose on this garnet colored wine is reminiscent of a terroir based Burgundy.  The nose is hopping with rich minerals, cherry, strawberry, and a bit of sweetness like Cherry Herring.  The mouth on this medium bodied wine is rich with loamy soil, strawberry, and cherry.  The mid palate is acidic in nature, with more loamy soil, and a touch of coffee.  The finish is long with bright red fruit and spice.  Quite a nice Pinot Noir and one that I hope is exported to the US.

2007 Tzuba Tel Tzuba Cabernet Sauvignon – Score: B+
The nose on this garnet colored wine has cherry, cranberry, raspberry, spice, and oak.  The mouth on this medium to full bodied wine has cranberry and plum that lead into a mid palate of oak, balancing acid, and nice integrating tannins.  The finish is long with tannins that coat the mouth and linger long on the palate, along with more spice.

2007 Tzuba Tel Tzuba Shiraz – Score: A-
The nose on this purple colored wine is redolent with pepper, tar, cassis, blackberry, and oak.  The mouth on this full bodied wine follows the nose with blackberry and cassis.  The mid palate has tar, tannins, and tobacco.  The finish is long with elegant tannins, tobacco, and black fruit.  Quite a nice Shiraz that is sure to impress.

2006 Tzuba Hametzuda (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec) - Score: A-
The nose on this black colored wine is deep and brooding with blackberry, oak, and flinty loam.  The mouth on this full bodied wine is deep, brooding, complex, and mouth coating with inky blackberry, cassis, and chocolate.  The mid palate is balanced with oak and tannin.  The finish is long and spicy, with acid, tannin, tobacco, and pepper.  This can be drunk now, but one that will be best enjoyed in a year or so.

Syrah

2001

$18

Napa/Sonoma, California

Appearance: Brick bordering on brown in color. Medium to full bodied.

Nose:  New, rubbery bicycle inner tube and stuffy pencil box preceding red fruits.  Plum, cherry, and pepper as well as vanilla, spearmint, and strangely, nectarine. Very deep smell, and very complex.

Pallet: Some residual sugar but dissipates quickly.  Almost perfect balance of oak, fruit, acidity, and tannin.  Tobacco, black pepper and earth blend well with the fruit.

Finish:  Finishes strong and long for at least 45 seconds.

Overall: It may be that this bottle is creeping up on its life expectancy.  It was good today but it may have been superb last year.  Drink em’ if ya got em’.  Overall high quality in all aspects.

As we draw to the end of the year it’s time to start thinking about the best wines of the year. The wines are those that have been released in calendar year 2009 so mostly 2006 vintage with a few from 2005 and 2007. My top twenty wines will be a little different from most for a few reasons. First, the list will be dominated by red wines because that is what I prefer. I am sure there are many, many great white wines that should be on someones top list but I wouldn’t know because I don’t taste many if any of them. Second, the list will contain many new world wines. I don’t buy very many old world wines. The style I prefer is more new world so that is what I taste. Finally the wines on the list are wines that I have purchased with my hard-earned dollars or something that I have tasted at a wine event either as a guest or a paid attendee. I am not on lists like Colgin, Screaming Eagle and Schrader. I haven’t tasted these wines so I can’t very well offer an opinion except that they are overpriced no mater how well they are made or good they taste. I am your typical wine enthusiast who has a wine budget. No one is sending me wine to taste for free (one can dream however).

Wines 4-2 and the Wine of the Year

4. 2007 Two Hands Shiraz Gnarly Dudes – Huge wine. Currant, smoke and spice

3. 2006 Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon - Dark toasted oak and blackberry aromas lead the way. Black currant, smokey tobacco, tar hints, fig  and dark chocolate add to the complexity. The finish has a very earthy note and is lingering. A nice balance of fruit and minerality.

2.  2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - Beautiful ruby red color. The nose shows oaky-woody spice notes as well as red red raspberry flavors. The mouth feel is in a sense lush which adds to the complexity because I found the fruit notes crisp and bright. Red, cherry, raspberry and spice hang on through the long finish that adds a hint of mineralitiy.

Wine Of The Year

2006 Delectus Cuvee Julia - Very dark purple all the way to the rim. The aromas are a wonderful mix of black currant, cherry and vanilla. Across the palate the fruit really shines with black cherry, plumb stew, and blackberry. There is a lot going on but everything in its place and working very well together. Simply outstanding.

Every year, Transparency International makes a list of the most corrupt countries in the world. I searched through the blogs to find out more about each one, from a travelers’ perspective.

1. Somalia

Hardiek at the border of Somalia

“For those of you who don’t know (almost everybody, including me up until a few weeks ago) the once unified country of Somalia is now effectively divided into three, the rump Somalia surrounding dangerous Mogadishu, the country of Puntland from which all the ship piracy of recent fame takes place, and Somaliland, relatively peaceful and open for business, connected by land to the also relatively peaceful states of Djibouti and Ethiopia.” – Hardiek

2. Afghanistan

Samcato telling home base about an explosion in Afghanistan

“From ‘grease my palm’ to ‘oil-fill my bellybutton’: corruption has penetrated the political, economic, judicial and social systems so thoroughly that it has ceased to be a deviation from the norm and become the norm itself. Corruption had existed ever since the Taliban regime was toppled, but it has reached a historically record breaking level. Ordinary Afghans are well aware of this, the majority of the country is sorry, not because it existed but they are not in a position to benefit from bribery. Corruption has become so endemic that it is perceived as normal. Nothing is possible at the same time, everything is possible. When a job comes to a standstill it doesn’t mean there is a problem with the job, it is time to grease up some bellybuttons. If one is prepared to pay as much as needed then anything could be done. Shortcuts are introduced if one is willing to compromise. I could have thought of any word as synonyms for bribery but not compromise, Farsi and Pashto languages are rich with euphemisms for bribe. My favorite and all time fresh is ‘Shirini’, the sweetener. It is generally used when you got something done. In other words shirini is post bribery bribe. Don’t be surprised. At least I had something done, these days ordinary citizens pay bribes as much to be left alone as to get something done. They call it ‘Kharcha’, ‘paeesi chai’, ‘jawani’ and many more which are basically *bribe of survival*. Exactly this has changed everything; everyone attempts to be in a position to take a bribe as oppose to a sucker. Bribe takers are at the highest rank of the society where everybody inspires to be.” – Samcato

3. Myanmar

Markl's tour guide "Stella" spoke about the corruption in her country

“Stella was forthcoming about the current regime and it’s appalling corruption. They have moved the capital inland and have created an insane, artificial compound where the military and civil servants live in pampered luxury. They are building a zoo, of all things there, and transporting the animals from Yangon zoo to fill it. So the people in the capital get a few old camels and the rest get shipped 300 miles inland. Civil service pensions are no better, her mother receives 100 Kyat or $0,10 a day. Stella’s bitterness was mainly reserved for the treatment of the poor who seem to have been mainly abandoned by the political rulers. The stories of aid for rural people post Cyclone Nargis in 2009 were terrifying.” – Markl

4. Sudan

Bonthorn on the road in Sudan

“You have two choices when you come to a roadblock. You can play Mr./Mrs. Nice Guy/Gal and greet the officer as if you’ve known him your whole life, shake hands amicably and ask about his health, his family, their health, etc. Calling him ‘my friend’ and patting him on the back is also a good tactic (although never try this if you are female). After all the formalities are completed, he might just let you off the hook and wish you a “Good Journey”. The second option is to play dumb and pretend you have no idea what the officer is saying, although it’s blatantly obvious. Keep jabbering in English in a tone that is neither offensive nor accusing, and sooner or later, he will hopefully tire of you and your feigned stupidity and wave you on. So far, these are the two choices we’ve attempted, both at pretty successful rates. But the key is to pick one and stick to it BEFORE your car is stopped and you’re face to face with him and his gun.” – Bonthorn

5. Iraq

Rebecca.mcneal went through several checkpoints in Iraq

“After passing through numerous checkpoints, Iraqi, Pesmerga and Awakening Council fighter types we neared Mosul. Mosul was the only place that was worrisome. We passed by a truck bomb site that had killed 250 people in the recent past. We were not allowed to photograph checkpoints which were all manned with machine guns.” – Rebecca.mcneal

6. Chad

Kevandsian picked up some unexpected hitchhikers in Chad

“Crossing into Chad was surprisingly hassle free, the police in this country have a bad reputation for being corrupt and subtracting bribes and ‘tolls’ at every opportunity. We took a hitch hiker at the request of the police and also transported a soldier to the next village. We then gave another 5 police and military personnel lifts to neighboring towns 55 kms away,becoming the essential local transport as the first truck to pass through in 6-7 days. We decided this might help avoid searches and bribes at police stops and ease our journey. They did help at one small town where the police demanded a 16 dollar fee per person for registering and stamping our passports which was eventually avoided successfully.” – Kevandsian

7. Uzbekistan

Crowdywendy's tour guide in Uzbekistan, Behruz

Our first morning in Bukhara introduced us to the entrenched police and official corruption in Uzbekistan. It was our first introduction to “bakeesh” or bribes to officials. At the first Bukhara bank we were told that we were not allowed in. “Why not?” we asked. It was a very large bank and there were numerous tellers open everywhere. Well, we just couldn’t. The police were stationed at the entrance of the bank and would not let people in. Well, of course with a little bribe they would… But we resisted and moved on to yet another bank, and another. Later that evening while talking with other hotel guests, we were told that it is not uncommon for locals to have to try ten or so different banks before they would be allowed entry. The young local people were openly disgusted with the practice.

Similarly, bakeesh is a common practice with the police. There are frequent road blocks throughout Uzbekistan. While we had no problems thanks to Naim calling out “tourists!” at every point we were told over and over again by locals about the road police. Apparently being a police officer on the roads is a much sought after profession. Although they are dreadfully underpaid they certainly make up for it in bribes or bakeesh.” – Crowdywendy

8. Turkmenistan

Ricka leaving the "ferry from hell" in Turkmenistan

We loaded on-board after a trainload of freight was stowed and we were squeezed in between the carriages and the crew started to hassle us for “Security Fees”. We all had the sense to tell them to get lost! We were on at last! Another trip back into the customs hall to get our final clearance and it was back on board, passports handed over to a dodgy looking guy along with $90 and then a stagger up to the deck with our luggage. We wondered why there were loads of crewmembers smiling and laughing at us, little did we know!
The dodgy guy we gave our passports and cash to started to try to explain that if we wanted a cabin they were $100. We said no thanks, at that price we could manage the 12 hour crossing on the deck. I had a suspicion that things may not go to plan so I followed a crew down into the ship to have a look at a cabin. He showed me two of the filthyest, run-down excuses for cabins I had ever seen, with the “bathrooms” being even worse. I haggled with the guy anyway as I knew this was a “take it or leave it” situation and I settled on twenty bucks per cabin – I thought we would be needing them!” – Ricka

9. Iran

Jimsim at Persepolis in Shiraz, Iran

“While Sim took a few snaps of the mosque I chatted to a local soldier who was visiting the mosque. He was very young, and was very upbeat about Iran’s prospects for the future. While not stating a preference for either the hardline or more moderate of Iran’s leaders he seemed to believe that by keeping the right (positive) attitude the people of Iran would pull the country in the right direction. It was hard not to be caught up in his enthusiasm. He was also extremely helpful while we were there, happily answering the barrage of questions I had about Shiraz and it’s major attractions.” – Jimsim

10. Haiti

Mim301 on her first day volunteering in Haiti

“It is so hard to believe that so many people in Haiti live in poverty because of such a corrupt government, but that the beaches and mountains are so beautiful. I guess that this is just another one of life’s great mysteries.” – Mim301

I first encountered Halifax wines at the McLaren Vale’s “Vale Cru” tasting a couple of months ago and was impressed.  After my recent visit I am even more impressed.  I got onto the mailing list at the Vale Cru tasting and got myself an invite to their yearly new release tasting.  Well what an absolute joy – it does not take long to see Peter and Lizzy’s outlook and even the wines show the same.  They are passionate about – good food, good wines, good friends, good times.  Their pride (after the wines) was a large dining table where we were invited to share a light lunch with other Halifax wine lovers and try their wines in a relaxed food and friend atmosphere.

Halifax Entrance

The shiraz vineyard is on Binney Road between the towns of McLaren Vale and Willunga.  This south eastern area of the McLaren Vale region and has a higher elevation and slightly cooler than the plains regions of McLaren Vale.  Wine made in the vineyard and sustainability are the 2 catch cries from Peter.  Peter is committed to minimal interference with the wine – minimal oak influence, no filtration or fining - he lets the vineyard and the fruit do the talking.  The shiraz is supplemented with cabernet sauvignon, grenache and soon mourvedre.

Halifax Cellar

The winery is not open for cellar door visits – it is purely by appointment only.

The website is www.halifaxwines.com.au

2009 Holiday Rose ($A20)

 This grenache based wine is effectively sold out (to restaurants) – and after tasting it I can understand why.

A salmon colour followed by an aroma hit that is just like freshly crushed grenache berries.  The palate is full of nectarine and apple with an almost creamy finish.  This is a lovely dry wine with lots of acid.  It is a shame it is all but sold out.  If this is representative of the rose to come bring on next vintage with a block of goats cheese and crusty bread.

Inside HALiFAX Cellar

2006 Ad Lib ($A23)

A blend of 70% Grenache, 25% Shiraz and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is a lighter style than the normal McLaren Vale Grenache based wines, and I for one believe there is room for both styles.  A juicy infusion of red berries on the front palate and blackberries on the back palate.  This is a soft wine – minimal oak and fine grape tannins.  Drink this wine now with lasagna (my wife makes the best lasagna).

2006 Halifax Vineyard Shiraz ($A25)

The wine is bright red – a surprise considering it is a bit older than general red wine releases.  Quite fragrant with lots of black fruits – particularly black cherries.  When I tried this I was taken by how soft this was is – all the usual McLaren Vale shiraz fruits come through – plums and blackberries, all in waves with minimal oak influences.  This wine would last a while – but it is so juicy why wait!  Have a bottle or three of this with slowly braised lamb shanks and make sure you share this with friends.

2006 Coach House Cabernet ($A35)

Two words – silky smooth.  The vineyard the grapes came from the vineyard Penfolds Bin 707 came from.  The wine is a sensory wave of blackberries and blackcurrant (both on the nose and palate).  The oak treatments are not evasive and supply a pleasant dusty tannin finish.  Drink it with a big juicy medium rare steak.

2002 Halifax Vineyard Shiraz ($A35)

The wine is for current customers however, for Lonely Grape readers, this museum release shows what the current vintage may evolve into over the coming years.  The wine is showing a small amount of browning.  The nose is showing the black fruits with savoury characters of chocolate and a mushroom earthyness.  Bring on a huge plate of Grilled Field Mushrooms (with vin cotta added to the upturned cups) with ricotta gnocchi covered in a simple butter mushroom sauce at a table full of your friends.

امروز صبح با حسن رفتیم کوه. اولین تجربه برف.
خیلی خوب بود و خوش گذشت. از کلکچال رفتیم شیرپلا و از دربند اومدیم پایین. تو مسیر بالا رفتن از کلکچال، خوردیم به برف و یخ و مجبور شدیم یخشکن ها رو ببندیم. هوا اینقدر خوب بود که مجبور شدم تمام لباس های گرم رو دربیارم و با یه تیشرت خالی صعود رو ادامه بدم. کلاه و … هم که دیگه :دی!
البته من خسته بودم و انرژی نداشتم و کلی سرعت حسن رو کم کرده بودم. رسیدیم کلکچال، یه استراحت خیلی خیلی کوتاه و بعد هم حرکت به سمت سه راهی (مرتفع ترین نقطه تو مسیر کلکچال تا توچال با حدود 3050متر ارتفاع) و بیش از 60سانتیمتر برف بکر و دست نخورده که حداکثر تو 2روز گذشته باریده بود و حتی هنوز یخ هم نزده بود. مسیر هم خلوت بود و ساکت، بطوریکه وقتی پا روی برف ها میگذاشتیم، صدای دوست داشتنی فشرده شدن برف رو زیر کفش هامون میشنیدیم که خیلی لذتبخش بود.

تو سه راهی وایسادیم و خواستیم تو منظره زیبای اونجا و سه تیغ پرتوهای خورشید، عکس بگیریم، که دیدیم یه تکه ابر بزرگ داره به سرعت به سمت کوه میاد. تا به خودمون اومدیم، دیدیم مه اطرافمون رو گرفته و حتی 50متر اونطرفتر رو هم نمیشه دید. من که کاملا غافلگیر شده بودم. هنوز داشتم به اینکه چقدر سریع اون آفتاب داغ تبدیل شد به مه فکر میکردم که پشتم داغ شد و دوباره هوا آفتابی شد… انگار نه انگار که تا چند لحظه قبل یه مه غلیظ اطرافمون رو گرفته بود!

اونجا با یه پسر حدود 25سال که میگفت دماوند هم رفته و بنظر با تجربه میومد همراه شدیم و راه افتادیم به سمت شیرپلا و کلی تو مسیر سرسره بازی داشتیم و خیلی سریعتر از چیزی که فکر می کردم رسیدیم شیرپلا. قرار شد از شیرپلا برگردیم پایین. اون پسره که همراهمون بود گفت حدود 2ساعت و نیم تا پایین راه داریم. راه افتادیم و چند صد متر که اومدیم پایین، دیگه اثری از برف و یخ نبود؛ فقط سنگ های لغزنده و خیس. به کمک طناب ها اومدیم پایین. کمتر از 2ساعت طول کشید تا برسیم پایین و وقتی سوار تاکسی شدیم، 1ساعت و 50 دقیقه از لحظه خروج از شیرپلا گذشته بود.

تو مسیر پایین اومدن، چند بار همراهمون وایساد تا سیگار بکشه. اواخر مسیر بود که فاصله بین سیگارها کم شده بود و حرف ضعف بدنی پیش اومد، اون پسره گفت باید با استفاده از “آب” و “شکلات” خودتون رو سرپا نگه دارید ولی اگه اینا جواب داد، بهترین چیز “دود” سیگاره!!! یه کم لبخند زدم و با تموم شدن سیگار آقاهه! راه افتادیم به سمت پایین.

——–
تجربه خیلی خوبی بود. صعود تو برف خیلی لذتبخش بود. هوا هم اینقدر عالی بود که تو جمشیدیه (قبل از صعود) اس ام اس دادم به یه دوست که بیاد اونجا و از اون هوا استفاده کنه. تجربه مه و تغییر ناگهلنی هوا تو کوه هم خیلی آموزنده بود.

———-
حسن فردا عصر میره شیراز برای طراحی مسیر رالی. تجربه سختی خواهد بود و ذهن رو خیلی درگیر میکنه. احتمالا 5 شنبه هم من برم شیراز که جمعه و شنبه اونجا باشم و شنبه بعد از پایان مسابقه برگردم…

———-
5شنبه با یه نفر مشکل پیدا کردم. البته خیلی هم تقصیر اون نبود؛ تقصیر من هم نبود. فقط همون بحث “مکان و زمان مناسب” نقض شده بود و تو زمان نامناسب یه حرفهایی زده شد…

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این هم از اولین برف بازی امسال :پی

my first Grange!

While I wasn’t lucky enough to enjoy the wisdom of host Chris Sharpe, working late last night did result in the reward of sampling the heels of the wines from his Ultra Premium Tasting.  If you happen to have $1,100 you need to dispose of, these five wines will do the trick nicely. All are available at Everything Wine and prices listed are current retail.

Quinta do Vale Meao 2005
Douro, Portugal
Touriga Nacional (40%), Touriga Franca (25%), Tinta Roriz (25%)

This wine’s nose is charming and gorgeous, with concentrated ripe red berries, pretty floral notes, earth and tar.  The palate is bright and lush, with red raspberry, sweet cherry and peppery spice. Complex, exotic and hugely appealing, I would gladly drink this wine daily – and with just about any fare. This doesn’t strike me as a wine that would fare well in the cellar, but with luscious fruit like this, who wants to wait anyway? $109.99

~

Achaval Ferrer Finca Mirador 2006
Medrano, Mendoza, Argentina
Malbec (100%)

From a 12 acre vineyard at 2400′ asl harvested to 0.75 tons per acre. The colour and aroma seemed to indicate a wine with some maturity, with it’s slightly brick-hued rim and subtle earth scents.  That illusion was soon shattered, as the palate bursted with bright red and black fruits, fresh and ripe with mouthwatering acidity.  Suprising, but delicious nonetheless.  I’d definitely leave this one in the cellar another half-dozen years. $119.99

~

Numanthia Termanthia 2005
Toro, Spain
Tinto de Toro (100%)

From an 11 acre plot, 2600 feet above sea level, planted with 100+ year old ungrafted vines, the yields were well under 1 ton of fruit per acre. The wine was barrel fermented and received the ‘200% new oak’ treatment for 20 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. It is big, tannic and extremely ageworthy. ~ erobertparker.com

A wonderfully complex nose, with layers of black cherry, sweet cassis, blackberry, caramel, licorice, mineral, toast and tar.  I went back two or three times to take it all in before taking a sip.  When I did, I received a powerul mouthful of rich black fruits, baking spices and a mess of fine tannins. Structured enough for a decade or more of cellaring, but a wonderfully unique and enjoyable wine now. Maybe the best Tempranillo I have tasted. Fantastic. $259.99

~

Shafer Hillside Select 2004
Stags Leap District, Napa Valley, California
Cabernet Sauvignon (100%)

Incredibly rich, from the sweet cassis and vanilla-oak nose to the silky mouthfeel and super-long and textured finish.  The Hillside exhibits opulent black cherry, chocolate, graphite and oak.  32 months in 100% new French oak lends a silky, sexy, layered palate and a flawless finish. This wine is beautifully intense – one of the most pleasurable sips I’ve had in a long, long while. $325.99

~

Penfolds Grange Bin 95 2004
South Australia
Shiraz (96%), Cabernet Sauvignon (4%)

…grown to very special vineyards in the Barossa and McLaren Vale, with a component from the distinguished Magill Estate site in the Adealide Hills. Grange remains as Australia’s most famous wine, a peerless wine of historical significance, officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. Above-average winter rainfall led into a promising vintage, characterised by mild conditions up until February, followed by warmer weather conditions throughout March and April. Penfolds South Australian vineyards fared well, producing wines of elegance and intensity. Matured for sixteen months in exclusively new American oak hogsheads. Alcohol 14.3% ~ PenfoldsGrangeForSale.com

My first Grange!  Tauted as one of the greatest vintages of Australia’s most prestigious wine, the 2004 Grange might never have had a chance at living up to its $600AUD pre-release price. Concentrated ripe black fruits, cherry cola, smoked meat. The palate is very concentrated, but still bright.  I expected more – more tannin, more acid, more fruit, more alcohol.  But this wine is not for drinking now – it is all about 10 years from now. $424.99

Thanks for joining my review of the 2007 Five Geese Shiraz and the 2007 Marius Symposium Shiraz Mourvedre (see my blog review of Marius Wines).

Both wineries do not have a cellar door.  Marius Wines can be found at www.mariuswines.com.au and Five Geese Wines at www.fivegeese.com.au.

The tasting was conducted in the Freerange Gallery in McLaren Vale with the Art of Wine photographic exhabition of James Hook’s work – on display until 5th December 2009.

Thanks to James Hook for digital copies of some of his photos and to the Freerange Gallery for their patience while I was filming.

The next generation. Taken in Iran, December 2008. [Inserted by blog editor, not writer of this post

From Iran today:

November 5, 2009 War Stories from Shiraz

More news is rolling out about the experiences of 13 Aban.  One 6^th grader reported that he wasn’t even aware that yesterday was Students’ Day as his school did not celebrate the day or in any way acknowledge yesterday’s date, although he knew something was going on as he passed the security personnel on his way home from school.

I heard about a young 6^th grade girl who reported that 20 of the girls from her class decided to wear green to school yesterday as a sign of protest. Her father warned against it, but she told him she was not afraid.  During their school’s march the teacher led a “Death to America” chant. While some girls repeated it, many did not. So the teacher turned to them and asked what they wanted to chant. One girl called, “Obama, Obama, ya ba oona, ya ba ma!” (Obama, either with them, or with us!) To which the rest of the girls in the class responded, “Obama, Obama, ya ba oona, ya ba ma!”  They also chanted “Ma Hameh Be Ham Hastim” (We are all together). The teacher got scared and told the girls, “Alaan mekoshanemoon – bereem!” (They’re going to kill us – let’s get out of here!) So they all headed back to school. Along the way they were confronted by the Basijis. The men reported the green-wearing middle school girls on their walkie-talkies and asked the powers that be what to do. The men on the ground were given the order to attack and beat the girls. So they did. This little girl ran away and escaped a beating by hiding under an older womans’ chador. Some of her friends weren’t so lucky and were hit by batons. When they got to their school the school personnel were angry and called the girls’ parents, telling them to pick their daughters up. It seems the school got low points for the day because their students wouldn’t chant state slogans and were wearing green!

Last night (11/4) it seems there were protests on Mollahsadrah Blvd in Shiraz.

On NIACInsight blog protests were reported from Shahe Cheragh Mosque. An eyewitness says that a few hundred Green protestors gathered at the official government-sponsored events at Shahe Cheragh that day, including a significant number of green-wearing high school students. This time, instead of grouping in one big formation as protestors had this summer, the protestors scattered themselves throughout the crowd in groups of 5-10. When one small group would chant green slogans and the Basij would lunge toward them, another group further away would start the chants, and so on. That way they avoided getting caught by the Basij for the most part while they kept up the anti-government protest. Tear gas was fired. A handful of protestors were eventually arrested.

Things have certainly changed. I have heard from people, who were in NO way politically motivated or involved before this summer, that they are joining or ready to join the protestors.  It is heartening to see that people from all socio-economic backgrounds, all walks of life, all religious persuasions, are united in their demands. They want a significant say in their government; they want the rule of law to apply; they want basic civil and human rights upheld; they want a realistic and workable economic plan for the country; they want good relations with other countries; they want a separation of religion from government. It was not like that during the late Shah’s time when various factions united in an uncomfortable alliance to help get rid of him. This government has been so thorough in eliminating any opposition groups that most people do not belong to any. The result is that they are all united in their demands for basic and common freedoms and rights.

November 8, 2009 Hmmmmmm.

A fourth grader came home and said that at the beginning of an exam that the entire 4^th and 5^th graders were sitting for today, one of the boys stood up and said, “Mousavi….” To which other boys added, “Mousavi, Mousavi, Hemayatat Meekoneem!” (Mousavi, we will support you) According to him most of the boys joined in, while the pro-Ahmadi family boys did not. When the proctor for the exam entered the room and told them to be seated (in a loud, booming voice) they all scrambled into their seats and quieted down. Later he himself was overheard repeating the slogan.

A 6-year-old, close to my heart, wants to create a potion by which to shrink the security forces so we can then step on them all. She also wants to have wings like a flying horse to get away from the bad men beating people with batons.

One fourth grader’s class (in a different school from above) was preparing for an Olympiad. When the question, “Who is Iran’s President?” was asked, the kid answering hesitated, put his hand to his mouth, said, “Ahmadinejad,” then proceeded to giggle uncontrollably along with the rest of his classmates.

University sources say that between 40 to 60 Shiraz University students were rounded up by security forces on November 4; their whereabouts are unknown. University students and professors are scrambling to find them and get them released. But since this is all considered subversive, they have to conduct their investigations in secret, for fear of being caught themselves.

According to mowj camp website (check it out), 30 Shiraz University students were beaten and arrested on 13 Aban (although the official local papers said about a total of 50 people were arrested in Shiraz that day). The students are being held at Adel Abad prison in Shiraz. One student, Kazem Rezai (who has been banned from further studies at the university) has been moved to the intelligence prison, unit 100 and as of Monday had started a hunger strike.

Peiknet.com website states that this time some of the girls in Shiraz were loaded on to motorcycles by security forces and driven off – to who knows where. University students think that is rumor as no girls have come forward verifying the information.

November 9, 2009 More News Trickling In

I overheard someone talking about her brother’s experience on the 4^th. He is a university student who was corralled into a dry cleaning shop along with many other students after their demonstration. There they were beaten soundly and tazered until they could barely move. They were released however after they begged for mercy and some other university personnel pleaded on their behalves. He reported that some poor people from the south of the city had infiltrated the student groups. These people had knives and were attacking and stabbing the Basisjis. When the Basijis got a hold of these young people they beat them into unconsciousness and dragged them off to the vans taking people to prison.  When this student was asked by his sister to stop participating in these demonstrations, he responded, “If I don’t fight for our freedoms, who will?”

November 12, 2009

I heard from one woman, whose 3d grade daughter attends the Shiraz University Girls’ Elementary School, that on 13 Aban she was prevented from picking up her daughter because of all the security forces around the dormitories. The girls’ school is up on the hill, close to the dorms. The little girl found her second grade teacher and clung to her for the day. She, along with the other girls, was terrified of the security forces. This particular mom said that when she tried to enter the area the security forces just kept cursing at her and using profane language to make her go away. They wouldn’t let her enter the gated area of the dorms to go to the school. I suggested she keep her daughter home on Azar16 – University Students’ Day!

        Reminded, suddenly, by his phone’s vibrating in his pocket, that he hadn’t yet picked up the message from Arden, Rennie groaned audibly, “C’mon, you old fleabag, you.  Let’s go face the music.”  Talisker pushed ahead of him as he entered the unlit vestibule. He called out, but no one answered.  He felt his way down the hall into the kitchen, where the radio was playing softly.  In the room—barely illuminated by a single window beyond which shadowy dusk, a recalcitrant guest, waited hesitantly—he found a note written in Arden’s elegant, rounded script:

        ”Gone to pilates.
         Soup on stove.
         Aran babysitting.
         Skye in bed.
         Feed dog.
         Take out garbage.
         Put clothes in dryer.”

He lifted the lid on the stockpot that was set onto one of the back burners of the stove: inside was a thick pool of puréed green vegetable (what was the story he had read as a child about the “great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River”?).  He replaced the lid, noticed, in the dim light, an opened half-bottle of wine on the counter and poured himself a drink.  He thought about the little fairy cakes Aimée had set beside him and wished, with an unexpected and incongruously profound sense of loss, that he had at least tasted one of them. He sat on the floor, the dog lying beside him, and took a sip of the Shiraz.

        ”Parce, Domine,” the hushed voices on the radio intoned.

He lay down, resting his head on the sleeping dog’s belly, and shut his eyes.

        Parce populo tuo:
        ne in aeternum irascaris nobis.

Caught Red Handed is the venture of Phil Rogers who is based in Sellicks Beach in the McLaren Vale wine region.  Phil has all but completed his winemaking degree in Wagga and after working in a few wineries (including McLaren Vale wineries – Rosemount, Hardys Reynella & Wirra Wirra) during vintage as a cellar hand.  During this time he became frustrated at the lack of opportunity to get a winemaking gig so he turned this frustration into a decision to start his own brand and make his own wine.  The 2007 reds were made at the Hawkers Gate Winery (in the McLaren Flat area of McLaren Vale region) and since then the wines are made at the Dennis Winery (on the Kangarilla Road just outside the McLaren Vale township).

Caught Redhanded does not have a web site yet, but can be contacted via email (caughtredhandedwines@gmail.com) and Phil is also an active member of the BooseMonkey site (www.boozemonkey.com).  Phil has a mailing list that you can also join when you contact him.

Wines will be delivered at a flat rate of $20/12 bottle case.

And now the wines:-

Caught Redhanded Pack

White Wines

2008 Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc ($A12.50)

The grapes for this wine comes from one of the highest Adelaide Hills vineyards in Lobethal and it is the first commercial white wine Phil made.

The wine shows herbaceous characters but is not over the top like a lot of Sauvignon Blancs available right now.  When I drink it I get the herbaceousness continuing with tropical fruits combined with hints of limes and a good acid finish.  The wine would go well with a locally caught pan fried fish – I always like snapper.  I suggest this wine is a buy and drink now sort of wine as it may lose it’s freshness with much more aging, but right now and cold would be very good (it is about 35 degrees as I write this). 

2008 Pinot Gris / Sauvignon Blanc ($A15)

The same Sauvignon Blanc from the above wine was mixed with some (Mount Compas) Pinot Gris.  I found the wine had a closed nose but the palate was pleasing with good acid and an excellent mouthfeel of nashi and lime.  This wine has more complexity than the straight Sauvigonon Blanc – it was a pity the wine had a closed nose.  With the extra complexity the wine could match with more complex food such as a mild chicken indian curry.

2008 Sauvignon Blanc / Chardonnay ($A12.50)

As soon as I saw the label I was interested to see what was in the glass, as I had not see this blend before.  The Sauvignon Blanc is the same as the above wines and the Chardonnay also came from the Adelaide Hills (a different vineyard than the other wine).  The blend is 70% Sauvigonon Blanc with 30% Chardonnay – and the chardonnay is wooded.  As per the previous wine the nose was closed (note that the wine was not too cold).  The wooded fruit dominates the palate with hints of citrus peel and peachy melon characters.  The oak domination detracts from this wine but it may go better with food (I suspect this was Phil’s plan).

2009 Pinot Gris ($A15)

The grapes for this wine come from a Lobethal vineyard and they were the first harvest from those vines.  There is orange blossom and pear on the nose.  When I drank the wine it showed minerally nashi charachters with lots of acid (though a little short), which would go well with grilled seafood.

Red Wines

2009 Cabernet Rose ($A15)

The grapes came from Langhorne Creek and was the bleed off juice from the processing of the grapes.  The wine had just been bottles (6 days).  What I found was a very interesting wine in a style that should be a good seller in the coming hotter months.  On the nose was pink lady apples, floral and straw characters followed by a palate full of pure cabernet fruit, apples and some herds on the back palate.  Please note this is not a totally dry style but it is not a sugar bomb either.  This wine would be great cold while sitting in the backyard with friends on a Sunday lunch with lots of crusty bread (maybe from the Willunga Markets) and some soft cheeses – my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

2007 McLaren Vale Shiraz ($A20)

The grapes for this wine were from a vineyard in Willunga, with only 2 barrels made (1 barrel french oak and the other american oak).  Even before the wine was brought to the nose I could smell the vanillin oak, which also has stewed plums and black fruits coming through.  There was also a tingling on the nose from the high alcohol (15.8%).  The palate is a mixture of fruit cake (which reminds me I had better check my fruit mice), plums and finishing with bitter chocolate a licorice.  There is so much going on there that you can hardly notice the alcohol heat on the finish.  This is a big, big wine with lots of tannins and acid.  I would leave this one for a while longer and I can see a rich slow cooked casserole being consumed (as winter comfort food) with this wine. 

Fortifieds

NV Port (375 ml bottle)($A15)

Not tasted.

Future Releases

2008 McLaren Vale Shiraz ($A20)

This wine is from the same vineyard as the 2007 wine and will be bottled in the next few weeks.

The wine is very dark in colour and continues with dark black fruits and black cherries on the nose with a fruit cake palate with the black cherries continuing.  The 2 things I note when comparing the wine is that the oak and alcohol is not as dominate in this wine – making the wine better balanced.  I like this wine a whole lot better than the 2007 version and I will check it out when bottled. 

Other wines being made are:-

2008 & 2009 Chardonnay from Adelaide hills

2007 Adelaide Hills Shiraz – ready to be bottled

2009 Langhorn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

2009 Adelaide Hills (Lobethal) Pinot Noir

2008 Adelaide Hills Shiraz

2009 McLaren Vale Shiraz

Robert Mondavi California Shiraz 2006. Eager red fruits, hints of pepper and oak,

smooth as a mirror, lovely. £7.99, Sainsbury’s.

@whitemg

Well I guess now I am officially a blogger. How exciting! So I can’t wait to dive it, but for now I thought I’d share a few photos from my oh-so-typical Thursday menu. Since my favorite breakfast EVER is oatmeal and a tall cup of coffee this is a very “Carissa” photo. AND, as a true northwesterner I only brew Starbucks coffee. The good stuff. There is a slight chance that I might be addicted, but I can live with that.

1/2 cup dry oats (old fashion)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vanilla non-fat soy milk
spoonful of Splenda
sprinkly of chopped walnuts
YUM!

As for lunch.. today was a long day at the office. There is definitely good food to be had in downtown Seattle, but since I always have leftovers (and am a fan of saving money) I usually pack my groceries in. Today’s lunch was a bit eclectic.. ahi tuna steak, whole wheat couscous, green beans and butternut squash. Delish!

And since Thursdays are such crazy days… I spend all day at work and then head straight to class until 8:30pm.. so dinner was on the run. I stopped by Trader Joe’s and bought sugar snap peas and a tub of eggplant hummus. HA! Ending the day on a good note, I ran 3 miles at the gym after class. Although something about running in place makes me feel like a hampster in one of those little wheels… you’re going and going, but the scenery never changes!! Fortunately people watching never gets boring! Or watching The Office. Maybe people were people watching me.. a couple times I laughed outloud. I couldn’t help it. Listening to Steve Carell fake a Savannah accent was really comical.
So, at the end of a long day I find myself in bed, blogging, with a smooth glass of red wine..

Tomorrow is Friday. TGIF for sure!! I’m headed to North Bend for an office retreat. It should be fun. I really love all my co-workers, and we’re headed to a very picturesque lodge for the day. Beautiful. I’ll be sure to take pictures.. of food as well as the outdoors! There have been rumors that the Seattle area is expecting snow this weekend. Hopefully not while I’m an hour outside town tomorrow. I do NOT drive well in snow. I’m the first to admit that I have no business driving even if there is a light flurry. I do however have amazing snow skills when it comes to maneuvering a sled!

Ok, enough already. I need sleep. Goodnight world!

I was quite excited today when I walked into the Wine & Spirits store and there was a tasting! Which means time for my favorite: Stingy Samplings.

Today they were serving Fat Bastard wines so I decided to try the Shiraz. I’ve seen them a lot, especially in the big bottles. I tend to unjustly discount these bottles since those wines made en mass tend to taste a bit fake and overly processed on my palate.

I was pleasantly surprised! A extremely fruit forward wine while sticking to the terroir of France (even if they decided to name it a Shiraz like Australia instead of a Syrah like France). Bright red fruit and some earthiness on the nose comes through on the palate with spicy pepper and some shiny acid. A nice effort for a mass producing company.

Fat Bastard Shiraz, 2007

Price: $11.99

Alcohol: 13.5%

Rating: B

Gisterenavond trok ik ‘m dan eindelijk open. De Tempus Vine Vale Shiraz uit 2004 uit die hele mooie stijlvolle fles.

Af en toe moet je jezelf verwennen met een fles met klasse. Het wilde van een Shiraz druif, maar wel een mooie rijping op eikenhout. Ik schrok een beetje van het allereerste zuurtje… daar koop je die wijn toch niet voor? Maar die schitterende lange afdronk, die veelheid van smaken die je blijft ontdekken als je de wijn over je tong laat rollen, die droge aroma’s – werkelijk fantastisch. Jammer dat ik ‘m niet nog even heb laten liggen, een verdere rijping beloofde wat!

Het jongere broertje uit 2008 is nu ook te koop. Fles nog even mooi, intense aroma’s van ribes en zwarte bessen, gecombineerd met sterke aroma’s van vanille en mokkachocolade. Prachtig uitgebalanceerd. Nu al fantastisch voor een redelijke prijs.

Hi everybody and thanks for joining me for Lonely Grape TV Episode #9.  This tasting was conducted at the Freerange Gallery from McLaren Vale.  I taste the 2008 Reserve Bush Vine Grenache (which won a Gold Medal in the 2009 McLaren Vale wine show) plus the 2007 Inkwell Shiraz.  Check out their previous blog reviews at La Curio and Inkwell.  The contact details for the wineries are:-

www.lacuriowines.com

www.inkwellwines.com

Thanks to James Hook for digital copies of some of his photos and to the Freerange Gallery for their patience while I was filming.

It’s less than three weeks now until families all across South Jersey will be sitting down at dining room tables to give thanks for all their blessings and partake in a feast of holiday foods. In a lot of homes there will be turkeys and hams or both, with all of the trimmings. It’s a time when wine goes perfectly with dinner;when even those who seldom have a glass of wine will be drinking to celebrate the occasion. It’s not too soon to start thinking about what wines go best with the foods that will grace your table. I tend to think about wine on Thanksgiving as two different sessions.

First, I want a wine that is just fun to sip while watching the early football games. Something that drinks well by itself or with a few pre-dinner appetizers passed around the room. To fill this scenario I would go with a nice Australian shiraz or one of the now popular Argentinian malbecs. Both of these wines offer tons of flavor and don’t need foods. In fact, these wines would perhaps overpower the main course and are not suggested for the dinner table. Here are four possible choices that most people would totally enjoy while munching on cheese or veggies and a nice dip with one eye on the football game. Left to right they are the 2008 Pillar Box Reserve Shiraz ($19.99), the 2008 Mollydooker ”The Boxer” Shiraz ($24.99), the 2007 Patagonia Malbec Barrel Selection Fabre Montmayou  ($12.99) and the 2008 Kaiken ”Ultra” Malbec ($14.99). None of these wines will put a heavy strain on your budget and all of them are drinking nicely right now. Once it’s time for the dinner feast, it’s time to put down these heavier wines and switch toward something a little lighter that will compliment the vast array of culinary treats spread across the dining room table. Finding the right wines for turkey and ham is not always an easy task. Some feel that only white wines can work with these two meats. For white wine lovers I would suggest something similar to what we have here. On the left is the 2008 Monchoff ”Robert Eymael” Riesling ($13.99), slightly sweet without being overpowering with bright citrus fruits and a hint of minerality. If you don’t care for red wine this will serve nicely throughout the meal. Another white choice is the second wine shown, the 2007 St. Urbans-Hof, Ockfener Bockstein, Riesling Spatlese($17.99) just a tad sweeter than the Monchoff with many of the same apple and peach notes that give the wine its unique taste. Although, I will have some of the whites, I still prefer finding a red that isn’t too strong that will go perfectly with the meal. For myself, a nice Oregon Pinot Noir serves the bill extremely well and the two pictured here are both tasty and affordable. As I have mentioned in previous posts on this blog, good Pinot Noir often costs somewhere north of $30.00 and often far north. Both the 2007 Owen Roe ($18.00) and the 2007 A to Z are ($18.99) available for under $20.00 and both are great with fish or fowl.

Regardless of your wine choices, Thanksgiving is an awesome time to get together with family and share a few bottles of something and give thanks that we can all be together to enjoy each others company while remembering family members who are no longer with us.  May each of you find peace and love on this special day.

Target has a great new addition that I found out about when I went to buy a “small box” (1.5 litre) of the Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz blend last week. The Cab/Shiraz blend is one of my favorites (and a great deal!) and there is a new addition to the line of products. I call it “juice box wine”. The Target wines new come in 4-packs of 250 mL juice boxes that you can take anywhere or that act as a perfect glass for the evening. 9.99$ for 4 (which is exactly 1 litre, 33% more than a standard wine bottle).

From time to time Fry’s has a wine sale…10% off on purchases of 6 bottles or more.  Everytime I am there for groceries I always take a quick stroll through the wine department.  This past August I noticed they had The Gate Shiraz, the 2003 vintage on sale.  It was normally $39.99…and they had it on sale for $16.99 if you use your vip shoppers card.  AND if you buy 6 or more bottles you get 25% off! That works out to $12.74 a bottle.  So I bought a dozen and put them in the fridge.  As of yesterday there are 5 bottles left.

So what do I think of it  In short?  I LIKE it!  Why?  It’s unfiltered, its raw and powerful.  Big chewy tannins, lots of sediment.  This might frighten the novice wine drinker.  They may wonder what all that stuff is settling in the bottom of their glass.  It’s character.  So this wine has had a few years in the bottle, it drinks nicely right now, with at least an hour of decanting, preferable 2 though.  That is when the ripe blackberry fruit starts to emerge, that is when I begin licking my lips for more.

Is it worth the price?  It’s currently $24.99 at my local Fry’s.  For me, yes it is, and I wish I had bought a lot more when it was $12.74.

In my fridge awaiting testing:  Mitolo Reiver, D’Arenberg The Dead Arm, Shingleback D Block.