WBW #30: In the Style of Shiraz
Wine Blogging Wednesday is already upon us. Luckily, the category of New World Syrah was an easy one to fill. Though I already had several Syrahs from California (and just recently bought two more on my Napa day trip), I decided to fight the onset of cellar palate and go outside the States. And as France was out….
The first was the 2004 Eventide Cellar Shiraz ($15 from K & L) from Wellington, South Africa.(100% Shiraz, 12 months in American oak) It was pleasant enough, with aromas and flavors of pepper, raspberry, clove, and eucalyptus. Perhaps part of the problem was my lackluster meal, but I wasn’t extremely excited about this one. Less than 24 hours later, I retasted to find the wine smoother, with more spice and the suggestion of cocoa.
The other wine I reviewed was The Black Chook ($17 from Beltramo’s), a NV sparkling Shiraz from Southeastern Australia. From what I could find, it’s made by Woop Woop Wines, and much of the fruit comes from the McLaren Vale. No info on percentages, except that it was made from mainly 3-yr-old Shiraz, with a bit of newer grapes to add generous helpings of fruit. When trying to make sure this was mostly Shiraz, I discovered ‘chook’ means ‘chicken,’ which seems rather appropriate considering my obsession with the Biale Black Chicken Zin.
*I should probably begin this by saying I adore sparkling reds and tend to be less critical of them due to my enthusiasm and the rare occasion of drinking them. They are always such a surprise: the combination of heavy and light… bubbles and rich, red colors. This particular bubbly smelled of raspberry jam and chocolate and leaned toward being a good breakfast wine with its flavors of raspberry muffins and coffee.
Then again, the meal might have added to my enjoyment. I once planned a dinner around sparkling wine, in which the main course met with a red. I made hamburgers and proscuitto-wrapped melon drizzled with balsamic reduction. That inspired my choices of blue-cheese-dressed hamburgers seasoned with balsamic vinegar and roasted garlic, along with my favorite side of sweet potatoes, and blanched green beans finished with sugar, soy sauce, and minced garlic. Damn, but the wine went well with everything. The balsamic flavor and heavy cheese stood up to the richness in the wine, and the potatoes and green beans highlighted the hint of sweetness in my glass.
Thanks, Tim, for the great theme.
Wine Blogging Wednesday, Syrah, Shiraz food pairing, sparkling red
February 7th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Thanks for your selections and the first sparkling Shiraz!
Cheers,
–
Tim Elliott
Winecast
February 7th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Thanks for the sparkling Shiraz coverage! That is definitely a wine that I will not shy away from now or in the future. Also, you kicked ass on those flavors…bleu cheese, balsamic, sweet potato AND garlic. You’re my hero.
February 7th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
farley introduced me to sparkling shiraz and i fell in love with it… glad you picked the sparkling to share for wbw#30!!
February 8th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Jenny, Wow. I’m honored! And Doug, this one’s a winner.
February 12th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
[…] Farley from Wine Outlook was next with a review of two Shiraz. The first was from South Africa, the 2004 Eventide Cellar Shiraz which she rated “pleasant”. The second was a sparkling Shiraz from Australia, a NV The Black Chook. The latter was described as tasting like, “…raspberry muffins and coffee.” Yum, brunch in a glass […]
May 18th, 2007 at 8:19 am
[…] Not Your Typical Sparkling Red May 18th, 2007 by Farley Readers and drinkers, everything seems to be just a little off these days. I was outside of the price range for Wine Blogging Wednesday, I was 2 days late with my wine column, and at a private tasting the other night, my normal banter with the crowd was constantly interrupted to be translated into Japanese. It seems appropriate, then, that the picture to the right is a little blurry and that the wine itself was not quite what I expected. BK wanted to share the NV Rymill “The Bee’s Knees” sparkling red from Coonawarra. He’d never had red bubbles before, though I may have mentioned once or twice that I adore them. This particular wine is a blend of 4 grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, and Shiraz (in order of highest percentage to least). I have to say my first reaction was that it ‘tastes like a Cab,’ which stemmed from the fact it had more tannin and didn’t taste as rich as the red sparklers I’ve had in the past. I got coffee, as opposed to the chocolate I often find, and bing cherry, instead of the more typical raspberry. Once I got past the expectations, I could enjoy the glass(es) based on what the wine was, rather than what it wasn’t. And it was a delightfully dry sparkling red that matched the salty goodness of sauteed mushrooms over bread. […]
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:55 am
[…] too riled up to really think tonight so I’ve opened a bottle of Shiraz and pulled out some choice CDs to act as my unofficial musical score. Definitely, Nine Inch Nails […]