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24

Jan

Petit Verdot Down Under

Jacob Gaffney  in Red Wines, Petit Verdot , , ,

When this site started around two years ago, Petit Verdot (the little guy in the Bordeaux grape blend) was making some inroads as a single varietal wine. In areas of Spain, it was going great; in other areas, such as Australia, it was kinda ho-hum.
Now, that the crazy Aussies are more distracted by blending Viognier […]

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23

Dec

The 5th Wine of Christmas: 2004 Quinta Generación

Jacob Gaffney  in Red Wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz/Syrah, Petit Verdot, Carmenère , ,

The 2004 Quinta Generación is a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Shiraz, and a touch of Petite Verdot.

With so many grapes, how could it taste bad?

Well it does — at first.

So decant or leave open a least an hour, or, better yet, one day. Then you’ll be getting somewhere. A deep ruby colour, it gives that tell-tale ‘Cabernet from Chile’ smell that is kinda dusty and untidy. But, the blackberry throughout is great; and the body is peppered with…pepper.

Also, the roasted beef on the finish is kinda wacky. The finish is both long and harmonious: 8.8 points, 8.9 in a discounted mixed case.

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14

Oct

Haloumi on Aduki Bean & Spinach Bed

Sean Sellers  in Red Wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, News, Blow the Bank, Vegetarian , , , ,

InterWined Food
Every Friday, InterWined.com pairs one great wine that exceeds its normal £10 ($20) threshold with one great meal, prepared following the instructions of some the Internet’s best food blogs.

This week’s ‘Blow the Bank’ comes in the form of Sunday lunch and its own recipe for Haloumi on Aduki Bean & Spinach Bed.

Haloumi on Aduki Bean & Spinach BedHaloumi

In recent weeks, it seems that every supermarket has unveiled its own version this week’s ‘Blow the Bank’, call it serendipity or coincidence. Just don’t call it a controversy. Leave that to the wine.

The 2006 Red Heart Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot from South Australia, £5 from Sainsbury’s, is shrouded in controversy. Bottled in Northamptonshire for Buckingham Vintners, yet allegedly produced in South Australia’s Riverland. But, as Kim Wheatley and Paul Kent of Adelaide Now reported in December 2006, “Sainsbury’s says the wine comes from Kingston on Murray in the Riverland, but declined to elaborate on the vineyard that produces it. The Sunday Mail has contacted the main growers in the region, including Kingston Estate, Banrock Station and Salena Estate. All said they knew nothing of Red Heart.”

All very mysterious…

But wait; there’s more. Red Heart advertises itself as the Britain’s healthiest wine, containing 32% more antioxidants than average. Indeed the back of the bottle reads more like a press release for the health page of woman’s magazine than it does the traditional tasting notes and “excellent with cheese” malarkey more commonly found on the back of wine bottles these days.

According to Wheatley and Kent’s report, the wine’s health allegations put it in breach of wine export regulations. The two quote Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation corporate affairs manager Eric Wisgard as saying, “It’s almost promoting wine as a health drink and that’s something that’s not permitted. Because of these reciprocal agreements between all the wine trading nations, it effectively would be an international breach.”

Regardless of the controversy, InterWined’s ‘Blow the Bank’ is first and foremost interested in pairing foods and wine and the Red Heart makes an interesting and satisfying match to the haloumi salad.

A red wine most often paired with grilled meats and grassy steaks, the Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot blend here nicely compliments the grilled and chewy texture of the haloumi cheese, helping to give it a meatier quality and smooth its often salty flavour. The Red Heart’s juicy, blackcurrant taste and pepper/chocolate nose also support the subtle flavours of the peppered aduki bean and spinach bed. And, while the controversy surrounding the wine might not matter much to the average drinker, it matters to InterWined: 7.9. A good match, soured by controversy.

InterWined’s Own Recipe In Full

Haloumi on Aduki Bean and Spinach Bed

Click on the post to view and download the recipe

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6

Nov

In The Thick of It

Jacob Gaffney  in Red Wines, Merlot, Petit Verdot , , ,

According to the back label, apparently the 2005 Tacama Gran Tinto, made from a blend of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Tannat…A weak and flabby nose, with the odour of mouldy blackberries and crushed tobacco. It isn’t unpleasant, but then, it’s not very good either: tight and rubbery in the mouth with a burning finish. Certainly different and more exciting than drinking a Chilean Merlot or Argentinean Malbec, but for £8, a better version of either would be available: 7.8.

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28

Aug

A Matter of Taste (Part 3)

Jacob Gaffney  in Red Wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, White Wines, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The 2004 Grove Mill Sauvignon Blanc is a stunner, £7. Good with anything, even spicy sausage: tropical fruits on the nose; dry finish, light on the tongue. Two days later, the wine had mellowed to being almost buttery. It was smoother than Brazilian legs during Carnival. 8.5.

2001 was not so good for California and Bonterra’s Cabernet from that year shows it. Watery and thin, little identity, no wonder many bottles of it are available to buy now – though it’s not a complete wash-up. It was drinkable as a table wine. Serve with dinner. 7.7

Same for 2004 Valdevieso Merlot. It holds it own, but can’t hold your attention. 7.7.

The ‘Taste the Difference’ 2003 Connawarra Cabernet from the grocer Sainsbury’s was on sale for half-off, £4.

The fumes alone are flammable. Hard to taste anything else when a wine is pimped out with so much silly sauce. A day later, ripe fruits, mainly blackberry, tinge of oak, still strong. Price was right though. Eight pounds would be a joke. 7.0.

Finally the 2003 Heartland Petit Verdot from the Limestone Coast of Australia…The Heartland gave off wild aromas violets, black cherry but still very rustic, like an old leather belt that will never give up holding onto pants. Also a bit of rust and a hint of mint.
8.9 points, mainly for controlling a late harvest grape most people won’t bother with.

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