Nothing Like a Good Shiraz

There is nothing like a good Shiraz to tickle the taste buds for us dry red wine lover.  And this Shiraz is well under $20 in most places. 

Morse Code Pathaway Shiraz (I tasted the 2010) from South Australia is delightfully flavorful and balanced. Produced by Henry’s Drive Vineyards on the Limestone Coast, this Shiraz is aromatic and fruit-driven with minimal oak, reflecting the regional flavors.  If you enjoy bright black fruits – plum, black cherry, a hint of blueberry – with some spiciness and a touch of chocolate -- this wine’s a great choice. The tannins are smooth too – a personal preference.

In 2012, this wine gathered 2 bronze medals in some impressive competitions:  the International Wine challenge and the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

For those who like history, Henry’s Drive is named after the of the 19^th century mail coach service that ran through the property. See www.henrysdrive.com.

And for the viticulturalists, the dark-skinned Syrah grape is genetically identical to the Shiraz, but there are stylistic differences in the Australia production and terroir (specific vineyard characteristics) that produce a wine with unique, defining characteristics when compared with the Syrah’s from France. Both are very good, but just delightfully different from each other.

Cheers!

Petite Petit -- This one's for Me!

I have reached a point in my wine tasting journey where I would rather wait for a good wine than drink just anything. House wines rarely do it for me anymore making it hard to eat out affordably and have a good wine.  The mark us is understandable, but tough to pay knowing the actual retail cost of different wines. So, I find I would rather go home and get a good bottle out of my lovingly built private stock. Ah, the perils of food pairing!

I have found through my travels in the last year a particularly enjoyable, rich, full-bodied red blend by Michael David out of Lodi, CA, called Petite Petit. (The Wine Girls will agree with me on this.) Petite Petit is 85% Petite Syrah and 15% Petit Verdot, hence the name.  This dry red explodes with sumptuous dark fruit flavors but is smooth and has a wonderfully lingering finish.

MD's website (www.michaeldavidwinery.com) refers to this blend as a "whopper style of wine" and uses descriptors such as "substantial" and "loaded." Drinking a fine wine is not a side dish for a meal or nondescript prop for social events, it should be a beautiful centerpiece.

This wine stops conversation in mid-sentence as this lucious, round elixir caresses the tongue, coats the mouth, and tickles those olfactory nerves. Pause. Sigh. Repeat! No doubt, Petite Petit is a rich experience, and a deep, joyous distraction from the mundane.

You can generally find it for under $20.  I buy mine at one of my favorite wine bars - Grappa Growlers.

Oh, for a good Amarone!

On my way to a conference last week, I had a lay-over in Dallas.  It so happened that in my terminal was a wine bar! I had to stop in and do a little shelf reading -- and a tasting -- as I had over an hour before they boarded for my flight to Phoenix. Vino Volo's attend was Chad, a very polite and knowledgeable fellow.

Chad directed me to a Costasera Amarone Classico 2008 by Masi made from Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes -- three indigenous grape varieties grown in the Veneto region of Italy. The fruit flavors and rich complexity were outstanding. After a sip, I just had to sit and savor the long, luscious finish. I love plum, fig, black cherry -- it had all those and hints of vanilla and cocoa. This DOC Amarone Della Valpolicella -- made from grapes  that have been partially dried --  is a well structured, delightfully complex, Italian red wine, but be careful as it is 15% alcohol by volume. Cheers!