We highly recommend this lamb lover's Cabernet. The nose shows plum and mulberry. The palate shows blackcurrant, black cherries, and eucalyptus, wrapped in a thick warm sweater of dusty tannins. Pair with lamb chops. 91 points. WHO: d'Arenberg WHAT: Cabernet Sauvignon DESIGNATION: The Coppermine Road WHERE: Australia, MCLaren Vale WHEN: 2008
Huge. Brooding. Deep. This is bigger on the inside, a bottle-and-a-half of wine d'Arenberg somehow shoehorned into a single bottle. Aromas of blackberry, black pepper, seared meat, and tar boil up from the glass. The palate is just as complex. Deep black fruit flavors, blackberry and plums, blend with seared
This is a floral treat from John Duval, the former Chief Winemaker at Penfolds. A bowl of aromatic white flowers blow up from the glass, followed by poached pear. The palate is just as floral. Magnolias and citrus blossoms, with poached pears, make up the initial flavors on the palate.
To many, Australia is the producer of bold shiraz, fruity chardonnay and soft-drinking blends. Which is totally understandable when internationally, not much else features on the shelves. However, even some Australians are still oblivious to the fact that Australia is producing some exceedingly good wines from varietals that have only
My wife came home and saw me with a giant map spread out on my lap. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Writing a story about Australian Shiraz," I said. I'm leading with this because it's not the way people think about Aussie Shiraz. Common perception is that if you
The nose is rich, with coffee, dark chocolate, smoked meat, tobacco leaf, and blueberries. Upon opening it is lush and sweet, with big blueberry and chocolate flavors. With a couple of hours, though, it seems to move from Barossa to the northern Rhone, showing blackberries, smoked meat, coffee, and olives.
The AVA name "Red Mountain" sells a lot of wine in steakhouses. I learned this from master sommelier Thomas Price of Seattle's Metropolitan Grill, who says people just like the sound and will order wine from there without knowing a thing about it. "Red Mountain is probably the best AVA
Tonight marks the fourteenth annual Open That Bottle Night, the truly original wine holiday created by Dottie Gaiter and John Brecher. What will you be drinking tonight and why? Perhaps even more important, with whom will you be sharing it? Tell us about your own Open That Bottle Night, and