TtD McLaren Vale 2012 Old Vine Grenache

Grape:       Grenache
Price:         c. £10
From:         Sainsbury's
Country:    Australia
Region:     Mclaren vale
ABV:          14.5%

Those of you that follow my blogs will know that I have a particular penchant for a varietal wine.  A drink that has come from a single grape variety is, to me, a great way to learn what to expect from a grape and provides an excellent knowledge base upon which to compare other similar wines, be they from a different year, price bracket, producer or country.  This has really helped me to recognise what particular grape varieties I like, where I like them from and the sort of price I am happy to pay.

Learning about varietal wines also helps to identify signature smells and tastes so when you decide to purchase a blend, you can have an idea of the kind of things to expect.  A recent discovery of my own is a Shiraz/Viogner blend.  Amazing!  A tiny portion of the white grape, Viogner, is added to Shiraz, a red, and helps it to add complexity and interest to the nose and palate, rather than taking over.  The reason I mention this now is because Grenache has long since been used in blends, the most common being a Shiraz (or Syrah), Mourvedre (or Monastrell and Mataro) and Grenache (or Garnacha and Cannonau) combination, often abbreviated to GSM.  Each wine in this blend donates their best characteristics and any flaws are covered by the strengths of the other grapes.  Grenache brings soft berry flavours and warmth from the alcohol.

This weeks wine is a Taste The Difference, pure Grenache from Australia where those berry flavours are intensified by the warm climate.   The 'Old Vine' on the label also indicates the produce is from mature, developed vines which are synonymous with higher quality grapes.

On the nose is warm strawberries, raspberries, plums and a hint of Christmas Pudding floating about in the background.  As expected, there is no obvious wood note but instead, gentle spices of the black pepper and clove variety are detectable.  The nose belongs very much to the fruit bowl though.  The first taste echoes the feeling of warmth and quickly follows with smooth, bramble fruit flavours and cassis.  Gentle tannins become more pronounced at the back end of drinking.  Medium to low acidity and the lack of tannins make this a disarmingly easy wine to drink.  The strength of the alcoholic content is apparent through the entire experience and is what provides that warm feeling. 

If this grape had a CV, it would probably say, "Works well in a team but is also able to work well by itself".  A tiresome quality on a human resume but an endearing feature for a fantastic grape.

Sainsbury's have numerous stores throughout the UK and can also be found online at www.sainsburys.co.uk

 

The Big Crush Merlot 2010

Grape:     Merlot
Price:       c. £7 
From:       Legacy Wines
Country:  California
ABV:        14%

If you are a Twitter user, you may have seen the #7wordwinereview hashtag floating about.  This is an easy and accessible way for anyone to tweet about a wine they want to share.  

A few recent examples include @sterlingtalk with "Plums, leather and smoke. Drink with meat" or @1accidentalchef with "Black pepper, red berries, perfect classic syrah!" A few more humerous reviews include @104highst with "Drank it last night so it's gone" and @MajesticStrat with "Tighter than Scrooge before he woke up". 

A mixture between tasting notes and a scoring system, the #7wordwinereview is used by people in and out of the wine trade to describe a wine.  Funny, serious or just plain ridiculous, it doesn't matter, as long as it is done in 7 words.

This movement has gathered momentum and now also manifests itself in the form of wine tasting meals for which I currently co-ordinate the Manchester, UK chapter.  The format is slightly different to conventional tastings as the wine is brought by each participant who then shares it with everyone else at the meal.  The beauty of this is everyone gets to try numerous wines, all of which have undergone careful consideration, and are already firm favourites with the people who brought it.  This informal and fun evening takes place at the Market Restaurant in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where the food provides a high quality backdrop to the numerous liquid stars of the show. 

I was lucky enough to encounter this week's wine at the most recent meal.  The velvety smooth texture and big fruit flavours pushed this unknown contender firmly into the limelight, where it sat out as a favourite for several diners, including myself.  The label is striking and bold in its simplicity and joins the ranks of new thinking wine producers who are aiming their produce at a different generation of drinkers: people who like to drink wine but have no interest in deciphering the confusing and often misleading terminology perhaps.

The nose picks up a light perfumed scent of toasted vanilla which envelops a robust backbone of wood, indicating a bottle with some muscle.  Giving the glass a good slosh releases big red fruits which curiously settle back beneath the wood as the liquid calms again.  On the palate is an immediate sensation of smooth and warming strength with obvious strawberries, blackberries and plums, making this distinctly drinkable.  Despite having a full bodied texture, it is able to hide a high alcoholic content but sufficiently grippy tannins provide a balancing structure which sees the wine well into the aftertaste. The emphasis and lasting impression is firmly fixed on the fun and fruity ease at which this wine can be devoured.

Whether you go for the 'new generation' look of a label or not, it doesn't really matter, as long as there is enough to convince you the content is worth the purchase.  It is like buying Harry Potter books: you know the story inside is the same but you need to chose which cover you want to be seen in public with.

Legacy wines currently sell direct to the public through numerous consumer events.  For more information go to www.legacywines.co.uk.  All wines are available to buy online through www.wearewines.co.uk and at Cash & Carry outlets such as Parfetts or Landmark. 

The #7wordwinereview concept is created by @12x75 and now sees monthly meals taking place in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Oregon and Toronto.  Other cities will follow.