Barossa 14.5% Screwcap $10- Tasted 14/7/09
Hard to know what to make of this one. So let’s start with some tech specs and ease into it.
60% Cabernet, 36% Merlot and a splash of Malbec, it is matured in French and American Hogsheads. So, I’ll start with the oak.
It’s integrated pretty well. But the American stuff keeps slipping over into custard territory instead of staying well behaved and vanillin. I’m not a big fan of American Oak. If it imparts vanilla, and its sweetness is restrained, I’m fine with it. Once it starts to give the wine custard notes, it’s often time to see if anyone else would like the bottle. Coconut can be a problem for me too.
After an hour and a half in the decanter, the first glass gave off aromas (I dislike the word smelled, don’t know why) of sweetish plum and American oak, which had a hint of custard about it. There was some chocolate too, and I do like chocolate. Reminded me abstractly of neopolitan ice cream with plums substituting for the strawberry.
On the palate, there was some red fruit, a touch of spice and blackberry, all supported by the very utilitarian structure of an Amish barn. The wine had a bit of unpleasant hardness to it and some unattractive bitterness on the back palate. It was all pretty tough going initially.
“No fun my babe, no fun
No fun to be around
Walking by myself
No fun to be alone”
- The Stooges
Well, with time the American oak was joined more fully by the French, the wine got more savoury, the blackberries were joined by a bit of leather and some sausage (probaly German and Lutheran as it came from the Barossa). It wasn’t really enjoyable, but it did show that America and France can get along, so long as they stick to wood.
87
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