A pleasant surprise. A wine of some depth and complexity at around $15, one that evolves over three days of tasting and doesn’t play solely to commercial interests and tastes. I’m tired of the dumbing down of wine – how it’s made and how it’s talked about. It’s a bullshit approach, egged on by the misuse of social media and of severely limited value. Educate rather than just reductively simplifying.
52% Shiraz from Longview’s own Adelaide Hills vineyard and 48% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Vale, the two varieties come together in an intriguing manner. At first coal, lipstick and black olives dominate a deep and savoury nose and palate. Brooding is the right word I suspect, although it takes a little while for the acidity to lose its nervy edge. The palate is juicy and with time reveals dark forest berries and flashes of red fruit. French oak is tastefully applied and there’s some impressively non-apologetic Cabernet tannin that is just a little furry. Autumnal leaf sits comfortably alongside these characters. Pepper spice lingers on the back palate. No great length, but given what is there and considering the price that’s of little concern. Something of a bargain and a wine I’m more than happy to recommend. Good – Very Good
Region: Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $15.50
Tasted: July 2012
I’m going to bite – I’m with you. Pandering to the lowest common denominator IMO is a rapid ride to the bottom. Pandering to that never gives those interested a chance to see wine for the brilliantly complex product it can be. If so allowed.
I enjoy it for its complexity and hope that I try and convey a little of that in my own exploratory darts around the subject.
Thank you continuing to fuel a beacon amongst the gloom.
It is a real shame. Depressing to see figures of some repute and authourity denounce attempts to capture complexity and espouse a dull, dry, orthodoxy when it comes to approaching wine.
By all means be friendly, start with the basics and meet people where they’re at. But don’t under-estimate the capacity of those undertaking a vinous journey and certainly cut bagging those writers who approach wine in a valid and sophisticated manner. Wine is not simply ‘another drink’. If it was, we wouldn’t be as obssessed with it and we certainly wouldn’t spend the amount of money and time we do on it.
Cheers
J
I have similar thoughts to those above, as you already know. Its curious to me that there is this trend in wine ‘communication’ to strip everything back to ‘unintimidating’ ‘no BS’ language when we see time after time at Swirl Sniff Spit, and indeed other tastings I’ve been involved with over the years, that attendees at a novice level are often really excited and more engaged when there is technical information offered. For me it’s no surprise, these people are intelligent and well educated – so why talk to them about wine as thought they are idiots? Sure, some of it’s in the delivery, but I think there’s enough writers and educators out there now who offer accessible and properly interesting content to show it can be done well. Why regress?
What I’ve experienced at Swirl, Sniff, Spit has certainly backed up what you say. Very encouraging.