This wine was served at a friend’s house. In the glass there was a ridiculous burnt wood/smoke/charred ember aroma that was so strong it smelled more like whiskey than wine.
This is a South African creation and the makers of the wine make a contribution to the conservation of the Southern Right Whale. From this bottle, I would say they need to invest some of their profits into wine making tutorials.
In the mouth it has a sour edge to it and is out of balance in every way. This bottle was $14 but the Wine Spectator had it listed at a reference price of $20 and gave it an 87 rating. Something is amiss.
This is not only NOT an 87 point wine but it isn’t a 77 point wine. The wine isn’t corked wither. I can’t explain the disparity in reviews. After a couple hours, the burned wood/smoked meat toned way down but still the berry flavors that were present were harsh and without character. I am curious to try another bottle to see if this was some kind of fluke but frankly, I’m not willing to spend my hard earned bucks on another experiment. Do not raise a glass of this.
If anyone has had this wine and found it different than my review I’d love to hear from you! Post a comment below.
We serve this wine in our brasserie and I can honestly say it is nothing like the review you described. I can only think that you must have had a duff bottle. My review of the same wine is here http://grazzac.blogspot.com/2006/10/it-doesnt-smell-of-poo.html
ReplyDeleteI would urge you to reconsider and give it another shot, but maybe try and get it from a different supplier. Could be a storage issue.
grazza
(PB) says: I really appreciate hearing that; I hate to diss a decent wine. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYour taste impressions of that wine and its aroma remind me of several "duff" bottles - shit that tasted & smelled of shoe polish - there was a common element to their offness but I don't know exactly what it is - I will say bacterial - mercaptans? I have seen this trait in multiple varietals...the effect is the same IMHO. In fairness you must retry.
ReplyDeleteI too had a very different experience to yours. Southern Right introduced me to Pinotage, having previously been a big fan of Pinot Noir, and I was very pleased. The fruitiness of Pinot Noir was present in an interesting cloak of smokiness/spice, which I enjoyed. I've since tried several other Pinotages and have yet to find the pleasant mildness that Southern Right had, the others having far too much of a coal-tar soap like oiliness. I can only hope you gave it another chance.
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