Red Wine Picks of the Week
This week’s newsletter continues on from our last one as we run through some of the best red wine on offer at the moment.
This weeks approach from "The Wine Guy" takes a classic variety from Piedmont and produced in Australia by one of the best. Marq Wines gives us their take on an Amarone inspired red. Southern French red blend, Shiraz from the Clare, McLaren Vale takes on the Spanish, and we end with classic red from the ‘heal’ of Italy.
As always Grapes & Lager is about discovery and offering our readers something a little different. These picks are designed for you to sit down with family and friends, read the tasting notes and discover something new and hopefully ‘Be Surprised’.
We also encourage to share your experience with us and provide us with feedback on the wines we have selected.
But most of all just enjoy :)
Cheers,
The Wine Guy
The Wines……
Kaesler Barbera d’Anunda
Kaesler is a privately owned wine company that produces estate grown wines from vineyards as old as 1893. The Kaesler family were pioneers who settled in the Barossa Valley in the 1840’s. In 1891 they bought a parcel of land and in 1893 planted their first vines. Today Kaesler wines are made from these ancient, dry grown vineyards, by the third owners of this magnificent property.
I have a confession to make, I love the wines from Piedmont in Italy’s north and Barbera is such juicy medium bodied wine and is one of the best.
This wine, whilst not from northern Italy nails the style and drinks so well.
Aromatic’s of lifted floral notes and red berries, with taste of dark plum and red berries, combined with savory spicy notes with just a hint of tartness.
It’s an Italian grape; drink it with Italian inspired food.
$24.55 a Bottle - Reduced from $28.70Marq ‘Cut & Dry’ Shiraz
Marq wines is a boutique Margaret River wine producer dedicated to exploring the potential of alternative varieties and unusual winemaking techniques. Owned by respected winemaker and Curtin University lecturer Mark Warren, Marq Wines are designed to introduce the consumer to a new style of wine
drinking.With over two decades experience in both the Swan Valley and Margaret River Mark began his career at Lamont’s before moving south to work at Happs where he has been since 2003. As a contract wine maker he is now responsible for over 70 different wines throughout the region and has gained multiple awards for his work.The ‘Cut & Dry’ Shiraz is inspired by the
Amarone style wines of Veneto, Itlay. This is where the grapes are picked and dried on straw mats to create more concentration of flavour. The nose show
aromas of raspberries, jibes and dark fruit, with a very full bodied palate of intense sweet fruit and dark cherry combined with cedar oak and strong tannins.
Hey be prepared to have a sleep after this one!!, meat and / or cheese.
$29.90 a Bottle - Reduced from $35
Acanthes Cotes Du Rhone Rouge
The Cave des Vignerons de Tavel is in the purest Provençal style. It was built in 1937 when Tavel wines were labeled AOC. It is to date the only winery to be opened by a President of the Republic – Albert Lebrun in 1938. Cave de Tavel produces half of the Tavel AOC wines, as well as Lirac, Côtes-du-Rhône Villages and Côtes-du-Rhône. There are 140 producers, all involved in the day-to-day life of the winery and they have their say in the investment decisions for making wines which frequently win medals and are regularly mentioned in wine guides. Cotes du Rhone Rouge is a blend of Grenache, Syrah(shiraz), Carignan & Mourvedre, which is a classic blend for this medium bodied red wine.
The nose has powerful aromas of red fruit and spice, with a palate of rich red fruit and spices, but soft and mellow with a long finish.
$12.50 a Bottle - Reduced from $14.99
Clare Wine Company ‘Polish Hill’ Shiraz
Clare Wine Co was established in 2008 by the owners of Kaesler Wines, Barossa Valley.
Winemakers from Kaesler, Stephen Dew and Reid Bosward are responsible for producing the wines under the Clare Wine Co brand. The company focuses on the three most success varieties of the region: Riesling, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Riesling excels in Watervale, the Shiraz and Cabernet comes from Polish Hill and represent some of the finest fruit found in the region. The oldest vines are 43 years old.
The nose shows sweet dark berries of mulberry and plums, palate is a little lighter then the styles from Barossa and McLaren Vale, but still spice, cherry and hints of chocolate. Great elegant little wine to drink now.
Cascabel ‘Joven’ Tempranillo
Cascabel Winery is located on a gentle slope, overlooking the cooling Gulf Saint Vincent, at the southern end of McLaren Vale. It is planted, predominantly, with Spanish grape varieties. Winemakers/vignerons/owners, Duncan Ferguson and Susana Fernandez, are highly committed to “in house production” with traditional European winemaking techniques, using handpicked, dry grown, low yielding grapes. The results are wines that reflect variety and soil, as well as the personality of the owners.
In 1997 they purchased 5 hectares in McLaren Vale (in South Australia) and started setting up the winery and vineyards. Cascabel had a definite Spanish influence from the start, with varieties like Tempranillo, Monastrell, Graciano, Grenache and Cariñena making up the majority of the plantings. Spending time in France also encouraged them to plant Roussanne, Viognier, Shiraz and Cinsault. There are plans to plant some Albariño grapes too.
This wine is made with our younger (Joven) Tempranillo vines. The grapes are picked slightly earlier, with the intention of retaining fresher flavours and higher acid, while avoiding harsh tannins.
Cantine Due Palme Montecoco Salice Salentino Rosso
Cantine Due Palme is a large cooperative cellar based in Cellino San Marco / Salento, deep in the heart of Apulia, the southerly heel of the Italian peninsula.
Founded in 1989 from an idea of its President Mr. Angelo Maci, Cantine Due Palme has grown over the years up to 400 growers – carefully selected on the grounds of their owning old vines situated in premium sites – and it is recognized today as one of the finest large-scaled cellars operating in the region. With over 2400 Ha of total vineyard holdings disseminated across the region’s foremost appellations, Cantina Due Palme offers a comprehensive lineup of classic Apulian wines made from native varietals, as well as a consistent quality level vintage after vintage.
The Salice Salentino Rosso is a blend of Negroamaro (85%) and Malvasia Nero (15%) with a nose of wild prunes, blackberries and strawberries scents, the palate is shares similar flavours to the aromas but with a hint of toastiness, but elegant and find grain tannins.
Good wine with savory dishes, salumi (mixed meets) and hard cheeses
Decant this wine and watch it change!!
$24.15 a Bottle - Reduced from $28.99
Enjoy :)