Cookoothama: Week #29

This is final entry in the "Wine purchased in PEI" segment of Saturday Shiraz.

I really hesitated in choosing an Australian wine in PEI, as there are SO many still to choose from at my local liqour store, but I saw a few new ones and I just cannot seem to refrain from the temptation of an Australian Shiraz.

Cookoothama - Australia, 2008
14.5% alc./vol (that's more like it!)
$17.00 (approx.)

A word from the wine:
"Cookoothama (cook-a-tharma) is the name of the Nugan family's vineyard on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River.  It is the original name of this property before the vineyards were planted and is the aboriginal word meaning "fertile land."  Appealing aromas of plum layered with dark chocolate and spice."
Wine teaches me a lot of aboriginal words.

Hmmm... I really wanted to LOVE this one.  Maybe it was the high expectations, or maybe it was the head-cold induced stuffy nose, but I found it to be a bit sharp.  The flavor was good, but it just wasn't as smooth as I hoped it would be.  It was still a good, solid, Shiraz, though - and you know what?  I'm certainly feeling good after two glasses!

Helpful Husband had some intelligent comment, but I quickly forgot what it was.  Sorry, helpful husband... your dumb comments are just so much easier to remember!

Laboure-Roi: Week #28

This week is the second of three selections chosen at a "foreign" liquor store (PEI).  I picked this one as it was cost-effective and from France.  I've only reviewed one other French wine (Fat Bastard) and it did not go well.  I'm not against trying another, but have been unable to find a suitable bottle at my local store. 

Labroure-Roi - France, 2007
12% alc./vol (WTH?)
$12.00 (approx.)

A word from the wine:
"Particular varietal from the Rhone Valley.  Intense purple colour, this wine shows spicy and fruity aromas.  Fruity and easy to drink.  Ideal with all meals, especially chicken meat and cheeses."
Anyone else think this is redundant and uninformative?

For a 2007 bottle, I thought this wine did not live up to snuff.  First of all, the cork broke as I was removing it, which forced me to push it into the bottle in order to access the wine inside.  This action, of course, lead to there being little pieces of cork floating around in each glass I poured.  It was drinkable, but I found it to be a touch acidic instead of spicy.  It was also bland. 

Helpful Husband Tip: "I think its fine"

Quinta S. Joao Batista: Week #27

This week I was in PEI for the weekend - and, of course, I ended up at a liquor store.  I actually didn't have a single drop of alcohol on my weekend trip, but I knew there was a good chance that the PEI liquor store would carry some brands of Shiraz not available to me at NB Liquor.  I'll tell you what: I realized the full extent of my obsession when I can walk around a liquor store and identify all the labels/brands that are available at home - even those that I have yet to sample. 

Here are some interesting facts about the liquor store I visited in PEI:
1.  There was wine on tap.  You select a popular (cheap) wine and pour your own into the container provided and pay by volume.
2.  There was wine in tetra-packs.  Yes, the packaging you have come to love in juice is now available for wine.  Classy.

I restrained myself to choosing only three bottles - there were a few more I would have liked to pick up, but even I have limits.

The first in this series will be shared with my husband on Valentine's Day (I realize that is a Monday, but I'm playing catch-up).  This bottle intrigued me with its dark and mysterious label and its origin.  I have yet to sample a Shiraz from Portugal, and I don't think my local liquor store even has a shelf devoted to the country.  The label has a subtle texture and the bottle has a nice deep dimple - so my expectations are high on this one.

Quinta S. Joao Batista  (Portugal, 2007)
$16.71 (+ tax & deposit - usually included in my price tag, but PEI is apparently different)
14% alc/vol.

A word from the wine:
"Sao Joao Batista is the name of Saint John the Baptist who led a movement of baptism, having baptized Jesus Christ."
I'm not usually religious, but I can make an exception for wine.

This wine was yummy - I quite enjoyed it and thought my helpful husband was attempting to pull one over on me when I asked for another glass and he said it was all gone.  I guess it is easy-drinking!  I found this one was richer and had a fuller body than others I have tried lately, and it still retained a good hint of spice. 

Helpful Husband Tip: "I have nothing left to say"

Balance: Week #26

It's week 26 - that means I'm half way through this alcoholic journey.  You know what they say, a journey of a thousand wines starts with one sip.  Or something like that.

Selection this week was serendipitous.  I had both boys with me in the liquor store, so the pressure was on.  When I saw the special "Available only at NB Liquor" sale display, I pounced and hoped there would be a Shiraz.  There was.  It was $9.99, had a fun purple elephant on it (balancing on a step stool no less!), and it is called Balance - what a better name for the wine marking the half-way point of Saturday Shiraz?  Plus, the label notes made me do a double take.  It is a blend (Pinotage Shiraz), but you can't have everything. 

Balance Pinotage Shiraz,  South Africa 2010
$9.99
13.5% alc/vol.

A word from the wine:
"Rewards with whiffs of French oak, luscious ripe banana and subtle berry flavours.  Pour a glass and we're sure you'll agree, Life is great!"
Wait, let's read that again.... BANANA??!??!? WTF??!?!?!  I'm not a big fan of fruity wines, but I couldn't resist this unusual tasting note.  However, the bananas & berries combined with the 2010 "vintage" year, plus the $9.99 price tag, in addition to the completely FLAT bottom of the bottle really lower my expectations for this wine.  I assume it will be gross, but interesting to taste - and since I have some unsuspecting guest testers at least the bottle should be empty.

I can't in good conscience recommend this wine - or really even attempt to describe its taste.  We could smell hint of banana, but not taste it.  The first few sips were tolerable, but cold, and once the coldness wore off, the taste became unforgivable.  It got worse with every sip.  I dumped the rest of my glass (sacrilege!), along with my fellow guest-testers, and then the hostess was forced to dump the remainder of the bottle after we left.  Luckily, another guest was thoughtful enough to bring Wolf Blass (Merlot) so the evening wasn't a total wash wine-wise (and it was great otherwise - lots of food and laughs).

Helpful Husband Tip: "I don't think it’s that bad - I'll finish your glass"
The man has a sickness.

Hardy's Oomoo: Week #25

Earlier this week, I remembered that my brother & sister-in-law had given me a gift card to the liquor store for Christmas.  So, I decided that I would use it to its full potential and pick a more expensive bottle that normally I would be too frugal to purchase.  I have to say, that this week was the most enjoyable selection process to date - how fun to browse the aisles and purposely seek higher price tags!  I decided to stay in Australia, since the Autralian Shiraz can rarely be beat (the exception being Wally's Hut from week #12 ).  There were three bottles that fit the bill - but two were over my gift card value (one by $5 and the other by $10) and it's hard for me to be frivolous, so I sensibly chose the one that left me with a small balance on my card for next week.  Well, that and Oomoo is fun to say! 

Hardy's Oomoo (Australia, 2007)
$21.99
14% alc./vol.

A word from the wine:
"Back in the 1870's Thomas Hardy adopted the Aboriginal word Oomoo, meaning 'good' or 'attractive' for his post popular wines."
I think I will adopt the Aboriginal word Oomoo as well.

Well, this wine is oomoo - but I still have to say that I was underwhelmed.  Sure, it was a solid Shiraz - it tasted great and had a bit of pep - but there are other (cheaper) brands that I have preferred.  I was actually quite surprised that it wasn't full-bodied, rich or velvety as I expect a more expensive bottle to be.  Had I spent $12 on the bottle of wine, it may have ended up on the regular rotation, but I didn't and so it won't.  If you find yourself wanting to spend more than $15 on a bottle of Shiraz, save yourself the heartache of lonely disappointment and buy Wolf Blass.

I shared this bottle with a friend - and since the wine was still good and the company was great, I don't think my minor dissatisfaction affected the overall enjoyment of the evening.  Plus, there were tasty snacks!

Guest Tester: "When you pay more, you expect more"
Guest Tester's Helpful Husband: "Not bad"

I'm glad to see that all helpful husbands are equally descriptive.

Stone Cellars: Week #24

This week we have another wine from California.  There was no selection process as this was yet another gift from my Dad - and this one wasn't even accompanied by a socially awkward note!  He simply handed it over after a sledding excursion.

Stone Cellars by Beringer (California, 2008)
14.99
13.5% alc./vol.

A word from the wine:
"Our Shiraz pops with vibrant fresh blackberry flavors with a hints of black plum and spice leading to a luscious, smooth finish"
Mmmmm... luscious.  And, I like the prospect of the wine popping.

You know, now that I am on week #24, I am thinking I should have taken better records of the tasting notes.  It might be good to know while I'm standing amid shelves of Shiraz whether I prefer a blackberry or black plum flavor.

Yummy - this is a great balance between smooth and spice.  It was nice and dry and easy to drink.  And, despite the 13.5alc./vol. I was definitely feeling my glass with supper - whoa.  I had actually planned on having a glass or two once the kids were in bed, but Helpful Husband was out playing poker and I didn't feel comfortable being in charge of sick children with this wine around.  Don't worry, I'll finish it up tomorrow!

Barefoot: Week #23

Last week I hit Spain for the first time in this Shiraz journey, so today I decided to visit another newbie: The United States (and, to be specific, California).  Of course I was also swayed by the low price and availability at the grocery liquor store, but those are minor details.  In fact, I have a canvas bag that advertises this particular brand - it has special pockets on the side to place wine bottles!  Actually, I'm pretty sure I stole it from my mother.  Hi Mom!  Thanks for the bag!

Barefoot (California - US, no date)
$10.99
13%alc./vol.

I guess you can tell that the bottle is half empty - perhaps that is the reason for the poor photography.
A word from the wine:
"Barefoot Shiraz is full of jammy, blackberry flavors and is velvety smooth. It's perfect with BBQ food, steaks, chicken, pasta with tomato sauces and pizza."
Usually, I just write an excerpt from the label notes, but this is the whole shebang.  Not a very exciting label in either words or graphics- I like the foot, but the orange doesn't do it for me.  The front of the bottle does proudly display a gold medal "2007 Grand Harvest Award" - but I'm not sure bragging about an award you won 3+ years ago is the way to go.

This wine was very casual, and with only 13%alc./vol. the tipsy factor was a tad lacking.  There was definitely no richness or length of finish, and I wouldn't describe it as "velvety smooth," BUT it was certainly peppery, which redeems it for me.  It almost felt prickly on the tongue, and I enjoyed that spicy sensation.  Good enough to share the spotlight with some yummy accompaniment (I had bacon wrapped scallops!), but not good enough to have a starring role.  Who am I kidding?  I never drink without eating.

Helpful Husband Comment: "Mmmm... bacon wrapped scallops"