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January - South African Shiraz
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Stellenbosch is South Africa 's oldest growing region, the centre for study of viticulture and oenology in Africa , and the heart of the wine industry. Famous for its stunning natural beauty, it has soaring mountains, forests, vineyards, olive groves and veldts.
South Africa 's finest red wines thrive in the Cape 's moderate climate, and the Shiraz from this region is dense with jammy richness, intense fruit,
and complex spiciness, including pepper, plums, red fruit aromas, and abundant tannins that blend wonderfully with barbecue, grilled red meat, and stews, where the robust character shines.
This medium/full bodied wine almost begs for early drinking, with spice and rich fruit, but the bold tannins and rich jamminess (typical of Shiraz ) will require six months to a year to develop, and it will improve fully over the next two years. Sweetness Code: 0 |
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January - Australian Verdelho
Vurr-dale-o
Mularoo Creek is a stunning region of South Australia 's Murray River . Featuring long open plains and sloping hillsides it has only been planted in grapes since 1960, a clean slate allowed growers to plant only premium grape varieties, only in the best areas. Originally from Portugal where it makes the sweet Madeira and White Port , in Australia it is an increasingly important variety, challenging Sauvignon Blanc as the number-two wine (after Chardonnay)
Verdelho shows pink grapefruit, mineral, floral, green apple and pear notes, but never forgets it was made from ripe, sweet grapes. A wonderful antidote to heavy, oaky Chardonnay it matches with Thai green curry, Butter Chicken, scallops or king crab. Crisp, fresh and bright when young, it will develop floral/mineral aromas after six months, and deepen in flavour for one to two years.
Sweetness Code: 0 |
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February - Australian Grenache/Mourvèdre
Gren-ash Moo-vedd
Overland Corner, on Australia 's Murray River , is made up of long open plains and sloping hillsides. With beautiful vineyards and ultra-high quality grapes, it's hard to believe the vineyard development has come about only since 1960.
A classic blend from France, Grenache produces ripe purple fruit with dense, lush aromas of black cherry, jam, pepper and liquorice. Mourvèdre, deep blue and thick-skinned, has high sugar, acidity, colour and tannin, and dense structure, working especially well with Grenache's lush fruit, for a blend of length, power, and fruitiness and above all, balanced intensity of flavour. With strong flavours and aromas of black fruit and bold tannins, this wine will develop impressive finesse and complexity after a year in bottle, improving for three to five more, and will pair wonderfully with ribs, filet mignon, and lamb chops.
Sweetness Code: 0 |
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March - German Gewürztraminer
Guh-wurts-tra-meaner
With it's steep slopes and mineral rich soils, Germany 's Mosel Valley produces some of the world's finest cool-climate white wines. Low yields and hand cultivation ensure intense, richly aromatic grapes. Gewürztraminer originated from an ancient grape found in Termeno, a village in northern Italy . German vineyards yielded opulently aromatic grapes, tinged with rosy pink that the winemakers christened ‘gewurz', which translates to ‘perfumed'.
And Winexpert's Gewürztraminer is a medium bodied wine, redolent with heady perfume and the aromatic fragrance of lychee, tropical fruit & rose petals. Finishing off-dry, its flavours are ample, lusciously fruity and spicy rather than complex. The deeper floral characters develop further after six months in the bottle. Matching well with spicy food such as Thai or Szechuan cuisine, strong cheeses and fresh fruits, it is also great all by itself.
Sweetness Code: 1. |
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April - Spanish Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon
Temp-ran-knee-yo Kab-er-nay So-vee-NYOHN
Spain 's La Mancha is Europe 's largest denominated wine region. Named from the Moorish word ‘Manxa', which means ‘parched earth', the dry growing conditions ensure healthy vines and low yields, producing intensely flavoured, extremely ripe grapes.
Thick skinned, and blue-black, Tempranillo is high in colour and extract but low in acidity. Foundation of the great reds of Rioja, it produces dark lush wines with black cherry, raspberry, and currant aromas, with complementing notes of plum and tobacco. Cabernet Sauvignon adds blackcurrant and blackberry notes along with firm structure. This wine matches well with roast turkey, game birds, stews and aged cheese. This wine can be consumed under six months of age, but the black cherry/blackcurrant and plum notes take at least six months to show, and will be best after one to two years.
Sweetness Code: 0 |
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