This unruly Aussie red smacked my chops around the room on nights 1 & 2, then said, “Come to Papa” on night 3, and finally surrendered on night 4 saying, “Let’s you and me be friends.” 

This wine is one of four red wines in the d’Arenberg wine portfolio that they playfully named “The Four Musketeers Red”.

The Musketeer red that I had the pleasure of wrastlin’ around with over a four night span was their 2006 “The Footbolt” Shiraz from McLaren Vale, Australia.  This humungous Fruit Bomb, compliments of The Land of Oz has received a lot of attention and accolades from industry big shots like Parker, Wine Spectator and the International Wine Cellar.  After tasting this wine for the first time, I can now see why they all made such a big deal about it.

Here’s the skinny on this wine straight from the winemaker’s mouth:

 “Aromas of dark red fruits, black olive and beef stock open into notes of blueberries and licorice with a savory dried herb edge. The palate shows great balance with blueberry and mulberry fruits, spices and a hint of white pepper on the finish. As always The Footbolt is a very approachable wine in its youth but has the capacity to age for many years”

I’m not so sure if I’d agree with the “a very approachable wine in its youth” part, but…

Here’s my take on the 2006 d’Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz:

• Night #1:  “Holy Cow!… How in the world can anyone just crack the lid off of this sucker and live to talk about it the next morning.”  This wine was breathing fire and told me to come back tomorrow.
• Night #2:  “Hmmm, Excuse Me Sir?? May I please drink you tonight?”  The 2006 Footbolt’s response:  “Man Up partner and we can talk about it.”
• Night #3:  “Are you ready now for us to be friends?”  The 2006 Footbolt’s response:  “Sure, lets get to know one another a little bit better tonight.”
• Night #4:  “You’re actually not the tough little S.O.B. that I thought you were on night #1.  I’m actually starting to like you a whole lot Mr. Footbolt!”  The 2006 Footbolt’s response – “I’m glad you like me kid.  Now you and I can be BFFs.”

If you’d like to learn more about this wine and the rich tradition of winemaking at d’ Arenberg, check out their website.

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Price: $40 marked down to $19.99 “Last Call”

Most so-called wine experts will tell you that nearly 95% of the wines made nowadays are meant to be consumed within one to three years of their labels’ “born-on-date”, or vintage.  Unfortunately for wine collectors, that doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for options (or error!) when making their selections.  Otherwise, a mouthful of dissatisfaction will be swallowed after they have waited patiently for greatness to occur.

I recently stumbled across the 2004 Longview Vineyard Black Crow Nebbiolo at one of my familiar stomping grounds.  This wine originally retailed for around $40-$45 back in its hey day.   However, the last remaining bottles that sat on the shelf collecting dust over the last few years were just marked “Last Call” and slashed down to $19.99 to make room for new product.  I decided to pick up a bottle to see if this baby still had some mojo left in its tank, or if I would find out that it was marked down because the sun had set on this Aussie red.

After sitting on this wine for about two months, I finally popped the cork.  What this wine unveiled completely caught me by surprise.  To start, this red wine is not your usual Aussie specimen (i.e., Shiraz/Syrah, whatever you like to call it).  This wine is made with 100% Nebbiolo grapes.  Nebbiolo grapes have been grown and used for centuries to produce fine wines in Northern Italy, and recently many Australian growers have started working with this noble grape because of its drought resistant capabilities.  To this point, Australia’s drought problems have been well publicized in the news over the past years; and as a result, Shiraz plantings have not faired well at all.  However, Nebbiolo has proven to be much more tolerant to the heat and lack of water and has adapted very well to its new surroundings.

The back label of this particular wine offers would be buyers this cellar note:

“No other red wine rewards cellaring than a great Nebbiolo, the high tannin and acid of this wine ensures it will develop more complex qualities with careful cellaring of 5-10 years”.

After tasting this wine over a 4 night span, I’d say that the peeps at Longview Vineyard certainly know their wine.  This wine is still so very young.  On the first night, I could barely drink this brawny beast.  By night two, it had calmed down a bit, but it was still ornery.  By the third night, maraschino cherries, dry herbs, and black pepper were beginning to show through.  And finally on night 4, it had surrendered and was approachable.

The 2004 Longview Vineyard Black Crow Nebbiolo was reminiscent of a 25 year old tawny port wine to me.  It bursts with big fruit, spices, and nut flavors, and really socks you with the cedar.  The alcohol content is listed at 14.7%.  I mention this, because it tasted extremely hot on my palate, just like an aged port wine.  Additionally, this wine received 18 months in 2-3 year old French barriques prior to being bottled.

If you’re looking for a bruiser of a red wine that you can “forget about” for say 5-7 years at least, this $20 gem is a good bet for all you cellar rats!      

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From: Australia
Price: $10.99

There’s no need to beat around the bush (ha! Australia Bush…get it?) with this wine review. The 2007 Henry’s Drive Pillar Box Red is an outstanding red wine.  It’s up there for me as one of the tastiest inexpensive reds that I’ve tried so far this year.  This red Aussie is a blend of 65% Shiraz, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot.

The 2007 Henry’s Drive Pillar Box Red showcases an ample amount of ripe and sweet raspberry and strawberry flavors, with a spot on touch of spices and chocolate on the back end.  The wonderful combination of these flavors seems to linger around, even long after it’s gone.  In a nutshell, if you’re looking for a Shiraz that can deliver in the $10 range, this baby brings it home!

WineLife365 Rating: 3 Stars out of 4.

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It’s been reported that over the past several years the drought has been so severe that Australia’s overall grape harvest in 2007 was over 1/3 less than it’s 2006 figures.  In 2008, conditions only worsened.  Wine producers, particularly in South Australia, have been hammered by the drought and are very concerned about their future.  Growers specifically in the Riverland, Clare Valley, and the Langhorne Creek regions that surround the South Australian capital of Adelaide have been hit extremely hard.

Particular areas located in the Murray Darling area of Southeastern Australia produce over 50% of all Australian wine grapes and are home to the vineyards that produce much of the country’s largest and most recognized brands such as Black Opal, D’Arenberg, Hardys, Penfolds, and Wolf Blass just to name a few.  According to officials from the Wine Grape Growers of Australia, as much as 10% of the 7500 Australian grape growers could go out of business by the end of this year if water relief is not met.  Glen Arnold, who is the chairman of the Riverland Wine Grape Growers Association, said that the drought problem is so severe in the Riverland region that “vineyard operators have been forced to buy water from other growers, themselves pushed out of business by a lack of rain”.

In an effort to try and save this region from a total catastrophe, a group of growers have joined together to build a community-owned pipeline that will take water to their vines.  This pipeline, which is expected to be completed in October will cost the group of growers approximately $120 million.  Many of the growers supporting this project have said that the community had no other choice if they wished to save their businesses.

So what does all this mean for U.S. and other consumers in the future?

Wine Australia, the government body that directs Australia’s overseas wine marketing, says that it plans to shift the marketing focus away from its hugely successful brands – and more towards smaller producers that showcase these regions’ true essence and flavor.  Additionally, more Australian growers are experimenting with Italian Sangiovese and Brunello grapes which are more heat tolerant than Shiraz.  The result of less production and focus on smaller producers, officials hope, will result in fewer “bargain” Australian wines on the shelves and a greater number of Aussie bottles with a price tag of $20 and higher.

Let’s pray that these measures work because Australia Wine…I honestly love you!!

Sources:
Australia Wine Growers Facing Ruin Unless the Rains Come (Telegraph.co.uk)
For Australian Winemakers, More Turns Out to be Less (The New York Times)
South Australian Wine Industry Association
Australia’s Drought May Cut Wine Vintage by Half (Reuters)
Sever Australian Drought Threatens Wine Industry (Green Diary)

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From: Australia

Price: $9.99

I picked this Australian white wine off the shelf because of its unique white grape blend.  I’m a big fan of wine labels that clearly tell you exactly what’s inside the bottle. The folks at St. Hallet clearly tell the consumer on the front label that their “Poacher’s Blend” is a mixture of 3 white wine grapes:  68% Semillon, 21% Sauvignon Blanc, and 11% Riesling.

The 2007 St. Hallet Poacher’s Blend is one of the oddest, but tastiest, white wines that I’ve tried this year.  In past reviews, I’ve used “odd” as a prelude to saying that the wine was just ok, or that I personally didn’t care for the wine.  On this occasion, however, odd and different can be very good.  This wine is very easy for me to describe.  It tastes like a French Champagne or dry Sparkling Wine without the fizz and tiny bubbles.  I really liked its unique taste.  It has the acidity, crispness, and finish that remind you of a Sparkling Wine.  But it also has the citrus fruit and a touch of oak to remind you that it’s still a white wine.  This wine was terrific with a mixed salad and grilled chicken.

If you’re looking to try a white wine that’s a bit off the beaten path, give this one a shot.  I think that you’ll like it a lot – I give it 3 Stars.  The 2007 St. Hallet Poacher’s Blend is a strange bird, but I really enjoyed it and would buy it again.

WineLife365 Rating: 3-Star

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