I am not a Pinotage drinker, usually, and for the most part, I shun the stuff as much as possible ... there are a few I have enjoyed, but mostly they are ... (to be delicate) not very enjoyable. That said I have learned a few things about the grape that have made it more palatable over the years. Pinotage is a nasty little cuss when young, but time in bottle gives it a certain amount of drinkability. A few months ago a Pinotage came into the market that was quite drinkable and I thought maybe the grape had finally turned a corner ... but it would seem that the producer had turned the corner, not the grape, as the next half dozen I wrapped my lips around had the same nastiness about it. Now enough about generalities and let's get to this particular one I had with homemade bison burgers.
The initial pour and sniff had me wondering if this was the same old same old, and that my theory about time had failed me ... thankfully, I can still cling to the 'time in bottle' philosophy. The smell emanating from the glass was a real stink - think of a day old fart lingering about in a closed room ... not very inviting. But the palate was altogether different, the 6 years had made quite a difference: black fruit and spice dominated the first sip. The second introduced a bit of a tarry quality and the third showed up with some chocolate notes. Sip four brought it all together: spicy black fruit, a slight hint of tar and a dark chocolate note bringing it all together. It was a real pleasure to drink this wine - I just had to avoid inhaling while my nose was in the glass.
2 comments:
"think of a day old fart lingering about in a closed room" reminds me of an Indian walnut based wine (rated a stellar 54!) LCBO once released that used the term "locker room sweat" in describing the nose.
Oh, how yum is that?
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