Well now that we've got that out of the way, let's get to the wine! So I must admit I've been somewhat slacking over the holidays, but it's 2012, and time to start taking this wine blog seriously! So tonight, as I wait for my roast chicken to finish cooking, I decided to try a new wine from Australia, the 2004 St. Mary's Bells & Whistles.
Now Australia has done a fine bit of wine making over the last few decades, but I think what still impresses me is the wonderfully friendly, irreverent and self deprecating attitudes of so many wine makers from the land down under, and this wine is a case in point. St. Mary's vineyard is located in the "Limestone Coast" region of the extreme southeastern section of South Australia, lying almost midway between Adelaide and Melbourne, and it produces a very prototypical Coonawarra style wine, but at a much more affordable price. St. Mary's produces mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, but they pulled out all the stops for the Bells & Whistles. As they say on the label, "When you're making wine these days, everybody is looking for something special and exciting. It just ain't good enough to make great wine and sell it at a fair price...So we decided to load up one wine with all the goodies available in our winery."
Hence they threw in all the "Bells & Whistles" and came up with a wonderful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Shiraz (20%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and Merlot (10%). The wine exhibits a nose of leather and tobacco with a hint of tart fruit and spice at the end. At first taste, this wine is full of juicy fruit, but mid palate surrenders to a wave of herbs and a touch of oak. The finish is quite nice, with mild tannins supporting a smooth finish of tart cherry notes. Although this wine is now 8 years old, I am of the opinion that most Australian wines are better enjoyed young, so this wine is drinking quite well at the moment, but may move past its prime in relatively short order. I am having this with roast chicken and all the fixins, but it would pair nicely with pasta, or some lovely Mexican or South American fare with a bit of a kick to it.
I bought this one from wineshopper.com, and it was a wonderful bargain at only $8. As for the wine itself, I would rate it a 7, with a half point knocked off for the screw cap (you know how I love good cork!) so head on out and grab a nice Australian for dinner tonight!
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