2014 Glenelly Glass Collection Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It was another busy day, but tonight I have a chance to enjoy a new wine and a mainly Costco dinner.  The wine is also from Costco, purchased last weekend, the 2014 Glenelly Glass Collection Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stellenbosch region of South Africa.  I have to admit I haven't tried many South African wines, though I've heard some good things, so let's give this one a try!

The wine is deep inky indigo at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, classic for the varietal.  The nose is an interesting combination of green grass, mint, blackberry and currant.  The taste is a pleasant surprise, with a rush of cherry cola and dark chocolate up front which transitions to some tobacco and spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured, providing for a long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's very mass produced (11,000 cases), but it doesn't taste mass produced (that's saying a lot).  It's also a solid value as I think this one was $10 at Costco.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty beef and lamb dishes, ideal for fall.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a mostly Costco meal of prime sirloin cap steak with green Thai curry seasoning, mashed potatoes and gravy and haricots verts almondine. Cheers!

2009 Glen Carlou Grand Classique

So tonight I am opening a bottle of wine that I bought last weekend from my favorite local wine purveyor, G.B. Russo's, and since they had a tasting of this wine on Saturday I had a sneak preview before I even decided to open this bottle, the 2009 Glen Carlou Grand Classique.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (43%), Petit Verdot (20%), Merlot (16%), Malbec (16%) and Cabernet Franc (5%), produced in South Africa and imported by the Hess Family Collection.  Now some of you might be looking at the blend and wondering if I liked it given the amount of Malbec in the blend, and surprisingly I really liked this one!

The wine is a lovely deep, inky purple color in the glass and the nose provides a combination of leather, blackberry, tart cherry, toasted oak and just a hint of baking spice.  The taste is quite nice, with some tart cherry and plum up front that transitions to some lovely notes of tobacco and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat young, but they are nicely structured, leading to a long, supple finish that's really very pleasant.

Overall I would rate this one a solid 8.5, not because it's a spectacular wine, thought it's quite nice, but because it was such a wonderful bargain at only $11!  I've tasted many $20 bottles that were not as pleasing as this one, so that says a lot about the steadily improving quality of the wines from South Africa.  Tonight I am pairing this with a rare Angus T-bone served with some sweet potato fries and steamed Italian flat beans, as this wine really stands up to the boldest of grilled meats. Cheers!

2007 Painted Wolf Red Cape Blend

So let's start August off with some spice to heat things up!  Tonight's wine is a wine club selection for August, so what better wine to start off the month, the 2007 Painted Wolf Red Cape Blend from South Africa.  This is my first ever experience with South African wine, and I must admit, Painted Wolves are really ugly creatures:

Fortunately the wine is nowhere near ugly like it's namesake!  The 2007 red blend is an interesting blend of Shiraz and Pinotage along with some Merlot and Mourvedre to make this a compelling red blend to battle the summer doldrums.  For those unfamiliar, the Pinotage is South Africa’s signature grape variety that is a cross between two of the most famous grapes of the Burgundy region in France, Pinot Noir and Cinsaut, that typically has a very smoky, earthy flavor.  Combining a grape that is a cross of two historic burgundy grapes with Mourvedre, a grape that produces very high tannin, high alcohol wines in the Rhone Valley of France and Merlot, a primary grape used in many Bordeaux could make this a very interesting wine. 

The wine exhibits a strong nose of cedar, leather, earth and spice.  The wine is velvety on the tongue, with an interesting taste that at first seems quite dry and then bursts with blackberry and smoky pepper flavors, with solid tannins that lead to a long, smooth finish.  This wine would pair well with a variety of meat dishes, or for me tonight, a complete vegetarian selection!  In my patio herb garden I've been blessed with an abundance of fresh basil, so tonight I am making some fresh pesto to toss with some al dente farfalle and topped with some freshly grated pecorino romano and served aside some wonderful grilled peppers, red onions, green beans and zucchini.  My mouth is watering so I must cut this short!  Oh right, almost forgot, this was a wineshopper.com selection that I would rate a solid 7, particularly given the price of just $8!  So get a taste of South Africa and enjoy the experience!  Salut!