Three Bottles of Shiraz Part 2

Tony Aspler: The thing about Shiraz of course or Syrah is the depth of color. It should be really deep ruby, and when it’s young it’s really purple. These wines, the vintages, the Red Bicyclette is 2005, and the Two Oceans is 2007 and so as the Lindemans. Angella Aiello: Very interesting, from color perspective you can right away see that the Lindemans is a little bit more of big plumier, more red, ripe plum and these are sort of more cherry colored, more red cherry. Tony Aspler: Okay, let’s give it a sniff. Angella Aiello: Great nose to it. Tony Aspler: Yeah, absolute that sort of black cherry. Angella Aiello: Yup, a little black cherry, and a black berry as well. Tony Aspler: And a little bit of sweetness there. Angella Aiello: A little bit of sweetness, for sure. Tony Aspler: And the Two Oceans. Now this is more that you get that splatty, more smoky, almost tarry note. Angella Aiello: Absolutely. Tony Aspler: Which is great indicative I find of South African wine. They all have this smoky, tarry note in them, the reds. Angella Aiello: A little bit of wet straw to you. Tony Aspler: Lindemans? Angella Aiello: And much sweeter on the nose. Tony Aspler: Yeah, very sweet. Angella Aiello: I get the end of all noses. Tony Aspler: Caught into almost over like cough drop Angella Aiello: Yeah, very cough droopy. Tony Aspler: Let’s try it on the palate. There you get that leaner. Angella Aiello: Very lean. Tony Aspler: You got good acidity, very much the Shiraz style. Angella Aiello: And you can tell that it is thin to, it’s much more of a thinner, much thinner than that one. Tony Aspler: More thinner, but also again that real sense of terroir, that smoky, tar or almost iodine note in the wine. Angella Aiello: And so much texture melt, too. I found it’s much more sticking to the mouth and than the Red Bicyclette. Tony Aspler: And the Lindemans Shiraz. Angella Aiello: And obviously the fuller bodied. Tony Aspler: Very nice. Angella Aiello: Very nice as well, what would you end with and that naturally sweet, I mean. Tony Aspler: Yeah, this is a sort of real, red, meat wine especially a game or hard cheeses like old matured Cheddar or Parmesan. Angella Aiello: That would be fantastic. So, how do you think are expectations run from what we thought we’re going to taste from what we actually tasted? Tony Aiello: Well, certainly the European style is very much what I expected in the soul of the Rome. Leaner sinew, higher degree of acid which gives it a sort of structure that smoky tarries is very indicative of South Africa. Whenever I smell that, I pick up a wine blind and I get that sort of smoking tar, and I say that must come from South Africa. And the Lindemans has the sweetest palate. Angella Aiello: And the most full-bodied, too. Tony Aiello: Yes. Angella Aiello: The most full-bodied. So, a few points that we actually want to point out is that obviously what Tony had said in the beginning was, Syrah would tend to be lighter, and Shirazes will tend to be a little bit heavier which exactly what we’ve noted here. So, next time you’re at the LCBO, or wherever you might be at a winery, or even at a restaurant looking to dine, make sure you pick your wine according to what you’re drinking and pick a Shiraz to match a nice, big, gamy meats there that you’re going to be having with your steak or anything of the sorts and then match a Syrah may be with your appetizer. It might be a nice way to go about since it’s very similar to Pinot Noir probably what you could match with them. So you know be adventurous and venture out and try a Syrah or Shiraz. Thanks, Tony. Tony Aiello: Thank you Angella Aiello: Cheers!