We’ve done Alternative Reds tastings before, but it’s fun and we thought it was a good time to do it again. Note to readers: the theme for each month’s tasting is sometimes decided at the previous month’s tasting, so judgement might be a little impaired at that time.
The notice to the tasting group said:
No to Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Grenache or Malbec. (even as part of a blend),
Yes to Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Saperavi, Cabernet Franc, Aglianico, Montepulciano (both the grape variety and the wine from the town of the same name - one of my favourite places in Italy), Sagrantino (another Italian favourite of mine), Durif, Zinfandel, Nero D'Avola, Nerello Mascalese, Petit Verdot, and anything else you might want to bring along.
We met at Mayfair Lane in West Perth (our usual host venue) and got stuck in. As usual, wines were masked, with the only information available being the vintage (and we even had a NV wine to make it more mysterious). Wines were tasted from youngest to oldest, and the group’s notes that you see below were compiled before the wines were unmasked.
So, we had three 2018s to start with:
El Castro De Valtuille Mencia 2018(Bierzo, Spain): 13.5% alcohol. Purple red in colour. The nose showed cooked dark fruits, sweet spices, tobacco, some red cherry, tar, and initially some smoked meats (this went away with time in the glass). There were more black fruits on the palate, and more tar. The tannins were fine, gentle, but noticeable, and some tasters noticed a plastic taste on the finish. General opinion was that the wine was short on mid-palate flavour.
Castelli Empyrica Tempranillo 2018 (Frankland River, WA): 14% alcohol. Red-crimson in colour. Dried herbs and musk stick on the nose, along with lifted black plums, and a savoury (salami) note. The wine shows some slipperiness on the palate (alcohol?) with more black plums, fine but prominent tannins and a medium finish. Well regarded by the group.
Serafino Nebbiolo 2018 (McLaren Vale SA): 13% alcohol. Light red / garnet colour. The nose showed lots of florals, especially rose petal. There’s also some liquorice, greengage, plums and a slight medicinal note. The palate is light- to medium-bodied, with strawberries, soft tannins, and moderate supporting acid – the last two were a bit of a surprise when the grape variety was revealed. The wine has some sweetness and was approachable on that basis – fruit driven with only modest oak. We then moved to a 2017, a 2016 and a NV. The NV was included in this bracket only because it had been in the owner’s cellar for about 18 months.
Masseria Alte Mura Negroamaro 2017 (Puglia, Italy): Purple red in colour. Rich nose with lots of dark cherry, cloves, tar and cooked fruits, and a touch of heat. Slightly medicinal on pour, but gave way to some strawberry. The palate shows orange rind, liquorice, and maraschino cherry. Tannins are dusty and grippy and there’s refreshing, juicy acidity. It’s medium bodied and medium length, and the group felt it would be a good food wine.
Fairbrossen ‘Side Project’ Saperavi 2016 (Perth Hills, WA): Garnet in colour. A substantial nose, with very ripe dark fruits, dark chocolate, sour cherry, pot pourri, leather and some tasters detected barnyard. The palate is quite different from the nose – it shows earthiness, good acid structure, but is only medium bodied and finishes short. Nevertheless, this was well regarded by the group.
Le Petit Gascoun NV (France): A modest 12% alcohol. Ruby / garnet in colour. A somewhat muted nose, with tomato leaf, Dr Pepper, and (most commented on) bubble-gum. This continued on the palate, which showed very little tannin, only modest acid, and a very short finish. There was even a serious comparison to bile. Being French, it didn’t declare the grape varieties – in this case a blend of cabernet franc and tannat. Two 2015s and a 2014 followed:
This one wins the award for the longest label name shown in our tasting group. The Mysterious Mr Black’s Curious Collection of Rare Potions Tannat 2015 (Adelaide Hills, SA) is deep purple in colour. There’s a lot on the nose, with cherry cola, dark and red fruits, dark chocolate, liquorice and coconut leading the way from what might have seemed a reductive first impression. There’s also a touch of pepper. The palate is full with more rich ripe fruit, chocolate and coconut. Tannins are (not surprisingly) grippy and there’s a little glycerol texture. One taster got quite detailed “strawberries and cream yoghurt with coconut”, while most others considered the wine to be a liquid Bounty bar.
Seppelt Pinot Meunier 2015 (Great Western, Victoria): a Pale garnet in colour, and a total contrast to the previous wine. Strawberry and cherry, with a little mulch, and some marjoram on the nose. Delicate but persistent fruits on the nose, light to medium bodied, fine tannins with good supporting acid, and signs of whole bunches in the fermentation. Most tasters thought it was pinot, but ‘noir’ was excluded from this tasting, so there was some head-scratching.
Teusner ‘The Dog Strangler’ Mataro 2014 (Barossa Valley, SA): Purple red in colour. Big red and dark ripe fruit and chocolate / vanilla dominate the nose. The palate is juicy, with good supporting acid, some tar, more dark chocolate and the wine finishes very long. Highly regarded by the group. A couple of tasters considered it might be a big WA zinfandel. We finished the night with two 2013s and a 2011:
Sassafras Sagrantino 2013 (Murrumbateman, NSW): Purple. A savoury nose, with menthol the over-riding aroma, followed by tobacco, liquorice, sage and floor polish. The palate is intense, with high acid, grippy tannins, blackcurrant, raspberry and a peat whisky flavour. Tannins are high, grippy and drying. Medium to long finish.
Montes ‘Purple Angel’ 2013 (Chile): 98% Carmenere, 2% Petit Verdot. Purple red in colour. Lots happening on the nose, with pepper, dried leaves, spice, violets (presumably from the miniscule Petit Verdot component), mocha, ‘extracted plums’ and a dusty note. The palate is equally varied, with Vanilla, milk chocolate, and the savoury notes upfront and the fruits behind. Some tasters considered there might have been some whole bunches in the fermentation, as there’s a balance between freshness and maturity – but it could equally be just the age of the wine. Medium to full bodied.
Kanonkop Pinotage 2011 (South Africa): Crimson colour. Cherry on the nose, but the remaining characteristics were all savoury – tobacco, tar, cured / smoked meats, especially bacon, baked goods (i.e. yeast). There’s red and blue fruits on the palate; cherry and liquorice as well. The mouthfeel is quite silky. Medium acid, tannins and finish sound quite mundane, but the whole was an extremely balanced wine. Highly regarded by the group, and the first drinkable Pinotage I personally have experienced (from a small sample size, I admit).
What a line-up! Discussion was not surprisingly very animated, and (even less surprisingly) hit high volume by the end of the night. Wine of the night was the Kanonkop Pinotage 2011, by the barest of margins over the Teusner ‘The Dog Strangler’ Mataro 2014.
Thanks to all who brought such a variety of wines, and who participated in what, at times, was deafening discussion
Cheers
Allan