The Auswine Forum

Hi there,
I have been enjoying a bottle of D'Arenberg '02 Footbolt Shiraz and the finish is quite tangy. I would guess this is high acidity rather than tannins(?) and was wondering if my assumption is in the ball park. The thing is, it's on the finish, the mid pallet is very smooth, it's the lingering finish that is quite fascinating / enoyable, similar to a recent Chillean wine but it was a Cabernet Sauvignon (Don Melchor).
For this price range ($12.00us) I did not expect such a smooth shiraz. At first taste I thought it was a little too sweet but it has really opened up. Any comments? i.e is it the vintage, the style, acidity, tannins, wine maker or other? Something else I noticed, no fining or filtration on either of these wines. I seem to have really enjoyed the wines I've come accross that have sedimentation, the Footbolt had a lot. Any opinions on sediment left in the bottle? I understand egg whites or fish products / proteins are often used to filter / clarify the wine and maybe this could be detrimental?
Well, bottle is empty and I've finished eating the sediment (didn't read the label, didn't decant).
One more question, do you know ifl this 02 Footbolt will cellar well? (may be one worthy of stocking up on)?

Mick.

If you are looking to cellar this the temperature will need to be as low as 12 degrees centigrade otherwise I cannot see 5 years in it.

For another couple of bucks try the D'Arrys Original. The 02 will cellar 10 years and is a great bargain also.

Mick,

I would assume that the tanginess is the acidity, but I was lead to believe that some wines can have a certain amount of dissolved carbon dioxide which can impart this character. I'm sure others will correct me, and it's probably not the case in this circumstance (unless it's a faulty bottle?).

The '02 Footbolt and '02 High Trellis were both discussed on the 'bang for buck' thread. I've only had a brief tasting of the Footbolt but I've guzzled a couple bottles of the High Trellis and know that the latter wine has a bright future ahead of it. Give this wine five years and it should represent the best US or AU $12 spent in your life. I've heard similar reports on the Footbolt and given that the '96 is drinking wonderfully right now, I think you'd be very safe playing hide, and go seek (in 5-10 years).

Cheers,

Slightly off topic: Don't attempt to cellar the 01 Footbolt. Very approachable and enjoyable on and just after release, it has since turned into a hideous beast.

Steer well clear.