Bold Reds
Happy Tuesday Club Members!
Feels like this month is going to fly by so quickly! Snow came and gone, my first winter cold arrived but luckily my tastebuds were safe.
I found a couple of interesting red wines for you, including that Australian one I couldn’t fit in last week. Oh, and I have been invited to do a little wine tasting for Friend’s team which I am very excited about. Hopefully, my voice will return by then and as always, I promise I will tell you all about it next week.
Fancy some online wine shopping? Check out last week’s newsletter on our Home page to see some of my favourites.
Today’s mood calls for ….
Bold and fruity reds
The one I didn’t have time for last week! After all the lovely Sauvignons, New World and Old World, Friend and I finally made a plan for our Accidental Wine Club. But before the big decision, we had to try this bold and funky red from Australia and it was a winner on all counts.
Some Young Punks Passion
The team behind Some Young Punks are known to produce some outstanding wines with striking labels that will catch your eyes straight away. They were actually the front of the Australian packaging revolution with their pop art labels. The three winemakers, based in McLaren Vale, Australia, wanted to make wines with charisma and attitude and weren’t afraid to say that the label was as important as the wine inside.
Their focus is always on making punchy, vibrant wines, which was the case here with their Passion Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz blend. The use of French oak barrels on the Shiraz grapes helped to create this deep red-coloured, rich and complex beauty.
Very vibrant on the nose with red cherry, cranberry, a cloud of sweet vanilla smoke and a touch of treacle. The palate is as interesting as it is on the nose, with concentrated flavours of those cherries and cranberries and there is a small tobacco presence too. The Shiraz grapes give a great warmth and roundness to the wine whilst the Cabernet Sauvignon adds a touch of elegance to this bold and outspoken red. I wish we had some juicy steaks to go with it but there is always next time and I can’t wait.
Name: Some Young Punks Passion
Origin: McLaren Vale, Australia
Grape: 70% Shiraz, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
ABV: 14.5%
Notes: Red ripe cherries, cranberry and black fruit on the nose with a hint of sweet vanilla smoke. Concentrated palate of those black fruit flavours. Lovely long finish, very round and elegant red
Price: £14.55
Recommend with: A lot of steaks!
Where: Buy Some Young Punks Passion by Punks 2021 - VINVM
So those plans with Friend? You will find out soon ( Friday ) what we tried on our last get-together but because I went ahead with the planning, I jumped the gun and decided to open this Montepulciano, had to!! I really loved this one, so much so that I already purchased the next bottle for Friend to try.
Coste Di Moro Montepulciano Lunaria Biodynamic
Cantina Orsogna is an award-winning Abruzzo producer, specialising in native grapes such as Montepluciano d`Abruzzo. Orsogna are committed to the biodynamic principles by which they make their wine and all of them are certified. They also support the activities of the WWF LIFE Euroturtles project, which helps protect turtles in the Mediterranean!
That colour when you pour the first glass; deep, dark ruby, and it almost has a liqueur consistency. As expected, aromas of black, overripe plum and jammy strawberries jump out of the glass, with that distinctive toasted almond hint. The palate has concentrated black fruit notes combined with cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla. Full-bodied with a long, fruity finish and a mouthwatering acidity. It is very food-friendly but because of the freshness of those ripe black fruits and the velvety tannins, it is the perfect Italian red to have on a cold, winter night, by the fire. Hard to put it down.
Name: Coste Di Moro Montepulciano Lunaria Biodynamic
Origin: Abruzzo, Italy
Grape: Montepulciano (100%)
ABV: 14%
Notes: Overripe plum and jammy strawberries, toasted almonds. Concentrated black fruit flavours combined with cocoa, vanilla and cinnamon. Full-bodied, rich and elegant
Price: £15.29
Recommend with: Cured meats, salamis, pasta dishes with tomato sauce and lots of herbs
Where: Lunaria Coste di Moro Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2018 KWMWine.com
So this one was hard to locate, not many places sell it currently in the UK and if they do, the price is much higher than it should be. But it is worth keeping an eye on it, especially if you visit small wine shops, I am certain they will know the way around to grab one for you.
I didn’t have a lot of time this week to do my usual supermarket run but managed to pop to Tesco’s where I found this Malbec on offer.
Viñalba Reserve Malbec
A rich and powerful Malbec at a great price and with above-average flavours! Tons of dark berries, lots of vanilla and a slight peppery note. Quite sweet on the nose and has some woody aromas too. This one felt rather smooth and more put together than some of the Malbecs that are out there for this price.
Price: £9 with Tesco Clubcard
Where: Vinalba Reserve Malbec 75Cl - Tesco Groceries
Buy wine online & Discover exciting Winemakers | Wanderlust Wine
Wanderlust Wine was set up to offer sustainable, quality wines made by small producers. All the producers they deal with are exclusive to them and have the same thing in common: passionate about wine and committed to sustainability.
Their selection of wines is rather large and in all formats. Bottles, boxed and bagged wines, full and half bottles and a surprisingly big selection of Magnums!
They also offer a very speedy delivery, next day if you order by 11am.
If you are looking for a wine that is not your usual Pinot Grigio or Merlot then look no further than Wanderlust Wine.
Next time…
Accidental Wine Club French night with pizza and a glass of Spumante
Have a grape day!
The 4pm Club