Last week I hosted a wine tasting event at my home. Three other wine enthusiasts joined me to taste blindly four Syrah/Shiraz based wines.
Since everyone brought a bottle of his choice, we ended up without any Syrah from the Rhône Valley. Not that I have a bias for the French, or maybe I do, but a Côte-Rôtie or a Hermitage would have been a good benchmark. Instead we tasted blindly two Shiraz from Australia, one from South Africa and one from Ticino/Switzerland.
This time the last place went to the local product, which was also the cheapest: Syrah Tenimento dell’Ör 2015. On the nose the wine was very appealing but without personality. The only aroma that was clearly distinguishable was some bell pepper. In the mouth light. The aftertaste was very discreet, but fairly persistent. At the winery this bottle sells for 33 CHF.
Third place came Amon-Ra 2010, a wine produced by Ben Glaetzer in Barossa Valley, Australia. On the nose very powerful, but trivial: jam of blueberries. In the mouth sweet, probably due to the 15.1% alcohol content. The long aftertaste reminded of cappuccino. For our taste, overall too bold. The bottle is priced around 90 CHF, the most expensive of the evening.
Second place went to The Stork 2015, produced by Hartenberg in Stellenbosch, South Africa. On the nose raspberries and blackcurrant, although a bit too much on the syrupy side. In the mouth a nice, well balanced body. The aftertaste is long and fruity. Very pleasant. In Switzerland the bottle sells for 73 CHF at vinexus.ch
The winner was Hickinbotham 2006, made by Clarendon Hills in the McLaren Vale of Australia. I’m personally a fan of Clarendon Hills and was pleased to see the wine I choose winning the contest, although at first the nose was a bit disturbing. With some air the initial animal smell left space to black pepper and some mentholated notes. In the mouth fresh and elegant. The final was very filling and the aftertaste fairly long. This bottle sells at ARVI for slightly less than 50 CHF.
After the tasting we enjoyed these wines and a couple more with a delicious Beef Wellington prepared by one of the table companions, who also brought the cheese that followed and the lobster that we savoured before.
As usual, we had a very pleasant evening. It lasted for almost 8 hours. I guess that after the COVID-19 lockdown everyone was eager to finally spend some time with friends.
Country: Australia, South Africa, Switzerland
Region: Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Stellenbosch, Ticino
Grapes: Syrah/Shiraz
Type: Red
Vintage: 2006, 2010, 2015
Producer: Ben Glaetzer, Clarendon Hills, Hartenberg, Tenimento dell’Ör
Price range: Premium (30-50 US$), Extra (50-100 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 4/5