Vine Lines — Offerings from away not your everyday Cabernet

Opinion

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This article was published 17/11/2017 (2866 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The very first wines I truly fell in love with were from Australia.

I’d tried lots of different wines over the years, but the Goundrey Chardonnay and the De Bortoli Deen Vat 4 Petit Verdot captured my heart, and were my go-to beverages for several years before Liquor Marts stopped carrying them more than a decade — maybe even 15 or 20 years — ago.

I missed them like crazy and it took a long time before I discovered wines that earned my strong allegiance again. But I always looked fondly upon wines from Australia because my first experience with brand loyalty had been so powerful.

That commitment to Australian wine was solidified when I went on a press junket to the land down under in November of 2000. I was completely enamoured by the country — the people are delightful, the food is astonishing, and the wine is mind-bogglingly fabulous. To date, that was the most memorable trip of my life. Snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef was a highlight I don’t think anything could ever replicate.

So it was with much delight that I received a bottle of the 2015 Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon as a gift. To be honest, once I moved past my Shiraz period (more on that in an upcoming column), I hadn’t had much Aussie wine in recent years. My allegiance had shifted to California, where most of the Chard and Cabs I drink on a regular basis are produced.

But I was keen to try the Chateau Tanunda. And since my favourite pairing for Cabernet is steak, I made sure I saved it until steak was on the menu. Well, a slight falsehood there. I purposely got a steak to have last Friday night because I was dying to try the wine! I have my priorities, after all!

Anyway, the Chateau Tanunda certainly didn’t disappoint. Redolent with aromas and flavours of cassis, blackberry and vanilla toffee, there was also a hint of eucalyptus on the finish that turned to dark chocolate as the final vestiges of the first sip melted away.

While I enjoyed this wine thoroughly, I definitely agree with the label, in that while it’s drinking very well now, it could be cellared for up to 10 years. In fact, I think it tastes young yet and needs a bit more maturation to be at its peak. And while it’s good on its own, it really shines when matched with food. It was great with my steak, and even better when matched with the intense flavours of pulled pork pizza — it’s a hefty wine and it needs hefty foods to make it shine its brightest. The Chateau Tanunda sells for $25.05 a bottle.

Another Cab that caught my attention recently was the 2013 Barons de Rothschild Los Vascos Grande Reserve Cab from Chile. Another wine with an up-there price point ($24.69), the Los Vascos is, at least to me, instantly identifiable as Chilean. Along with the expected plum and blackberry aromas/flavours and mocha notes on the finish, there’s a whiff of green pepper that I always identify as characteristic of the wines of Chile. It’s pleasant and different. Both of these wines are. But they’re not the big, fruity powerhouses of the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. These are more subtle — Bordeaux-like, if you will — and they remain elegant and refined.

So if you’re up for something that’s maybe not quite what you expect from Cabernet, give the Chateau Tanunda and the Los Vascos a try. Your taste buds will thank you for the wake-up call.

» Diane Nelson is a longtime journalist and former Sun staffer who really likes wine. A lot. vinelines.ca. Twitter: @vinelinesbdn