AND NOW FOR THE TREAT! A guest review from one of our L's! Happy Halloween!
Since M is pregnant, she asked if I would do the honours of
picking my favourite wine, perhaps from Canada, and write a review for the wine
blog. Truthfully, my favourite wine of all time is Henry of Pelham's Baco Noir
Reserve, ca. 2006. Now clearly this was a long time ago, and even in 2007 it
was an almost exclusive wine at select restaurants. I thought of a few more
choice Canadian wines I've thoroughly enjoyed over the last 10 years( As of Monday Oct 21st!) and found very few, with most of them from tiny wineries
in Niagara-on-the-Lake that hardly had a chance to see the fluorescent light of
the inside of the LCBO. So, to solve this problem I went to the source - Miss
LCBO.
Now, I
didn't have a plan per se. I know I like deep, rich reds, so that was the only
criterion I had set out for myself. After perusing the small vintage section I
stumbled upon a highly praised and reasonably priced selection from South Africa
- Porcupine Ridge Syrah - at a grad-student-friendly $14.95. This wine is made
at Boekenhoutskloof Winery (wasn't that fun to try and say, even in your head?)
and is of Swartland origin. The wine is named for the crested porcupines that
are native to the region. The little LCBO sign told me it was a "Vintage
Essential" and a "stellar value", and with a super adorable
porcupine sketch on the label, how could I resist? *(For enviro-conscious wine drinkers, this
wine has "Integrity and Sustainability" certification.)
In the past I haven't had much luck with wines from South
Africa, but I have to say this wine was exceptional. The colour is a deep plum,
with an amaranth or deep raspberry glow. The body and texture of the wine are
just as complex and deep as the colour. It is smoky and very smooth, beginning
with a taste of blackberry followed by a bit of spice or pepper, ending on
notes of vanilla and the hint of (French) oak (you can tell the oak is
super-classy! lol). There is zilch in the way of that tart, acidic aftertaste
most grad-student-friendly priced wines often have. It's a lovely, mellow wine
that is perfect for sipping alone or with any meal. (This bottle lasted me 6
tastings! And I was satisfied each time - from sipping on its own to paring
with Asian fare.)
I had initially looked at this wine because I wasn't sure I
had encountered a 'Syrah' before but have since discovered it's just another
way to say "Shiraz". I am typically not a fan of Shiraz as I often
find them to be too bright, hot, young and acidic. This Syrah, however, has
changed my mind. It's on my new favourites list and I look forward to my next
encounter with a Syrah. -L
