An Amazing Bargain Wine--At the Right Temperature[yellow tail] has greatly impressed me thus far with their budget-friendly, but still flavorful wines. This Shiraz-Cabernet blend is yet another example of [yellow tail]'s excellence at a price point that won't scare off an oenophile with a limited cash supply.
I bought this bottle at (yep, you guessed it!) Walmart for just under $5. I really wanted to try the Cabernet-Merlot blend, but my local Wally World didn't carry that particular variety, so I opted for this one instead.
In my original tasting of this wine, I noted that this full-bodied red wasn't bad, but not great either--just okay. The grade I then assigned it was a +, because it had good balance, but a "wierd taste at the midpoint." The next evening, I decided to try it again, this time at just a little cooler than room temperature. You see, the first time I tried it, I did so right out of the fridge. Since I had nothing to lose, I figured I better at least try and taste it at a different temperature before writing it off as a "nothing special" wine.
Upon allowing it to come close to room temperature, an amazing array of flavors and balance came forth--plum, boysenberry, oak, & spice at the forefront, with a superb balance of acidity and sweetness. Plum flavors rounded out a more-than-respectable finish. This Shiraz-Cabernet blend brings out the best characteristics of both varietals, and makes for a very, very good wine for a steal!
My Grade: ++++
Lesson learned...Temperature, temperature, temperature! I had a similar experience with Barefoot Zinfandel (see my review in March), but surprisingly it didn't readily occur to me that I would have the same issue with this variety.
I'm sure most wine experts serve their wines at precise temperatures, but I think I've found an easy rule of thumb for most bottles:
- Reds taste best at slightly cooler than room temperature rather than just out of the refrigerator--Not warm, but definitely not chilled either. I think that's the problem most people have with dry red wine--they drink it cold, which doesn't allow its true flavors to come forward, and can even make it taste "off."
- White wines, many rosé/blush wines, and sparkling wines tast best chilled, or at least at a fairly cold temperature. The richer the white wine is, the (slightly) warmer its optimal temperature.
I found a good, down-to-earth article on MSNBC's Food and Wine section about wine temperature if you're interested in learning more:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9392760/
3 comments:
I just picked up a glass that i had left from dinner, and found it ten times better having warmed in the room! That prompted me to do an internet search and see if that was actually reccomended. Thanks for the review!
I'm glad you enjoyed it =) Isn't it amazing what a difference the right temperature makes?! If I don't like a wine upon first tasting, I generally try it at different temperatures until I find what works best for that particular variety.
got a bottle a few days ago, im going to try this one tonight. thank you for the review. ;D
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