With the current economic uncertainty, I thought I would offer my trained opinion on wines costing less than $15. I see it as my contribution to budgeting while offering some reasonably priced gems or steering folks away from potential disappointment. I'll use a 20 point scale but may expand to 100 points for those who are more comfortable with that number if requested. I'll make an effort to review one wine per week. More if I have to.
This week's wine is from the Western Cape of South Africa. The Western Cape isn't one of the premier regions of South Africa, but there is potetial to find a decent budget wine. It's not Paarl after all. I tasted Guardian Peak's Shiraz 2004 with a price of about $14. Please find my notes below:
I found the appearance to be clear but a bit dull. There is significant sediment that collects at the bottom of the glass. This wine is not a looker. The color is a deep purple with light struggling to pass through. The edges are slightly copper in color inidicating that this wine has a little age. The nose is meaty. It's not roasted meat but closer to a braised filet. There is a strong presence of berries like blackberry jam. Despite being 5 years old, the acidity remains vibrant and crisp resulting in a Pavlovian response. This shiraz feels a bit sweet on the tongue, but I'll attribute that to it's alcohol content labelled at 14.5%. I would guess it's a little higher than that. The alcohol balances well with the acidity and makes this wine full bodied. It's a mouthful even with the softer, rounded tannins that are evident. You can almost chew this one. On the tongue the fruit is forward but not quite the bomb I was expecting. That's a good thing. I prefer the meatiness of a shiraz over the fruit and this one has a decent balance. The fruit is a bit like candied cherries and has a bit of length to it. This wine is fairly well made. I don't think I would serve this at a formal dinner, but rather would save this one for grilling some strip steaks on the braai. It's not bad as an apertif as well. So, I give it a 15/20 making it an average find. Considering the price tag, I think there are likely better wines in this price range. It's not a gem,but neither is it a dud.
