I drink this wine from vintage champagne flutes as this wine is indeed a sparkling wine after all. Plus, it just tastes better from the flute.
Now to the wine when pored it has a wonderful deep purple mousse, the wine is black as old-school Indian ink. At four years old this bottle of wine was drinking beautifully and may be at its best. I know they can age for up to 10 years, however for me this bottle had it all. Dark berry fruits, solid tannins a dry finish with a hint of bitter chocolate.
Have I ever mentioned what a shame it is that in Australia (the home of sparkling Shiraz) the only time sales of this wonderful red grape juice ever seem to excel is around December / Christmas time each year.
Truly guys do yourself a serious favour and purchase a good bottle, you will need to spend around $35+ and you should get a serious Sparkling Red. I have found that the cheaper ones tend to be too sweet for my liking and not a good example of what a sparkling shiraz can become with age.
Then once you have tasted a good sparkling red, like me you too may be converted and fall in love with this Red Fizzy stuff.
And enjoy it as a regular Friday night tipple with duck wontons & stir fried veg, Go on spoil yourselves.
PS – Ask someone on the floor at the wine store about Sparkling red.
If they don’t know, find someone that does, at another store.
Michael Lillis
The Rot has set in.