For the 2007 Carlyle Cabernet Merlot the near future turned out to be the following night, when we sat down to a Hungarian Gulyas that I figured needed a hearty full-flavoured red. Berries and a touch of mint (that’s the cabernet, folks) on the nose, more on the medium than the full-bodied end of the spectrum once it gets into the mouth, it wasn’t quite what I was planning on, but turned out to be a rather nice little match-up all the same.
We sampled the first of the 2008 Marsannes a few days later and ran into the inevitable problem when you’re dealing with the variety in Australia. In itself, the wine’s fine. Pale straw yellow in the glass, all the tropical and stone fruits you’d expect on the nose and once it hits the taste buds it’s full-flavoured with a crisp finish. Quite nice, but there’s a but.
Even with the wine club discount that cuts a $17 bottle to $15.30, the Tahbilk version, which can get down as far as the $10-12 range, is a better prospect as a by the dozen order. There may be room for a bottle or two in a mixed dozen, but when that dozen leans towards Chardonnay Marsanne and Gamay there ain’t much room for extras.
As things turned out it was well before Melbourne Cup day when the 2004 Red Pfizz went into the fridge. Madam’s birthday provided the excuse, and freshly-caught prawns provided the accompaniment at the start of dinner. Once the cherry red wine was in the flutes and the appropriate toasts had been made, sniff revealed a noticeable strawberry Pinot nose, understandable since apart from the dosage liqueur (the 2004 Christopher’s VP) the wine’s 100% Pinot Noir.
Madam wasn’t as impressed as I was, but another bridge in Hughesy’s conversion from Pinot-sceptic to Pinot-friendly has been crossed. Not that I’ll be racing to reorder - there are half a dozen bottles of bubbly of various hues in the wine rack, and they’ll last us well into next year - but if you’re after something red with bubbles, soft and rounded in the mouth with a dry finish, this could be one for you.
Apart from the regular tasting packs, Wine Club members also receive a 10% discount on orders and freight-free delivery (provided you’re ordering by the dozen).
