WINE PICKS OF THE WEEK
Nuevo Mundo Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2010, Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, Chile Price $ 16 | Score 87/ 100 UPC: 7804395001535
This is a 75/ 25 mix of organically grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec . The nose is fresh and clean with pleasing red fruit and spice notes. The attack is soft and balanced with fairly meaty, leafy blackfruit fl avours and some rustic but not overpowering tannin.
Alain Brumont Merlot- Tannat 2010, Cotes de Gascogne, SudOuest, France Price $ 15 | Score 87/ 100 UPC: 337222000236
The soft and hard mix of Merlot and tannat has produced a fresh nose of cherry jam, prune, pepper, leather, meaty, spicy aromas and a juicy palate of savoury, meaty, cherry, plum, tobacco, barnyard, earthy, peppery fl avours. A warm rustic red with good fruit. Good value.
Rosemount Shiraz 2010, South Eastern Australia Price $ 15 | Score 88/ 100 UPC: 012894855215
The Rosemount shiraz is more like it was a decade ago, with a softer, less acidic bite in the back end . It still has acidity and balance but the sweet fruit is more prominent . Look for a mix of blueberry and cocoa aromas followed by fairly supple black cherry jam, plummy cardamom and coffee fl avours.
Crios de Susanna Balbo Torrontés 2011, Calchaqui Valley, Salta, North Argentina Price $ 16 | Score 88/ 100 UPC: 07798068480300
Torrontés is always underappreciated until it is in the glass. We love its spicy, fl oral, nectarine skin, lees, lemon oil and ginger aromas. The palate is fresh, juicy, round and slightly off - dry with honey, ginger, fl oral, spicy, gooseberry, nectarine and lemon rind fl avours.
Les Halos de Jupiter Cotes Du Rhône 2009, Rhone Valley, France Price $ 24 | Score 89/ 100 UPC: 00690604000447
Expect a dark, almost opaque colour with an expressive nose of raspberry ( Grenache) and a whack of spice. The attack is warm and rich with spicy, ripe, dark cherry dominating all, flecked by firm meaty undercurrents. Easy to like, especially if hedonistic reds are your favourite.
Errazuriz Single Vineyard Max Reserva Estates Carmenère 2010, Valle de Aconcagua, Chile Price $ 24 | Score 90/ 100 UPC: 00608057105114
A cooler vintage has supercharged this Carmenère with bright black fruit and pepper. It spends about a year in oak of which one- third is new. The attack is intense, with roasted red peppers, tobacco and blackberries conspiring to produce a glossy red with smooth light tannins.