Banrock Station 2001 Shiraz/Cab

[quijote]

For an office party I volunteered to provide the wine, so I went with a few bottles of inexpensive whites and reds that I've been reading about (on this board, especially).

The only bottle that anyone really drank from was a Santa Rita 2001 Merlot. I also had a Lindemann's SB, a Vina Alarba, and a Banrock Station Shiraz/Cab on hand, but the merlot was the big draw.

Fortunately, I got to take home what was left, and I just opened the Banrock. It's pretty darned good! The color is purple ruby, and aromas of cherries and strawberry jam are followed with an intense taste of red berries and cherries on the mid-palate, and a hearty finish of red cherries with black pepper. Alc. 13.5% $6.



[This message has been edited by quijote (edited 05-16-2003).]

[Thomas]

yeah, but I'll bet (without having tasted it) the Santa Rita Merlot is either soft and easy to understand or overly oaked and easy to overcome the palate...

[quijote]

Yes, the merlot seemed to strike some cords there. One of my colleagues looked at the merlot bottle, then looked at the shiraz, and quickly opted for the merlot.

I was the only person there drinking the Sauvignon Blanc! I had the rest later that evening while watching the lunar eclipse....

I guess I have to remember that what I like and keep discovering in wines is not necessarily interesting to many other people, and when I provide wine I have to deal with that.

A funny thing: a colleague of mine took a sip of the SB, made a grimace, said that she only likes sweet wines, and then said that the SB smelled like cat pee!! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]