Such a Variety

I have been a little slow on the post lately but this is not because of the lack of wine as that has been pretty consistent, no it has been down to pure laziness and other commitments. Over the past few weeks i have a sampled a few different wines and continued to look for the right Zin to take on my trip this summer.
I recently discovered the Syrah variety which i was completely unaware to be the same grape as the Shiraz, but i must say that of the two labels that i have drank, one being another Pepperwood i have to say it seems to me to be a very different drink from the Shiraz that i have drank in the past. The Pepperwood is becoming quite popular in this household.
I also have turned to tasting some French wines, Bordeaux being the most popular of french wines, and i have to say the taste was what i expected it to be , more complex than my usual drinks but very likable, with a very intense colour and dry taste it was a wine that i have taken my time drinking and enjoying.
In a recent post i tasted a Dona Paula Cabernet Franc, to which the results were greatly approved by Thud ,this lead me to look further into the label and i found a Malbec. This grape i had not tasted before and so gave me another reason to purchase a bottle to consume at a later date.
And finally the Zin Challenge, well this has been hard to find at present and the only decent contender has been the Pepperwood, so this has lead me to start looking at Primitivo wines, the same grape just produced in southern Italy. I am currently drinking a bottle of Dorio 2003 which is a blend of Primitivo(85%) and Aglianico (15%). This has a deep colour and a distinct aroma that has a similarity to box a liquorice all sorts, strange i know but i kind of like it. The finish is long and pleasant and fruity. The Aglianico gave the acidity. Not sure if its a contender we will have to see.

Dona Paula

I opened the bottle of Cabernet Franc the other week and what a find!! this wine had an aroma that jumped right out the class and after a swirl or too i was starting to think that this wine may be better than that very special bottle Cabernet Franc i received off Thud.
The body was medium to heavy with a very deep taste and very distinctive, it had a woody and berry aftertaste that lasted a few moments i would say that this wine has depth. In the glass the colour was dark and it clings with a red stain around the the glass, i had never seen this before. I am aware of being able to see the strength of alcohol but never for the wine to coat the glass in such a way. I am but a beginner in the fine wine department.
This wine really impressed me and although at first i was sure it would beat Thud's wine it just missed something, i could not put my finger on it, maybe its because the wine from Thud had more of a rustic feel i dont know therefore i bought another bottle and enjoyed it with Thud and his mother. Their reaction to the wine was pleasing and although it was good they too agree it missed something. However i think i will be taking it to Nappa to let Vinogirl have a taste and compare it to her very own.
I have started to look harder for good wines of late as i have simply got sick of the bland tastes that iv been use to over the past years. This is becoming more interesting as i find these little gems and even though i may spend a few pounds more it seems completely worth it.
This Cabernet Franc is a hard wine to find but if you do come across it splash out and grab a bottle it truly is worth it, a great wine.

Wine and Monopoly

i took the Pepperwood Grove on a bit of a session last night when some friends came round for a game of monopoly. it proved to be a great social drop and i had a couple of light beers too which i kind of regretted until the morning as i woke completely fine.
i had been into town earlier that day to get a couple of bottles and to see if the shop had had any more Zin to offer. unfortunately this was not to be and i settled for the Pepperwood Grove. Not to worry as im going back to the sticks at the weekend and i know a good little wine shop that im hoping may have something for me.
while in the the shop another bottle had caught the eye and reminded me of a cracking bottle that i received off fellow wine enthusiast Thud.
the Cabernet Franc that Thud had passed on to me had left an impression and this grape that is commonly used in blends for the Bordeaux of such(iv been doing some homework, i impress myself) has a distinct taste and iv wanted more.
however if this is to the standard of that i tasted we will have to see, and im sure it will come up in some discussion with Thud.
so the wine, well its a 2006 Argentinean wine by Dona Paula. i have yet to open it and taste as i have just finished of the remains of last nights wine so there will be a post to follow in the week.
oh and just so you know i lost at the monopoly and my partner as always cleared up, she is a ruthless business woman.