28 October 2009

Wines From Down Under Part 2

The second installment of wines in this series comes from Pikes Vintners of South Australia.

I was initially amused by the names of these wines, as the pike resembles our local alligator gar, a prehistoric monster that can grow to 10 feet/300 lbs. and take off your hand. OK, so maybe all the stories about injured fishermen are myths, but most folks I know will cut the line rather than take a chance with one of those beasts. The second fish related amusement comes from the mullet wines. Obviously this is a common fish around the world, but around here it's a popular rural hairstyle. As the saying goes: business in the front, party in the back.

Neither of those associations are meant to criticize the winery or the wines; I find branding and design fascinating, as well as the various paths that the English language has followed once it escaped the shores of Dear Old Blighty. Australia gets a lot of teasing for its colloquialisms, but can you believe that we in the American South get the same treatment? Fair dinkum, y'all.

2009 Pikes Traditionale Dry Riesling, 12% abv. This Riesling is really amazing. It doesn't smell or taste like your stereotypical Riesling--it's more like a Sauvignon Blanc. Perfectly dry and crisp, with apricot aromas and a main flavor of green apples. Great crisp acidity. This was my favorite out of the Pikes lineup, and a really enjoyable surprise. I'd love to try it again with grilled fish and mango salsa.

2008 Pikes The White Mullet, 12% abv. 60% Riesling, 16% Viognier, 16% Sauvignon Blanc, 8% Chenin Blanc. A full fruit, full-bodied white blend. Pears, a touch of floral notes, and low acidity. I think there's a little too much going on with this blend, too many different grapes competing for attention. It could do well with a cheese platter, because you've got a lot of different elements working with all the different grapes involved.

2007 Pikes The Red Mullet, 14.5% abv. 68% Shiraz, 13% Tempranillo, 11% Grenache, 8% Mourvèdre. Raspberries, black tea, black pepper, firm tannins. Better balanced than the white version, and enough interesting stuff going on to keep you thinking. This would be a great pizza and burger wine.

2006 Pikes Shiraz, 14.5% abv. Nice and dry, with red berry aromas, red cherry flavors, firm tannins. A solid, standard Australian Shiraz. While on its own it's a bit strong, I feel that paired with grilled meat this would be a real winner. Even better, a nice Greek kebab would be delightful.

In accordance with the new regulations imposed by the Federal Trade Commission, I publicly disclose that these wines were received as samples from The Country Vintner. No additional gifts or compensation were provided.

7 comments:

Barbara said...

Great to read reviews of Aussie wines. The only one I've tried is the riesling. It's one of my favourites. I like riesling with smoked fish.

Benito said...

Barbara,

I'm glad you enjoyed the Riesling as well! I was excited to try it and the other bottles, as they're not currently available in my part of the States. Hopefully that will change in the near future...

Cheers,
Benito

Michael Hughes said...

I used to enjoy their "Luccio" Italian style blend. I haven't seen it in quite sometime.

Benito said...

Michael,

I'll be on the lookout for that one. There's some neat stuff going on with Sangiovese in Australia.

Cheers,
Benito

Samantha Dugan said...

I think that little Riesling is delicious and probably the most, "complex" and interesting wine they make. I find the red fall into that grapey, too fruity style that is causing more people to pull away from Aussie reds....that being said, I have never tasted the one Michael is talking about, that might be interesting. Loving your Down Under reviews kid.

Benito said...

Sam,

Thanks for the note, hope the jet lag isn't too bad!

Cheers,
Benito

Michael Hughes said...

On the Sang tip, Washington is doing some pretty interesting things with it. Especially from Red Willow Vineyard & Ciel du Cheval. Love it, love it.