Wolf Blass Grey Label

The grey label shiraz is a part of Wolf Blass' luxury range of wines. It cost about $35-40 a bottle. The more and more I sample wines that are in the $30-40 range, I find that they are very similar in quality and taste. 

The grey label is a very fruity wine. Dark Red in color, with a very dry finish. The tannins were light, again which is common with this price range of wine. The $100 bottles of wine are more complex and have tannins that complement the wine. The lowest quality wines are all over the board which have harsh tannins and extreme tastes. Older more mature wines are more subtle and well rounded.
Overall I liked the wine, if it was a bit average. There wasn't much that stood out about this wine. It was a middle of the road wine that everyone would like. Good price point and good taste makes this one accessible for anyone. Its not one I would necessarily buy again and cellar, but it would be a wine that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a decent red.

Penfold's Grandfather Port

I had the unique opportunity this weekend to try a very special port. Now, I realize that port falls outside of the scope of this blog, but for this specific port, I am willing to make an exception. Port is technically called a fortified wine. In my research on the port, I learned that this port has a very interesting process.
The Grandfather port is 20 years old on average. I say average, because of the unique process in which the port goes through. The port is fermented in an 8 level system called a solera. But before the wine is added to the solera, it is aged for 8 years. once in the solera, the wine is slowly pushed down through the various levels by a small amount of port being drained at the bottom and a small amount of wine being added at the top. When all is said and done, the port has been fermented for about 20 years.

Penfold's produces this grandfather port from four main varieties of grapes-Grenache, Cabernet, Shiraz, and Mourvedre. Although the website mentions that the port is not limited to only these varieties. Port is generally considered a dessert wine. It is very sweet, and as my father in law said, "if you feel like you've got a mouth full of syrup, you've taken too much." All that is needed is the tiniest of sips in order to experience the flavor. Because of this only a fraction of a regular red wine glass is typically served- only about an ounce.
When I tried it, I found it very smooth and easy to drink. Just wetting my lips with the port gave me all the flavor I needed. I got the sense that this port had a very nice toffee type of taste while I was drinking it.
I very much enjoyed the Grandfather port. And because port is able to mature in the bottle, even after opening, it is something that I can keep in my collection for a long time!! This bottle retailed for about $85. The price initially seems like a lot, but considering you simply don't drink as much of it at any one time, it actually will last quite a while when compared to a bottle of red you would finish in an evening. It is well worth the experience of drinking it!!

Yalumba- Octavius 2000

To put it simply, I was quite spoiled this weekend. My parents came up for a visit and we decided to spend the evening with Kevan and Judy. Being a special occasion, my dad bought some very nice wine for us to try. One of the many wines we tried (and the best one) was Yalumba's Octavius from 2000. Needless to say, Yalumba always produces excellent wines, and their Octavius is top notch. The Octavius, along with the Reserve, are Yalumba's top wines they offer. Octavius is a Shiraz from Yalumba's Barossa Valley and Eden Valley vineyards. The Barossa and Yalumba in particular, have produced some of Australia's best Shiraz. It is  such a privilege to be able to try one of Australia's iconic red wines.

I had the opportunity to try two very nice (and expensive) wines this weekend. The other being Oculus from Mission Hills here is BC. Oculus is a favorite of Kevan and Judy. In both of the bottles I noticed the wines' ability to transcend the fruity and sweet, and oakey and dry barrier. In my limited experience, cheaper wines are either one of the two. The term for this is "complex". And usually you find that more expensive wines are more complex. For the Octavius, this was very apparent. It had an oakey taste that went well with its lighter fruity side. I was surprised how well the two flavors complimented each other. Octavius had a spicy flavor as well in its finish. It had very light tannins-probably the lightest I have tried. The term silky comes to mind trying to define this wine's texture. I had my glass with steak and mushrooms which I quite enjoyed, although this wine certainly doesn't need to be enjoyed with a meal. It can be enjoyed on its own, or with a wide variety of food-Cheese, chocolate, fruit, steak, chicken. Whatever you can throw at it. At $100 per bottle, it is a VERY special treat. Again, I was quite spoiled this weekend.