Peter Lehmann- Layers 2008

Jenn and I just picked up a new bottle of wine this evening. We didn't want to spend too much this time so we went with a wine in the $20 range. We decided to go with a Peter Lehmann wine called "Layers". The front label has five grapes on it signifying the five different types of grapes that were used to produce this wine- Shiraz, Tempranillo , Carignane, Mourvedre, and Grenache. The Shiraz makes up about half the bottle at 46%.
As usual, I did a bit of research before opening the bottle and learned a bit about Peter Lehmann. I was unaware that Lehmann is a commercial company. I know I did not speak very well of the Jacob's Creek wine I tried a few weeks ago, and mentioned that because it was a commercial wine, perhaps it was a lower quality. Upon further research, I have learned that my comments about large wineries may have been a bit too generalized. Penfolds is an excellent example of a large commercial winery that makes one of the worlds best known wines- Grange. It is also know for making some other excellent wines that are of very high quality. In my defense, I am just trying to stick up for the small guy. I would say that I am more easily attracted to the smaller, privately owned wineries that really try to differentiate themselves from the average bottle that the corporations turn out by the millions.  So I am willing to give Peter Lehmann a fair shot. Apparently this wine won several awards in some Australian wine competitions (bronze and silvers), and received a gold metal in the Sydney international wine competition. And for $20, if its a winner, them thats all icing on the cake. After all, this blog is about trying reds I haven't experienced before. I cant say that I have ever tried a Peter Lehmann so this will be new.

The wine is from the Barossa Valley, so on the north side of the wine region that has Mclaren Vale on the bottom of it. The Mclaren Vale is very close to the ocean and produces a Mediterranean like climate. The Barossa is further away from the sea and has a drier atmosphere. Much like that of the Columbia basin region of Washington, or the Osoyoos area of British Columbia.

The wine colour was a very light red, almost dark pink when I opened the bottle. Upon drinking it, I was quite surprised at the lack of fruit in the first taste. Not that its a bad thing, but it was just a surprise. It has a very oakey taste, that I am not use to. The tannins were very light which was surprising because I would think that tannins intensify with oakey flavored wines. The wine was very rich and acidic. Spicy notes as well. You can definitely taste the shiraz in it, but the other wines give it a more complex flavor. After drinking the red for a few minutes I was hit by how rich and heavy the wine was. I felt like after one glass I was ready to be done. Quite a difference from the other more fruity and light reds I have tried recently. It is definitely one that should be enjoyed with food. Steak and potatoes would be my first inclination.
My conclusion on this red was that it was good enough to by on a whim for a dinner party, but definitely should be served with dinner, not just enjoyed while standing around with friends. I would give it a pass but would look for something a bit lighter as a favorite "whenever" red wine. Perhaps one more strike against it is that the red is not designed to age. It is a drink now red that is not good for collecting.
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