After a glorious month of touring the old world, the TLN-Soma wine tasting series hops down-under. About twenty Local Noses sniffed their way through Margaret River, Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills and further east into New South Wales.
The crisp and citrusy Borambola Wishing Well Sauvignon Blanc of Gundagai, NSW awakens the palate, followed by the riper, fruitier Adelaide Hills Pikes & Joyce Pinot Gris - a perfect match to Yantra's sumptuous, melt-in-the-mouth chicken malai kebab.
But these TLN merry-makers have waited in much anticipation for the Aussie reds, starting with the well renown South Australian shiraz. With a mouthful full-o-fruits, from McLaren Vale was lighter-bodied than its Barossa cousins. Its gentle tannins made it easy-drinking enough to keep normally-white-wine drinker Kara coming for more!
First-timer Robyn from Australia declared her favourite to be big-bodied 2007 Peccavi No Regrets Cabernet Merlot from Margaret River, WA. Dark and broody, with flavours of cassis, cocoa and eucalyptus, it brought back homely memories of Arnott's Mint Slice, a dark-chocolate-covered mint biscuit – one of the Aussie national favourites alongside Tim-Tams. With the cute mini samosas, the curry spice danced with minty eucalyptus and made tingles on my tounge! Ahh...as Edith Piaf would put it... je ne regrette rien...
TLN meet-up regular Elena, on the other hand, preferred the even deeper and broodier 2005 Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - a perfect example of a Coonawarra Cab, woody and full of black fruits, with a solid tannin structure.
I love Christmas, and 2007 Voyager Estate Shiraz definitely made me think of just that – plummy and sweet spiced, just like a Chrissie pud(ding)! And with the lamb shish kebab – omigod! Yantra's chef Chintan was so spot-on! Lamb and shiraz... have I clicked my red shoes? For a moment, I thought I was in Oz again!
And then came the big brother. 2005 Mr Black's Concoction Shiraz Viognier brought in the full-bodied jamminess of a Barossa shiraz. Jam-packed of fruits, peppered with the white spice on the nose. A family member of our host Soma graced this wine with her preference. She came, she saw, she liked.
