New Wines New Ideas

Three are part of this months' new release program on display in selected government liquor stores so they should be easy to spot (somewhere near the front of the store); the remaining trio are worth a trip into the side aisles.

We begin this week with a wine and a name (Soave) familiar to the over-forty crowd yet practically unknown to New World drinkers under thirty. When I first started tasting wine back in the late '70s the watery, dried cardboard 'flavours' of Soave, a dry, northern Italian white drove me to New World chardonnay coming out of California.

Today, the revamped clean, fresh, balanced efforts like Tommasi Soave Classico 2003 are calling me away from the over-oaked, high-alcohol whites of the new World. The Tomassi Soave has an attractive nutty, leesy, earthy maraschino cherry nose. It's ripe round and fresh with delicate honey, nutty, baked apple/pear and mineral flavours. Fruity, well balanced and fun to drink this new release should be a patio mainstay all summer.

Another new listing and a sure fire winner is Smoking Loon Viognier 2002.  The name, the label and its enticing honey, mineral and spicy creamy orange/mango aromas and flavours make this viognier nothing but fun to drink.

It's rich, round and fresh with good acidity and you'll love its ripe mango, honey/orange fruit flavours and baked quince and butter aftertaste. A fine effort that is delicious drinking and great value too.

Rounding out today's white wine picks is the Evans and Tate Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2003. There's much to enjoy here beginning with the smoky, canned jalapeno, grassy, green olive nose streaked with mineral and kiwi notes. On the palate the textures are soft, round and oily with more smoky vanilla, canned jalapeno, mineral and grapefruit rind flavours.

The finish is full and intense with a crisp, smoky lees taste. We suggest grilled halibut; the winery says Pad Thai, Greek salad or swordfish. Best of all it comes in screwcap which means it's always fresh and easy to open.

The first red Jindalee Shiraz 2002 is a new listing and yet another label (and wine) created to siphon off a share of the business from runaway, Australian market leader 'yellow tail'.

Everything about this wine reeks of copycat from its colourful ode to indigenous art on the label to the style of juice in the bottle. At $11.95 it is a dollar cheaper than yellow tail but don't expect it to remain so if it enjoys any success with consumers.

As for the wine: it has a fruity spicy, black pepper, black berry jam, red licorice nose. Soft, round, smooth textures and the all important touch of residual sugar in the finish. Peppery vanilla, black cherry and licorice flavours precede a sound if acidic finish. Simple fruity, soft, and affordable. Sounds a bit like yellow tail.

Today's wine drinker's pick is the VF Lasira Syrah - Grenache 2002. The label says 75 per cent syrah, 25 per cent grenache and 0 per cent cork -- the latter references its shiny black screwcap closure. The VF is Vieille Ferme a trademark of the Perrin family in the southern Rhone Valley; an inexpensive screwcap Rhone red is a dream for this writer who has always wondered what well made southern French red would taste like without a cork. 

The nose has a clean intense spicy, white pepper, black raspberry jam aroma with gamy/licorice notes underneath. The entry is soft and round with more fresh black raspberry, licorice, plum jam and dry peppery pudding flavours. The styling is fresh and Euro but with fine flavour and acidity. We suggest you pair this with flank steak or lamb sausage.

What I really encourage you to do is buy this screwcap red, note its fresh demeanour and the ease with which you can open and close the bottle. A week or two of using screwcaps and you'll be hooked.

You'll need a corkscrew to get at the Deakin Estate Shiraz 2002 but this cool, Victorian shiraz is worth it. Look for a peppery, over ripe blackberry, minty, roasted pepper nose. Expect a soft, round, easy-drinking red with juicy black berry jam, spicy, licorice, meaty flavours. The finish is dry but there is fine fruit intensity. Grilled spiced chicken or beef ribs are the ticket here. Enjoy.

Weekend Wine Tasting: New Releases

Wine   Tommasi Soave Classico 2003, Veneto, Italy
Price    $15.95
UPC    8004645302101
Score   15.0/20
Remarks         The best yet from Tommasi to drink all summer on the patio.

Wine   Smoking Loon Viognier 2002, California, United States
Price    $17.75
UPC    017444000749
Score   16.5/20
Remarks         Fine effort, delicious drinking and great value.

Wine   Evans and Tate Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2003, Margaret River, Western Australia
Price    $18.99
UPC    654910000904
Score   15.0/20
Remarks         Smoky vanilla, canned jalapeno and grapefruit rind flavours.

Wine   Jindalee Shiraz 2002, Murray River Valley, Victoria, Australia
Price    $11.95
UPC    667661000222
Score   14.5/20
Remarks         Sound, fruity and affordable.

Wine   VF Lasira Syrah - Grenache 2002, Costières de Nîmes, France
Price    $12.99
UPC    631470000759
Score   15.0/20
Remarks         Fresh black raspberry, licorice, plum jam and peppery pudding flavours.

Wine   Deakin Estate Shiraz 2002, Victoria, Australia
Price    $13.99
UPC    636662059126
Score   15.0/20
Remarks         Soft, round, easy-drinking red wine.