*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from the Terlato Wine Group
Matt actually had a request for wine the other evening. Usually he pretty much leaves the wine selection up to me even though I bug him every night as to what he’d like to drink. He requested a Cabernet Sauvignon, seeing as how it was freezing out, a big red seemed like an excellent idea to me. I picked the 2006 Guardian Peak Frontier. This is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Shiraz, and 17% Merlot from the Western Cape of South Africa. The wine clocked in at 14.5% alcohol by volume, had a screw cap closure, and retails for between $10-$14. The Terlato folks sent me 4 wines in that price range, and so far, they are batting two for two in wines that I would recommend as great to drink and easy on your wallet in this economy. I’m also excited to try more wine from South Africa. Most of my experience with South African wines is with Sauvignon Blanc.
On the nose I found leather, like a horse saddle, a bit of barnyard, mint, eucalyptus, vanilla, sugar plum, slight dark fruit, campfire smoke, and pencil shavings. A great expressive nose, though it didn’t give up much fruit. The mouth, on the other hand, had plenty of fruit to spare! I got red fruit, blackberries, plums, black cherry jello, currants, and tart cherries. Overall, the wine had some tannins on the back palate but also showed excellent acidity which would make it stand up to food really well. For the price point, this is an excellent value. Serve with your favorite steak!
Filed under: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Red, Shiraz, South Africa, Wine | Comments Off on Winemaker, Winemaker, Make Me a Blend!
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