These past weeks I've had the pleasure of trying these three wines. Two good red wines whose grapes have become icons of their regions and a white wine that is a massive blend from a region most famous for their Amarone and Valpolicella wines.
Thomas Goss
2012 Shiraz (847749)
Australia
$16.99
Terroir and the appropriate grape varietal is the most important component for a great wine, but the winemaker plays a vital role too. In the case of this Thomas Goss Shiraz the extraordinarily talented winemaker is Ben Riggs.
Ben Riggs, an Australian winemaker, has been making wine for almost 30 years. Not only in his McLaren Vale neighbourhood, but also, in recent years, he has been busy in France, Italy, Greece and the U.S. In 2013 he was named winemaker of the year by Wine magazine. Besides his consulting he has developed his own line of wines, from his own vineyards, called Mr Riggs, a name he acquired after he outgrew his father.
Thomas Goss has a long history in South Australia in farming and later making wine. The winery that bears his name won Winery of the Year award at the New York International Wine Festival in 2012.
This wine is a good example of an Aussie Shiraz. While it has a dark purple colour it also has some brickish highlights. It has aromas of black and blue berries, and a slight touch of black pepper that is often a trademark of Shiraz. In the mouth it has a full feel with ripe blackberry and blue berries. There is a small jammy quality here, but not full-on. The finish is decently long and with very light tannins. I like a wine that is nice on its own but will also enhance a meal. This one will do either and if you choose have it with any meat entree, from poultry to beef.
Catena Alamos
2013 Malbec (467951)
Argentina
$14.99
The Catena family has had roots in Argentina since 1898. Nicola Catena emigrated from Italy and soon after began planting vines.
In 1902 he was the first to plant the Malbec grape. We know the success that grape has had in Argentina, especially in Mendoza. The Andes Mountains afford a variety of elevations of up to 5,000 feet. Our own elevation here in Prince George is about 1,900 feet above sea level. This range in elevations is incredible to me and the pictures of vineyards with the Andes covered in snow behind looks like an amazing place.
The Alamos line of wines from Catena has grapes sourced from vineyards ranging in altitude from 1,000 feet to 5,000 feet.
This Malbec is a very dark purple in the glass with good density. On the nose it has plum, black currant and black cherry aromas along with hints of vanilla, spice and earth. In the mouth it is medium-bodied with good ripe black fruit flavours and only slightly noticeable tannins. The finish lingers for a time and again I found this wine to be easily drank on its own.
But, of course it would certainly be nice paired with any beef or lamb dish.
Monte del Fra Ca' del Magro di Bianco
Custoza Superiore 2011 (216077)
Italy
$20.99
Wine score ratings are a good tool to use when you're buying wine and often it leads you to try something new. Usually these are based on the 100 point system with the closer you get to that mark the better the wine is.
I've noticed that some of these wine scorers are a little fast and loose with their ratings, but I've noticed that Anthony Gismondi isn't. To find a wine, at an affordable price, with his score of 88 or 89 points is always a bargain. This is what led me to try this wine; he's given it a whopping 90 points. That would have been enough, but I had recently tried the Bardolina, a red wine, and found it really good.
This white wine is a blend of many different grapes varietals. It contains 40 per cent Garganega, a grape native to Veneto, 20 per cent Trebbiano and the remaining 40 per cent from six other grape varietals. That's eight altogether.
In the glass it has a pale straw colour and on the nose has a melange of aromas. Apple, peach, lemon, pineapple and more aromas than I could identify are present. In the mouth I found it on the full-bodied side with all the flavours I had found in the aromas. It was crisp, but still had a little buttery quality, and finished with a little of an orange pithiness. As for pairing it with food, I think a white fish or shellfish entree.
