Master top French varieties with these four wines now!
Wine education has never trended more in this century and is only getting bigger. And while there’s many elaborate and rigorous ways to become a decorated expert on the subject, sometimes the old ways are still the best. Well, at least, there’s one age old approach that’s most enjoyable if not most effective. Set aside the voluminous tomes and overwhelming lexicon of wine terms and inscrutable tasting notes and let’s just taste the wine to know the fruit and more importantly decide if we like it.
Let’s get you started with the top four French noble grapes that also happen to be well travelled international vinous stars. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are the foundation of France’s revered wine industry and have also rooted themselves into vineyards across Europe and the New World to great success, crafting a number of popular styles. Each of these wines though has a typical style which offers both beginners and enthusiasts a easy way to grasp the wine’s classic expression and use it as a reliable reference point when they double their role at parties as wine experts! So taste way and master France’s top grapes with these four easy drinking turns from the New World.
The Daily Dose, Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Sauvignon Blanc is a widely recognised and loved grape, originally from France’s Loire Valley where it makes visibly acidic, melon and minerality driven wines. In the new world, the classic style has been amplified with even more intensity of fruit, crisp acidity and a touch of herbs. Wine Park’s very own The Daily Dose Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is a superb instance of a wine that nicely straddles the old and new world style with ripe tropical fruit character and grassy notes balanced by good acidity and elegance. Have a generous taste of this white wine, considerably chilled to acquaint your self with this delightful white, summery ferment.
Tasting Notes : Notes of citrus and cut grass with pineapple and capsicum on the palate, buoyed by lovely acidity and a clean finish.
Apaltagua, Gran Verano, Chardonnay 2019
Chardonnay originated in Burgundy but for all practical purposes, belongs to the world. This most widely planted white wine figures in top draw of nearly every wine producing country. Chardonnay is also the most barrel aged of white wines. Today though, we’re opening a lovely Chilean drop from organic producer Apaltagua — one of Wine Park’s most approachable Chardonnay styles — that expresses the classic stone fruit flavours balanced by good acidity. This wine is a great example of unoaked New World Chardonnay.Tasting Notes: Straw colored with glints of green, there are notes of fruit and spice followed by flavours of peach, mango and pineapple and a luscious finish.
Thelema, Shiraz 2015
Syrah is a grape with a remarkable story to tell. While the grape is native to France’s Rhone Valley, Syrah has rooted itself in vineyards across the New World and in some instances, defined them. That holds most true for Australia where they now call it Shiraz and use it to make most of its best reds. The style it evolved in South Africa is in fact a fascinating coming together of both classic and modern influence. While South Africa’s Western Cape and the Rhone have little in common with regard to weather and soil, local winemakers have consciously tried to create an expression that bears the hallmark peppery notes of Northern Rhone Syrah and generous overtones of ripe blackberry fruit, plum and vanilla. This description best captures the Thelema Shiraz 2015, a sublime bottle aged red produced by an acclaimed family estate.Tasting Notes: Rich notes of blackberry, plum and vanilla, laced with spice lifted by visible acidity, a touch of cocoa and supple tannins that lead into a long finish.
The Daily Dose, Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Winemakers adore Cabernet Sauvignon almost as much as wine enthusiasts. This French noble grape has thick skin and resilience to the elements, always yielding ample good fruit. While in France where leads the famed Bordeaux Blend, Cabernet Sauvignon expresses structure and tannins with understated fruit, the New World is a different story. In countries like Chile and South Africa, the ‘Cab’ has reinvented itself, opened up beautifully with rich dark fruit such as black currant and some minty notes too. And in India, the Cab has made it big time, becoming the country’s most planted red grape. Our very own The Daily Dose, Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 nicely typifies the Indian style with pleasing tones of red berries, spice and a hint of toast, finishing with soft tannins.Tasting Notes: Wholesome fruit forward expression abounding with black currant and red berries, touch of spice and toasty notes thanks to barrel ageing, complimented by soft tannins to balance the exuberance.
