Shatter Grenache 2021
Joel Gott teamed up with Charles Bieler to bring you ‘Shatter’ sourced from the hillside vineyards around the town of Maury, in Roussillon, not far from the Spanish border. It is a blend of 96% Grenache and 4% Syrah and co-fermented. The vines were planted over 60 years ago on pure black schist, as seen on the wine label.
For those technically minded schist is “a metamorphic crystalline rock that has a closely foliated structure and can be split along approximately parallel planes technical: a type of rock that can be broken into thin, flat pieces” Source: www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary
Combine this with strong ocean winds, and summer heat and you get stressed grapes that split or ‘shatter’ thinning out the bunches of grapes and resulting in rich generous wines.
The alluring nose is dominated by black currant, plum, coffee, and spices. The palate drinks more red fruits with red currants, cherries, and dark raspberries winning over secondary notes of herbs, chocolate, an almost fruit cake-like quality, and white pepper. The wine displays depth and finesse with tannins in play- this may look and feel like New World but it is most definitely French. This needs 3 – 4 hours of decanting- which did indeed soften the tannins. Nice length on the finish.
Pairings should include Beef, Pork, Turkey, and Chicken dishes.
Cellar: 6-8 years.
Penfolds Bin 389 Shiraz / Cabernet 2020
So much has been written about this wine, including yours truly. Considered a ‘poor mans Grange’ or ‘baby Grange’ because of the time it spends maturing in Grange barrels drawing down additional depth, and complexity. However, you approach this, it has been a consistent winner for Penfolds and wine drinkers alike, with consistently high scores, and celebrity-style praises.
This is the atypical blend of 51% Cabernet and 49% Shiraz sourced from vineyards in McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, and Padthway. This is a quintessentially Australian blend, that is unapologetically big, bold, rich, and an absolute delight to drink.
The prestigious Langton Wine Auction House in Australia (www.langtons.com.au) has four Classifications for Australian Wines: Exceptional, Outstanding, Excellent, and Distinguished showcasing 123 wines only. Bin 389 falls into the Outstanding category.
Bury your nose deep into the glass and you can’t help but smile with the immediate depth and generosity. Seductive aromas of black fruits and vanilla hint at what is to come.
The palate showcases an inviting mouthfeel, texture, and tension between the harmonious components of cabernet and shiraz. The signature creamy mid-palate is evident and both anticipated and pleasing to anyone familiar with this wine. Seamless layers of black currents, black raspberries, black cherries, and vanilla, with secondary notes of ripe black plums, black pepper, and raspberries.
Pairings should include Moroccan lamb backstraps on eggplant relish or any of your favorite red meat dishes. Just make sure it’s worthy of this exceptional wine.
Cellar: decades, if not longer- 2045 plus.
Vine to Table 