| By :
Levi Reiss
This is our second review of Australian wine in just a few weeks. You may realize that Australia is a major wine exporter especially to the United States and the United Kingdom. While this wine was bottled in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales in Australia's southwest, the grapes come from the Geographical Indication of Beechworth in New South Wales neighbor, Victoria. Beechworth was once a great place to dig for gold and is now considered a fine wine region, in particular for Chardonnay and fortified wines. If money is no object look for Giaconda's wines, including their Pinot Noir. Wine Reviewed Pinot Noir New South Wales (Brokenwood Winery) 2005 14.0% alcohol about $20 There were no marketing materials so I'll quote the back label. "This Pinot Noir is sourced from Victoria's exciting Beechworth region, in the lower region of the Alpine Valleys. A very hot, dry season giving concentrated flavors... This is a ripe style with background French Oak and sappy/cherry Pinot fruit. The palate has strawberry flavors and lingering soft tannins. Drink over the short term with duck and Asian dishes. Our wines are now sealed with screw cap to guarantee quality and consistency." Re screw caps: I want to mention that when I used adjustable pliers the bottle opened nicely. And now for my review. At the first sips the wine was quite powerful with good length and tobacco but no tannins. Its first pairing was with a commercially barbecued chicken breast that was too dry but its paprika-dusted skin was nice and moist. This Pinot Noir was very present with some chocolate. With the tastier chicken leg it was somewhat too acidic. On the upside, this wine was chewy and mouth filling. Once again there was tobacco and no tannins. The next meal involved a middle-eastern specialty called kube, ground beef in crushed bulgar jackets accompanied by Swiss Chard and a slightly sour, delicious broth. This Pinot Noir was thick. I even got a taste of tar and black licorice. There was a lot of body but, at the risk of repetition, there were no tannins. They didn't seem to be missing. I tasted dark fruit, especially black cherries. I finished the meal with smoked almonds and tasted tobacco and some earth. My final meal involved fatty beef ribs cooked slowly with soft wheat kernels and accompanied by a moderately spicy guacamole. The Pinot Noir was round and thick with a lot of oak and a good length. Its acidity worked well with the meat's grease. Not only the meat was chewy and it presented black, black cherries. The wine retained some of its power and all of its length when paired with the guacamole. Before starting on the traditional two cheeses I enjoyed some Matjes herring. The wine was long, balanced, and mouth filling. The herring did not get in the way. A local Provolone actually weakened this Pinot Noir at first its acidity became slightly harsh. A tastier Swiss slightly weakened the wine, which was still powerful and long, oaky with the taste of tobacco. Final verdict. This wine is definitely worth buying again and again. Next time I won't waste it on the cheese. And maybe someday I'll try Giaconda's offerings. You'll be the first to know.
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