Zweigelt

2009 tasted January 2017
Ben says (January 2017): The 2009 is a lovely dark ruby which twinkles in the glass. A fruity nose with plenty of black berries, a touch of mulchy forest floor, some smokiness and hints of burnt caramel. It gives great promise for the taste to come. In the mouth, there is quite a bit of heat and the impression that there is far more alcohol than in reality. This soon disappears and the rich, velvety tannins carry the dark fruits across your taste buds delightfully. It is a super wine which is great on its own, with a fat cigar or to accompany venison in a red wine sauce.

2006 and 2009 tasted February 2016. The 2006 is spicy and impressive, the 2009 seemrf to be in a rather subdued phase. (Rebounded since!)

2009: "A dark brick red, with spice, nutmeg, pepper and earth on the nose. On the palate, it's a juicy, sappy wine with spice, cherries and dark berry fruit flavours. Good length, gamey and spicy. You can chill it as you would a mid-weight Beaujolais which makes it a great summer wine. An excellent value Zweigelt. Oz Clarke."

2006: The flavours have blended nicely and the wine is still fruity with a surprising amount of spice in the finish. This wine was selected for the Oz Clarke 250 Best Wines 2010 guide in which the following description appears:-
"Zweigelt is a smashing grape, but it's almost unheard of outside it's native Austria. It's delicious and peppery when it's not quite ripe but so long as you don't spoil it with too much oak, you can ripen it right up and keep it's character. This is dark purple and the flavour is bursting with fruit and spice - cranberry, red cherry, raspberry and plum, with hints of ginger and allspice and a dryness of stones and wood bark that keeps the wine cool and northern, and leaves the impression of ripe red fruit grown in a forest glade."