One of the benefits of working in high-end restaurants is the chance to taste many wines and spirits priced well above your budget. The trouble is, once you’ve tried 1997 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour, or 1990 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches, lesser wines will always pale in comparison. This is especially true with regard to reds, and is probably the reason we shy away from drinking red wine as a casual beverage. We tend to splurge on a handful of special bottles over the course of the year instead of keeping a stock of a less expensive alternatives in the house.
That’s not to say I don’t keep my eyes out for bargains—sometimes you need several bottles of red for a party or get tired of beer with barbecue and decide you really need a quaffable red on the table. I’ve recently stumbled across two such bottlings that neatly fit this bill. The first is a Rhone-style red from South Africa called Goats do Roam (a play on Cote-du-Rhone for those of you not paying attention). One of a line of several Rhone blends from the wine company of the same name, this affordable beauty packs plenty of flavor. It’s a blend of Rhone varietals with a bit of Pinotage, Cab and Merlot thrown into the mix.
The second is the VEO Grande, a Chilean Cab from Vinedos Errazuriz Ovalle, perhaps the largest producer in Chile. I took a chance on this when I saw it at Sam’s Club because of the Colchagua appellation on the label. Some of Chile’s finest reds come from this area. For $9 I didn’t expect a blockbuster, but was satisfied with the value in the bottle.
Goats do Roam Red South Africa 2004 $12
Medium-bodied with soft tannins and a touch of sweetness, this wine displays ripe plum with a hint of pepper. Lightly-oaked, lively, and refreshing. Great with cassoulet or pork with red cabbage. I would definately buy this again.
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VEO Grande Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Chile 2004 $9 at Sam’s Club
Upon first opening this I was utterly disappointed. It was closed up tight, very light-bodied for Cabernet, and nothing on the nose. Nada. Several minutes in the glass improved things considerably, however. Subdued black currant and licorice predominates. Not much of a finish, but it doesn’t have that overblown vanillan of many inexensive Cabs, either. Cheap enough to buy for a crowd. buy cialisbuy cialisbuy levitrabuy levitrabuy propeciabuy propeciabuy somabuy somabuy levitrabuy cialisbuy propeciabuy levitrabuy somabuy cialisbuy propeciabuy levitrabuy somabuy cialisbuy levitrabuy propeciabuy soma