When I heard Great Eastern Mall was going to have a Wine Clearance on 26th March, I was itching to go stock up! It was payday and I was trigger happy!
By the time I got there after our Zoo Check Workshop, crowds have gathered for their Free wine tasting. I cursed being alone and none of my friends were free to join me! Ughh there goes an opportunity for free booze! Damnit!
One glanced at the Sale area and I wasn't too impressed. This should be easy. Me dressed in my T shirt and sloppy jeans with my smelly Hippy bag the sales people must've thought I'm some idiot trying to buy wine! Most of them were very nice trying to assist and asked what I was looking for but my eyes were busy darting scanning the price. My target is not to purchase anything above RM 39.90 and I know what I'm looking for, Thank you very much!
I didn't let my ego get in the way and did ask the sales guys what would they recommend and I did try some of their selection. To this day, French wines are the only wines I avoid buying despite the price tag. Yes, you can get a cheap French table wine for RM 19.90 to RM 23. Trust me, it's not worth the trouble! You might as well go drink cat's piss...
So I settled for this 4 bottles which totalled less than RM 130, bearing mind it was a Clearance Sale. Price had been slashed to half otherwise the total would've been close to RM 300;
The last one remaining on my shelf is the Coonawarra one
* Montana Hawke's Bay, NZ Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (RM 39)
* Rosemount Estate Australia Shiraz Cabernet 2008 (RM35)
* The Musician Coonawarra Australia Cabernet Shiraz 2004 (RM39)
The first one to go was the Cape Spring, Merlot Cabernet...
At RM 25, it was a steal!
Alcohol Content: 12.5%
$$$$: RM 25 (discounted price)
Vintage: 2009
Usually I would not buy a young wine unless recommended as with young Reds it can be quite tannic. However, the sales guy assured me this one was quite smooth...
On the label:
Style: A very Intense red wine. Warm, rich and fruity. The wine is very versatile and will complement a wide range of dishes such as red meats, pasta and cured meats.
On a personal note:
Intense, yes, agreed. As I take my wine chilled, on the first sip it did taste quite thin.
Medium bodied. Slightly sweet and I could taste the sourness of berries. Very light tannins which was great! The only problem was it was going to be hard to find this wine again but if I see it again I would definately pick up a bottle or two!
Again people argue about room temperature. It will be 14 C to 16 C, which is pretty chilly and the normal "room" temperature in a European Country! So if you live in KL, do stick your bottle of wine in the fridge. It does taste different. Drinking unchilled wines is suitable for light-bodied wines to bring out the taste and to taste the structure.
The strangest thing was I could not find the Vineyard name on the back label so I started googling for Western Cape but there is no Cape Spring listed! Instead the bottom of the label stated :
Imported and Bottled by GCFat F-67290 Petersbach
A quick search again and it seems Petersbach is in France!
Hence, the grapes were harvested in Western Cape, South Africa and were then exported to be processed in France! Well, at least it was a decent blend of New World grapes and Old World Wine making techniques...
http://www.rosemountestate.com.au/visit_the_estate/index.asp
Second to go was this Australian Shiraz Cabernet from Rosemount Estates....
Alcohol Content: 13.5 %
Considered quite high residual sugar, meaning it will be quite sweet. Folks, if sweet wines are your cup of tea, do look for wines with alcohol content above 12.5 % . Not because it will get you drunk faster, it's because the grapes were harvested slightly riper. Although New World Wines such Australia, their grapes have lesser time to hang on the trees as the sun makes them ripen faster, therefore experts say New World Wines lack "structure"...
Vintage: 2008$$$$: RM 35 (discounted price, UP: RM69.90 to 79.90)
On a personal note:
I really liked this one! The aromas made me happily intoxicated with the fragrance of plums, berries and slight caramel-ish ! Usual Retail price is not exactly cheap for an everyday drinking wine, however if you do come across this label in a Wine clearance, you may want to stock up as it is worth every cent... and every drop! ;)
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