Aramis has been a favorite of mine for years, so I was excited to try the new vintage. Happily, it was not disappointing. The nose is powerful, with a lot of vanilla, cherry, and spice. Medium to full bodied, this wine caresses the palate, rather than overwhelming it the way many Aussie Shirazs do (especially those from Barossa). Cherry and raspberry upfront, with a delightful amount of vanilla and spice. The finish is dry, with a bit of earthy tobacco.
This is a good example of what a McLaren Vale Shiraz is all about; richness with elegance, rather than overwhelming power. But it will stand up to just about anything; while I had it with some cheese (which worked very well), it would be a great match for a steak, or just about anything off the "barbie".
Highly recommended. At $15, this is a great value.
I will add, this was a great example of getting the proper temperature for a red wine; many people think red wine is served at "room temperature". That's fine if your room is 64°. But in July, my room is more often pushing 80, although the cellar is in the low 70s. After pouring the first glass, I put the bottle in a chiller; cooling it just a few degrees made it much more enjoyable. This time of year, I recommend that pretty much all red wines get at least a few minutes in the fridge. You'll find them much more refreshing.
ReplyDeleteI just realized that I mis-remembered the price. It was $20, not $15. Still worth it.
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