Month: September 2020

2018 Tandem Bólido Navarra Tempranillo

One of those bottles that confounds first and even second impressions. Over three days it started with slightly dull cola, red cherry and toffee with a little bitter sulphide to finish. Good Tempranillo grip and acid though. It then swerved to show a green herby edge souring the end. Not so keen. Didn’t quite give up, back in the fridge and upon the third day ripe cherry and plum flavours appeared with a good smear of savoury almond paste on a strong finish. Even at this budget level, it seems grunty robust Tempranillo needs a lot of oxygen. Glad I waited.

13.5% alcohol. Screw cap. 410 gms of glass. $13.30 in a direct import six from Dan Murphy’s.

Started 88, sunk to 86 and finished 91.

2018 Jericho GSM

A blend of 85% Grenache, 12% Shiraz and 3% Mourvèdre which means it could be simply labelled as Grenache under Australian labelling rules which apparently allow 15% of something else without having to declare it. Not much chance of real ingredient labelling anytime soon then. Nonetheless, kudos to the Jerichos for being this concise. The label also says it’s from the Blewitt Springs sub region where nearly every McLaren Vale Grenache I’ve enjoyed seems to come from. Smell and flavours thus, leather, earthy, dried cherry and a sort of clove or nutmeg feel. It comes alive on the tongue with really bright rich raspberries, florals, hot cross bun spice and leathery dried grape skins. Good whack of natural feeling, stalky acidity cleans up nicely. Second day and the rich fruit’s quite lolly sweet to the point of almost cloying but that stalky cut organises it well. Delicious but you have to like that youthful power of full throttle sweet Grenache, honest, rich and probably typical of the Springs of Blewitt.

14.20% alcohol. Screw cap. 548 gms of glass. $26, good value.

93 points.