My first wine show a few years ago was the New York Wine Expo at the Javitz Convention Center. It was something to be excited about. After focusing on Brazilian wines near the end of my few hours there I headed for the exit but being the dedicated newbie, I decided to breeze through the South African reds. It was not so pleasant as almost all the reds had a noticeable funk to them. Brettanomyces? Barnyardy….
I steered clear of South African red wine for some time but those unpleasant aroma days as far as I can taste and smell are behind us but still I brace for that South African funk. PTSD?
Having put this past behind me, thanks to years of mindfulness and a hefty “grant” from “Golly Gee South African Wines Are Damn Good All the Time Foundation” I assure you my past experiences were nothing but some unwarranted phobia as my therapist Dr. Trans Cinsault continually reminds me of. I really didn’t appreciate her botched attempt to hypnotize me as I simply couldn’t agree under the sodium pentothal to rate all South African wines a minimum of 97/100. She said it worked for the Italian wine critic and was puzzled but my integrity was sufficiently strong to block the subliminal suggestions he was trying to force upon my brain.
Embarrassing myself for revealing too much of my medical history without being harassed by an insurance company to do so we move on to a Steenberg Five Lives Red Blend a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.
Aroma: No funk! High test raspberry. Blueberry and black cherry and some milk chocolate. I also detected some acidic fog drifting up from the fruit.
Palate: Yes the acidity is there and there is brackishness to the wine both of which make this wine less than a 97 point wine! The excessive 14.5% alcohol content steals the fruit. The wine is nothing to write home about. Why the Liquor Commission of Ontario purchased this wine is puzzling but the LCBO is a puzzling organization! Not tainted just poorly made.
Personality: No comment. This wine writer needs more psychotherapy. An insult to South Africa.
Food Match: In true LCBO code a Friday night wine.
Cellarbility: Drink as soon as possible or better yet use in some Chicken Cacciatore!
Price: $23 CDN (Ontario).
RKS 2024 Wine Rating: 68/100. Wine Align 90.
(Steenberg Five Lives Red Blend 2020, W.O. Western Cape, Steenberg, Constantia, South Africa, 750 mL, 14.5%).
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