Is it silly to say that I was simply excited about this wine because the word ‘rouge’ was in the name? Haha! I didn’t think so either! It reminded me of how my grandmother referred to blush and how much she hated it when she saw other women wearing what she thought was too much of it. I giggled to myself.
This was my second wine from Eikendal Vineyards. The first was a rosé that I tried in July of 2017 and had rated a 4.5. This red was not part of the “Lekker” line as the rosé was, which raised my expectations a bit. Not that the “Lekker” line was somehow lesser. I was simply interested to try something straight from the vineyard with no outside associations.
The two varietals combined in creation of this rouge were Shiraz and Petit Verdot with 78% and 22% respectively. Eikendal Vineyards is located in an area of South Africa often referred to as the “Golden Triangle.” With distinct terroir and access to the cooling breezes of the bays of False and Table, the grapes grown here experience a long ripening stage with a lower threat of disease. *
This wine was from Stellenbosch, South Africa and sampled on February 17, 2018. The wine’s deep maroon color drew me in on a chilly February evening. My first sniffs brought to mind dates and prunes with a hint of spice. I was listening to “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” by John Mayer. Wow! The spice hit me in the first sip! The soft tannins washed over my tongue like velvet. Once they hit the back of my tongue I tasted boiled fruits before the sugar is added during jam making. The spice in the wine hits stride for stride with the Thai-style turkey stir-fry.
I gave this wine a rating of 4.0. It was an easy to drink delight that my husband especially loved. The bottle didn’t even last the evening.
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