Taste Test: April 2012

Shanghai’s most committed dipsomaniacs get together to share and compare some of the wines around town. It’s a no-nonsense guide to the good, the great and the bloody ordinary of wine. Which wine will win this month?

Attendees:

Mat Ryan – Partner in The Shed

Alan Duffy – Partner in The Shed

Thomas Geffre – Wine guy

Glenn Thain – Rum guy

Ray Hsu – Engineer guy

Ida Loh – Pool shark

Baron de Lay White Rioja – Spain 

Straight away, this reminded me of a Hunter Valley (Australia) Semillon.  A crisp, dry wine, which Ida and I both liked, and Ray similarly agreed with, saying, “this is my type of wine; I don’t like sweet wines.”  Glenn disagreed, pointing out that it does have a little sweet taste at the start. Thomas gave us a run down on the blend, but to be honest, none of us were taking much notice of him, preferring instead what we had in the glass in front of us.

All in all, a simple, honest wine.  One of those you’d happily sit outside with on the patio or near the pool, possibly with a seafood platter. Well worth having a few bottles in the fridge at home. “Sweet and innocent, like a teenager,” said Ray. Obviously he doesn’t have any teenage kids...

Price: RMB 180

Ravenswood Zinfandel – USA 

I was already quite familiar with this wine, as it was one of the biggest sellers at a previous wine bar I owned.  Being an Australian, I had not really heard about the varietal until I moved out of Australia, however I’ve since come to be a big fan, simply because they are not too dissimilar to the Australian Shiraz: big, spicy wines. The Ravenswood is definitely a big food wine, and goes very well with red meat. Ida was not as big a fan as me, but to be fair, she is more of a Cabernet Sauvignon girl.  Ray (being American) thought it very typical for a US imported wine, and Glenn thought it perfect for a frat party.  I would have thought beer was more suitable for that, but what would I know, I didn’t go to an American university. 

Another very solid wine that is reasonably priced.  I was hesitant to taste this one second, thinking it would be too heavy for the Malbec coming up next, but it really did fit in well.  The mass consensus was that it is perfect for accompanying with a BBQ – just in time for spring.

Price: RMB 250

Aguaribay Malbec (from Baron de Rothschild), Argentina

I was very much looking forward to this, being a fan of the underrated Malbec varietal. Their softness makes them perfectly suited to the China market, but of course it comes down to marketing and how well the French, Australians and Americans have done in marketing their varietals. Ida was first off the bat commenting that she loved the long finish and “would drink a lot of this”.  Alan was searching for some food to go with this wine, in the end opting for a simple steak. Glenn agreed, saying it was a gamy wine, “perfect for with venison. Perhaps on the same BBQ with the Zinfandel?”

I really did enjoy it, but in my opinion, it needed to open up a little. With this wine part of the Rothschild stable, you know it’s going to be well made and absolutely consistent, that the family would not put their name to an inferior product. It’s soft, yet complex with more tannins than you would expect from such a smooth wine.

Price: RMB 275

Summary

A dead heat between the two reds on this, but the Zinfandel just gets over the line simply because it is terrific straight out of the bottle. The Malbec needs some time in the glass (or a decanter).  Both sensational BBQ wines though, and 2 to keep in mind with the weather starting to get better. Everyone pretty much loved the white though and agreed it’s one to have a few bottles stashed of at home, for whenever the occasion arises.

All wines are available through Jebsen.  E-mail [email protected] or phone 159 0062 0028.  Discounts available if you mention this article: Shanghai Talk Taste Test.