Goats Do Roam
One of
the special joys of wine, is discovering the changes
that occur with each new vintage in a wine that was
enjoyed before. You needn't indulge in pricey, age
worthy bottles to enjoy this linear progression down the
years in your glass: It's just as much fun with quality
wines of value. Our case in point today is a South
African red from a wine maker with a sense of humor:
"Goats Do Roam," an intentional pun on the French
"Cotes-du-Rhone," with which it bears a more than
passing resemblance.
Made by Charles Back of the Fairview winery in Paarl,
South Africa, this wine got its punning name, according
to the back label, from an incident in which his
"mischievous" son Jason and a friend let the family's
goats out of their enclosure, whereupon the animals
bolted for the vineyards and ate some of the best
grapes. The winery followed the goats' example,
according to this tale, and created a Euro-style red
blend from a melange of grape varieties.
The
2000 vintage, contained a mix of seven grapes - Pinotage,
Shiraz, Grenache, Cinsaut, Carignan, Mourvedre and Gamay,
a range of varieties that lent unexpected complexity of
aroma and flavor to a rather inexpensive wine. The 2001,
features just five of those grapes: Grenache, Pinotage,
Shiraz, Cinsaut and Carignan. It is perhaps a bit less
earthy and a touch more harsh than the 2000, but it
remains a fine value, a South African red that stays
closely in touch with its Old World heritage.
 Fairview
2001 Goats Do Roam (South Africa) Red Table Wine
This clear, dark garnet wine offers jammy fruit aromas,
plums and berries, with hints of spice and licorice that
become more evident as the wine opens up in the glass.
Full, plummy and ripe flavors, tasty fruit over an
acidic edge so keen that it becomes a bit hot on the
finish. Time in the glass and a good food match softens
the sharpness, revealing an interesting table wine of
real value.
FOOD MATCH:
Works well with pork medallions in a lightly spicy sauce
with green peppers and onions. |
