Beauty & The Beast

Allow me to introduce two very different red wines - A Beauty and A Beast.  Well, perhaps Beast is something of a misnomer as both these wines are incredible.  Let me explain.

The Beast - Chateau Musar Red (2004):

This is an absolutely delicious red - a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan.  Not too much (i.e. fine) tannin, not too heavy on the palate even with a hefty 14%abv and with stone fruit aromas.  It can certainly stand on its own and I find that it should be paired with lighter meats - nothing too rich - otherwise some of the delicacy is lost.

So, what makes this wine a beast?  The geographical location of the vineyard - Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.  News reports make it seem completely unfeasible that something of such quality could be produced in such a war torn area.  Yet, here it is.  Indeed, the remote positioning of the Chateau Musar vineyards mean soil is organic by default, something which is unheard of in most Old and New World regions.  They also employ traditional harvesting and wine making methods - no fining or filtering necessary.

Unfortunately, you won't find this wine in your local Sainsburys or Budgens.  However, you can find it in abundance at Majestic and Waitrose.

The Beauty - Alpha, Box and Dice - Tarot (2008):

It is apparent why I have named this The Beauty.  Such art work!  They say that female consumers are most greatly influenced by the quality of a wine label.   But I defy a man to resist this bottle!

And thankfully, this 2008 Grenache is as beguiling as its label - going well with red meats but can also be drank alone.  This I purchased from a local Bacchanalia Wine Merchants in Cambridge and was advised that this vintage was particuarly good with subsequent vintages proving rather poor.

But what is most intriguing is the whole philosophy of the Australian winemakers Alpha, Box & Dice.  Their website is resembles something close to an art installation.

And they also supply technical notes for their wines, which for an aspiring wine scientist, i.e. Me, is more than fantastic.  It even details irrigation scheduling...my favourite topic of discussion at the moment.

Below is a snapshot of Alpha Box & Dice notes on Changing Lanes (cv. Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon 2005).

So, there we have it!  Two reds - A Beauty and A Beast.  Enjoy!