We went out to Hugo’s at Manly (flash website) for dinner last night for my nephew’s birthday. My sister- and brother-in-law like shiraz, so this ended up being chosen from the wine list. The Wild Oats winery (more flash) is apparently run by the same people behind the Wild Oats yacht racing syndicate, which famously contests the Sydney to Hobart every year.
I was surprised to see a blend of shiraz and viognier. From my rudimentary experience, shiraz is a powerful, full-bodied, and very spicy red, while viognier produces tangy and florally aromatic whites. Of course mixing opposites sometimes produces amazing results. I don’t know if this was truly amazing, but a gold medal at a London wine show can’t be all that bad.
The spicy aroma of shiraz was muted and there was something else elusive and unidentifiable there. Complex and interesting, at any rate. The initial taste was of tart green fruitiness, slightly reminiscent of the sauvignon blanc I had a few weeks ago, and which was very surprising coming from a deep purple-red wine like this. The spiciness of the shiraz kicked in after a while, but it was restrained in strength, and always mixed with that surprising tartness. The typical peppery flavour was either absent or only at a very low level. There was a hint of dark plum.
All together, an eye-opening blend. It was complex with layered flavours and very enjoyable.