It Tastes Like Grapes: March 2014

Welcome

Welcome

This is a resource for people who want to buy an interesting bottle of wine on a budget of about $20. If you get lost between Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon and have access to a Dan Murphy's or Vintage Cellars (or Aldi, as of 2015!), you've come to the right place. Where possible, wines are listed with their single-bottle price from DM/VC/A and the winery's home page.

A good place to start is the 'Index', or if you know what type of wine you want, head straight to the 'Recommended Reds', 'Worthy Whites' or 'Stunning Sparklers' that only show 4 & 5☆ wines.

Your experience will be different to everyone else's, which makes wine such a pleasure. The same vintage wine at different ages will be distinct, as will the same aged wines from different vintages. What the glass holds is a unique parcel of time that should be enjoyed as such.

Saturday, 8 March 2014

(W) Tsantali: Retsina, from Greece

Smell
Early: Green and acidic (almost offensive!), quite vegetal with minimal fruit.
Later: N/A - one glass was one too many

Taste
This is surprisingly unpleasant, which is the same reaction I have to most Sauv Blanc. The mouthfeel can only be described as sharp and biting. The only noticable flavours are grasses, wood and pain.

Tale
Now in their fourth generation of winemakers, the Tsantali family have been making wine and grape-based spirits in Greece since 1890. Some of Tsantali's notable vineyard sites include Mount Athos, Mount Olympus and the island of Santorini.
This Retsina apparently has pine resin added to the must & is matured in pine barrels, which may explain the unique flavour. In any case, it should be avoided unless you believe grassy Kiwi Sauv Blanc is the only real wine, as this bottle is the white version of Hungarovin's "Szekszárdi" Kadarka.

Price: $10 (or 2L for $17)
Quality: ☆
Value: ☆

http://www.tsantali.com/portfolio/tsantali-retsina
http://www.danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_52222