Natascha is always great fun and mixes it up well.  The first time I was on the show, we talked about party wines.  The next time, we sampled and discussed Rieslings.  This time we are going to be discussing wines made from secondary red wine grapes.  The four primary red wine grapes are:

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Shiraz
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir

A majority of red wine is made from these primary grape sources.  Yet, I have fallen in love with the different mouth feel, textures and variety of the so-called secondary grapes.  They are only secondary when referring to the volume of grapes sold as wine.  They make some great, great wines.  Examples of secondary wine grapes include:

• Sangiovese
• Zinfandel
• Tempranillo
• Durif
• Barbero
• Grenache (is considered by some to be a primary red wine grape)
• … and many more!

There might be over 1,000 different wine grapes now.  What I love about the secondary grapes is that they have real character and sense of terroir.  They uniquely reflect the region where they are grown, more so than primary red grapes.  The primary grapes have been replanted so many times and so far around the world and have been groomed to reflect the strength of the varietal.  Secondary grapes have far more diversity and different characteristics based on where they are grown.  This is not to say that primary red wine grapes do not reflect their terrior – they certainly do.  And they make some great wines.  But the secondary red wine grapes make wines which are all over the place, picking up the local climatic and soil traits and the influence of various wine makers not yet familiar with the grape, and therefore, can sometimes take on unique characteristics which make then truly special.

I am not sure exactly what bottles I will be bringing tomorrow.  I am still figuring that out this evening and tomorrow morning.  But as always, it should be a great show.  Tune in if you can!

Steve Shipley, author Wine Sense, out early 2014. Published by InkIT Publishing
© 2013.  Steve Shipley
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Twitter:  Steve Shipley @shipleyaust;   InkIT Publishing @inkitpub

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The 2005 Pepper Tree Grand Reserve Tannat comes from Wrattonbully, a great wine region for Cabernet Sauvignon and some other fine wines.  When my wife first tried this wine at the cellar door several years ago, her reaction was “I can’t describe this wine, but I love what it does to my mouth!”  Maybe that was all the description necessary.

When opening the bottle yesterday, and trying my first sip, I noticed the wine to be quite lively, almost fizzy, like a weak sparkling wine on my palate.  It also had large tannins and was a bit gritty.  I was expecting this wine to provide a ‘punch in the mouth’ in terms of flavors, but it did not.  The fruit was lively enough and it tasted of berries, but more like raspberries and a bit weak overall.  I searched hard for secondary flavors and only found the smallest trace of chocolate.

It has an interesting mouth feel, being high in tannins and with the fizzy feeling going on.  This settled down the second day the bottle was open and while it was still gritty, it was smoother and less active on my palate.  However, this wine is a disappointment overall.  It just lacks any type of finesse or complexity.  The berry taste is flat and the secondary characteristics (except for that trace of chocolate) missing.  To self-categorize this wine as a ‘Grand Reserve’ seems almost deceptive.  And coming from Wrattonbully, I was expecting better.

I have had a recent love affair with secondary red grapes, including my affection for Grenache, Tempranillo, and Malbec, but this wine does nothing to put a Tannat in that group.  This is the only Tannat I have ever drank, so I am not sure if the limitations are in the grape itself or the wine making process for this particular brand and vintage.  I need to try a few more Tannats to find out.

Looking back, I thought this might be an interesting and different wine to occasionally serve up, but I was wrong.  Fortunately, I have a leftover glass of the 2007 McWilliams Mount Pleasant Maurice O’Shea Shiraz to go with my lasagna tonight and I just got the call for dinner, so will enjoy that instead of the Pepper Tree Tannat.  It is not a perfect match, but will have to do.

Steve Shipley, author Wine Sense, out early 2014. Published by InkIT Publishing
© 2013.  Steve Shipley
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Twitter:  Steve Shipley @shipleyaust;   InkIT Publishing @inkitpub

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Malbec is considered in a group of secondary (according to how much is drunk, not an appreciation for the quality of the grape) red grapes with Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Shiraz being the 4 grapes in the primary red grape category. Malbec joins Grenache, Carmenere (mostly from Chile), Barbera, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, and a few others in what are known as ‘secondary’ wine grapes. This does not necessarily mean they are secondary in taste, but just wine sales.  Some of these grapes if grown properly and by themselves or in blends can provide some truly outstanding wines and that is true of Malbec as well as the others.

Malbec grows best in Argentinian soil, followed by Chile and then some spots in Europe and Australia. It is such a heavy grape with big tannins that it is usually blended with some other grapes such as Merlot or Cabernet Franc and provides some great blend combinations. I have had a few bottles of 100% Malbec and loved it, but you need to be careful not to drink too much as it is bigger, heavier and has more tannins than most grapes. If you love big robust Shiraz wines you will probably like a bottle of 100% Malbec.

It is almost grainy because there is so much tannin in it. Tannin is what is in tea that makes you suck in your cheeks a bit and provides texture to the wine (or tea). I love big tannin wines if they have been fully integrated to the wine (which takes years) so it must be well aged to smoothen the wine out and take the grainy edge off the wine. However if aged and cellared properly for 5 – 10 – 25 years, tannin is what gives some of the great red wines their structure and complexity.

Therefore, I would not drink a newly bottled Malbec, but would once it has 4 – 5 years or more of age into it. And you may want to try a blend instead of a 100% Malbec.

I think it is a great grape, when selectively used and from the greatest regions, such as Argentina. The grape is also very sensitive to its ‘terrior’ (the influence of the land, soil, weather, and growing conditions around it) similar to Pinot Noir. That is why some Pinot Noir and Melbecs can be truly great from one region and not from another region, and great one year and not the next. Both grapes are very sensitive and are influenced more than Riesling or Semillon which typically are more consistent, at least within region or from year to year.

The Malbec is very fruity, but can taste leathery, a bit smoky and spicy – a bit like black pepper, but these are all flavors in small quantities that give the grape great depth and flavor. If you like a Hunter Valley Shiraz (unfortunately you have probably not have had any if you are reading this from the US), or if you like any robust Shiraz, you will probably like Malbec, or at least a Malbec blend.  Give it a try!

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