Water Wheel Memsie Red 2006

by Ethan Johnson
June 5, 2008

It followed me home, so I might as well drink it:

Producer (Vineyard): Water Wheel Wines
Varietal (Grape type): 87% Shiraz, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec
Vintage (Year): 2006
Country: Australia
Color: Red
Cost: Inexpensive ($10 USD)

Teh booze

Swirl and Sniff: The color is dark purple with scarlet on the edges. The scent? Well, probably due more to my lame-o wine storage than the producer itself, AL-CO-HOL. As the wine sat for a while, whiffs of, mmm, I hate saying "plum" all the time, but plum.

Taste: AL-CO-HOL. But again, as the wine sat, majorly grape jam tasting. And how about black raspberries? No? OK, plum. HOT finish, but see my earlier caveat.

Pairing: I drank this with - what else - steak. The wine went well with the steak, which was my hope when I grabbed the bottle impulsively. The hot finish drew out the bite from the peppercorns I used to season the steak. Mushrooms and snap peas were in the mix as well, and everything seemed to play well together. No exotic "third flavor" though.

Rating: When it comes to this wine, I would (and you may):

  • Buy three or more bottles for regular enjoyment
  • Buy a bottle or two for occasional enjoyment
  • Ask for when dining out or at a party
  • Settle for if your preferred wine is not available
  • Politely decline and never drink again, ever

I personally wouldn't rush out to get another bottle to replace the one I used up, but I'd be willing to give it another try under more favorable conditions. This wine probably would have fared a little better had I popped it into the (plain) fridge for about 30 minutes prior to opening. This is one of those screw-cap wines, which was appreciated when I just wanted wine with my steak, man.

Side note: I am such a lightweight. The wine is "only" 14.5 alcohol by volume, but half a bottle later, I'm all, la la la I can't believe I'm typing accurately! OK - at least until I indulged that thought... backspace backspace correct.

If you do give this a try, please let me know how your experience compared with mine. Thanks! <EM>

(The Totally Unpretentious Wine Reviews Index may be found here.)

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