Beaumont Mourvedre 2009 makes it into top "interesting wines that caught my eye"
Presenting a tasting to industry experts is no easy task. Unlike consumers, these guys don’t fall for witty stories or back label waffle – it’s all about what’s in the glass, whether it’s good or bad and exactly why it presents the way it does.
VinPro’s consultation team asked me to present a tasting of “interesting wines that caught my eye” to end off one of their technical discussions. The criteria is a bit broad (luckily, many wines have caught my eye this past year) and I decided to limit my selection to unusual varietals or blends thereof.
Although the wines were required to be technically sound, I was happy to see that my audience (which comprised the VinPro team, as well as other viticulture experts) had a real appreciation for wines with an atypical edge constantly seeking that curiosity factor. This was also reflected in the favourite wines of the day:
Beaumont Mourvédre 2009
This “wild thing” was tamed in Bot River. According to most of the tasters, Mourvédre is known to be a somewhat ruthless character in both vineyard and bottle, growing like “wingerd woude” and being somewhat edgy as a wine.
While the Beaumont didn’t lose its characterful wild side, it’s a remarkably rounded and elegant wine – showcasing a good balance of rich fruit, spiciness and an appealing meatiness. This can probably be ascribed to the age of these vines, the cooler climate in which they grow and the track record and experience that Beaumont boasts with in this varietal.
…continue reading on www.wineland.co.za
by Edo Heyns – Wynland
