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Merlot, Chiante, Shiraz


AtomicCEO
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I have never posted in this forum before. Wow.

 

So... I know zip about wine. But... when I do drink wine... I enjoy Merlot and Shiraz, and recently I bought a Chiante that like like.

 

But... if you put the three of them in front of me, I couldn't tell the difference. What is the difference between these three types of wines? And if I like these... what else might I like?

 

I dislike Cabernet Sauvignon. It's nasty to me.

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Merlot is the red-wine success of the 1990s: its popularity has soared along with its acreage, and it seems wine lovers can't drink enough of it. It dominates Bordeaux, except for the MÉdoc and Graves. Though it is mainly used for the Bordeaux blend, it can stand alone. In St.-Emilion and Pomerol, especially, it produces noteworthy wines, culminating in Château PÉtrus. In Italy it's everywhere, though most of the Merlot is light, unremarkable stuff. But Ornellaia and Fattoria de Ama are strong exceptions to that rule. Despite its popularity, its quality ranges only from good to very good most of the time, though there are a few stellar producers found around the world.

 

Several styles have emerged. One is a Cabernet-style Merlot, which includes a high percentage (up to 25 percent) of Cabernet, similar currant and cherry flavors and firm tannins. A second style is less reliant on Cabernet, softer, more supple, medium-weight, less tannic and features more herb, cherry and chocolate flavors. A third style is a very light and simple wine; this type's sales are fueling Merlot's overall growth.

 

Like Cabernet, Merlot can benefit from some blending, as Cabernet can give it backbone, color and tannic strength. It also marries well with oak. Merlot is relatively new in California, dating to the early 1970s, and is a difficult grape to grow, as it sets and ripens unevenly. Many critics believe Washington State has a slight quality edge with this wine. By the year 2000, vintners should have a better idea of which areas are best suited to this grape variety. As a wine, Merlot's aging potential is fair to good. It may be softer with age, but often the fruit flavors fade and the herbal flavors dominate.

 

SYRAH or SHIRAZ (Red) [sih-RAH or shih-RAHZ]

Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie in France, Penfolds Grange in Australia—the epitome of Syrah is a majestic red that can age for half a century. The grape seems to grow well in a number of areas and is capable of rendering rich, complex and distinctive wines, with pronounced pepper, spice, black cherry, tar, leather and roasted nut flavors, a smooth, supple texture and smooth tannins. In southern France it finds its way into various blends, as in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Languedoc-Roussillon. Known as Shiraz in Australia, it was long used for bread-and-butter blends, but an increasing number of high-quality bottlings are being made, especially from old vines in the Barossa Valley.

 

In the United States., Syrah's rise in quality is most impressive. It appears to have the early-drinking appeal of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel and few of the eccentricities of Merlot, and may well prove far easier to grow and vinify than any other red wines aside from Cabernet.

 

SANGIOVESE (Red) [san-geeo-VEHS-eh]

Sangiovese is best known for providing the backbone for many superb Italian red wines from Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino, as well as the so-called super-Tuscan blends. Sangiovese is distinctive for its supple texture and medium-to full-bodied spice, raspberry, cherry and anise flavors. When blended with a grape such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese gives the resulting wine a smoother texture and lightens up the tannins.

 

It is somewhat surprising that Sangiovese wasn't more popular in California given the strong role Italian immigrants have played in the state's winemaking heritage, but now the grape appears to have a bright future in the state, both as a stand-alone varietal wine and for use in blends with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and maybe even Zinfandel. Expect sweeping stylistic changes as winemakers learn more about how the grape performs in different locales as well as how it marries with different grapes. Worth watching.

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Bleagh! I had some butt-ass awful Shiraz last night that might make me change my mind. Tongue-numbingly sweet, and it burned. It was so awful, I think it gave me cancer! :D

 

I guess you're playing roulette when you never buy a bottle that costs more than $10.

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Bleagh!  I had some butt-ass awful Shiraz last night that might make me change my mind.  Tongue-numbingly sweet, and it burned.  It was so awful, I think it gave me cancer!  :D

 

I guess you're playing roulette when you never buy a bottle that costs more than $10.

 

1406395[/snapback]

 

 

 

:D

 

Yeah, unless you know or have read about what your buying it's always a crapshoot. Now, if you're buying it from a wine store and this was something the owner or employee recommended then I'd think twice about taking anymore of their advice. :D

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Bleagh!  I had some butt-ass awful Shiraz last night that might make me change my mind.  Tongue-numbingly sweet, and it burned.  It was so awful, I think it gave me cancer!  :D

 

I guess you're playing roulette when you never buy a bottle that costs more than $10.

 

1406395[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

The burn is probably from a hopped up alcohol content..

 

Try some Pillar Box..It's made by the guys who make Henry's Drive, Parson's Flat and Dead Letter. It 's a blend of Cab, Shiraz and merlot. The fruit is very forward and there is a little burn but a great value at 7.99 at Cosco! Let it breath for awhile. I think I have the 04'.

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saw this a little while ago.... finally able to get back to it.

 

was thinking if you like chianti, you'll like sangiovese (main grape used). barbera d' alba, valpolicella, medoc, haut-medoc, st emilion....

 

i tend to like burgundian wines, but you'd never have to twist my arm to drink bordeaux.

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  • 3 weeks later...
saw this a little while ago.... finally able to get back to it.

 

was thinking if you like chianti, you'll like sangiovese (main grape used).  barbera d' alba, valpolicella, medoc, haut-medoc, st emilion....

 

i tend to like burgundian wines, but you'd never have to twist my arm to drink bordeaux.

 

1410654[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

I like all three. A good Cab with steak is awesome! I prefer Shiraz with a lot of different foods. Chianti with a nice red sauce.

 

I am especially fond of blends ... of course my fav is Insignia, but that's for special occassions only due to the $$$. :D

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You know, the Coppola Rosso (Zin 47%, Cab 32%, Syrah 21%) is a really decent bottle of wine for $7. Usually if I'm just looking for some table wine at home I pick up 1 or 2 of these in the store. I've also been drinking the Rabbit Ridge Zinfandel lately, it's $8.

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You know, the Coppola Rosso (Zin 47%, Cab 32%, Syrah 21%) is a really decent bottle of wine for $7.  Usually if I'm just looking for some table wine at home I pick up 1 or 2 of these in the store.  I've also been drinking the Rabbit Ridge Zinfandel lately, it's $8.

 

1441458[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

Stupid question... Is Zinfindel a red?

 

I've only seen white zinfindel... and it was always vapid female english majors drinking it.

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Stupid question... Is Zinfindel a red?

 

I've only seen white zinfindel... and it was always vapid female english majors drinking it.

 

1442065[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

 

White Zin. is usually made with the by product of the Zinfandel wine making process. Winemakers will usually "bleed" some of the juice off after the crush to intensify the flavoring of a wine. The white zin stays in contact with the grape skins for a very short period of time and takes on a pinkish hue. One of my favorite Spring and summer wines is a Rose, which is the by product of Bordeaux, California Cabs. etc... You know that you are getting a great quality wine when you are drinking a Latour Rose or another first growth wine. An 05' Rose will actually give us all our first taste of the 05' Bordeaux's!

 

:D

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