Poor Reds

The odd thing is Rex Goliath wines don’t seem to display their vintage. No year appears anywhere on the label or bottle. I’m not sure if that’s a bad sign or not, but I’ve had good luck with this label in the past. In fact on a recent cruise we took to Ensenada, our table mates picked their Pinot Noir for dinner one night. they had no idea they could grab this at their local Bel Air for $6 (as opposed to the $30 or so they shelled out). But there it was on sale at Bel Air this week for $5.99 (regular 8-9 I think). To be fair, they didn’t have the Pinot, but they did have the Shiraz and the Cab.

So… what is the difference between a shiraz and a syrah anyhow? Is this like sherbet and sorbet?

Rex is out of Woodbridge California… adjoining my home town of Lodi.  I don’t remember this winery, but a) I didn’t hang out at a lot of wineries  in high school and b) wineries have been springing up around Lodi in the last 5 years like pimples at a Jonas Brothers concert.

First the smell: plummy, dark fruits.  Maybe a touch of cherry.  Very pleasant.

The taste is very smooth. Full of berries, but mellow, not overpowering. I think most Shiraz I’ve had tend to be a pretty peppery and I like that. But this one is light in that department (despite what the label says)… still it is quite good.  No oak and finishes nice and slow.  I would eat this with a good steak or a burger, maybe a nice sharp cheese.  It’s a good winter wine.

For $8-10 it is a good value.  Solid wine that drinks very well, though it probably won’t blow you away.  It could be a staple for having with company.  For $5.99 it is an every day steal.  I bought 4 bottles.

**** (4 stars)

This entry was posted on December 28, 2008 at 12:00 am and is filed under Shiraz. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.