79% Syrah and 21% Mourvedre from Tulbagh, Western Cape, Coastal Region, South Africa.
SRP of $28 and available for as low as $24 (Saturday Splurge).
From the bottle:
"Two sisters, who had always been very close, found out one day that they would be marrying men from different villages. Distraught that they would be separated by some distance and nervous that they would grow apart, the sisters went to the village healer and asked if he had any potions to help cement their bond for life. He told them that yes, he did, but he would need a lion’s whisker to make it. The two sisters spent many weeks lingering near where the lion drank from the lake so that he would eventually trust that they meant him no harm. After many weeks, one of the sisters finally reached out and pulled a whisker from the lion, and they took it to the healer. "Alas," he said, "there is no potion after all, but if you have the dedication, bravery, and can make a lion trust you, you already have everything you need to keep your relationship strong forever."
14.5% Alcohol"
As I'm sure you've noticed by now, I'm a huge fan of Syrah and Syrah-based blends. Whether it be from California, Oregon, Italy, South Africa, Australia or any and all points in-between, this variety offers so much to wine lovers. So it was with excitement that I opened up today's wine.
The 2009 Fable Lion's Whisker Red Blend begins with strong succulent aromas of blackberry, strawberry, licorice, spice, leather and a little smoked meat. As you can tell the bouquet has excellent complexity -- basically the more you smell it the more you find. Tasting the wine reveals a nice smooth mouthfeel and lots of savory, delicious fruit. The flavors are similar to the bouquet but the leather and smoked meat are more pronounced when tasting and there is also a bit of green olive coming through. The finish is dry with good length and even features a bit of spicy minerality. A really excellent wine and it was just as good on day 2.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
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