BULK BUY! Makes my tastebuds tingle just thinking about it, the Yalumba The Strapper GSM
48% Grenache, 47% Shiraz and 5% Mataro (Mourvedre) from the Barossa Valley, South Australia. The wine is aged for 10 months in a mix of used American, French and Hungarian large oak vats, small oak vats, puncheons and oak barrels. Vegan and vegetarian friendly.
Sample submitted for review. SRP of $20 and available for as low as $14. Imported by Negociants USA.
From the bottle:
The Strapper in thoroughbred parlance is the reliable and trustworthy member of the team - not generally in the limelight. The Strapper, Barossa Valley GSM is not the showy type, rather the wine that the winemakers drink, when they're not having a Riesling or an ale. Authentic Barossa Shiraz is sandwiched between the understated fragrant perfume of Grenache and the earthy, rustic tannins of Mataro - a well bred, strapping and savoury wine.
14.1% Alcohol
We've long been fans of wines from Yalumba, which are typically made from varieties like Grenache and Shiraz. And it goes without saying that we are fans of GSM (Grenache - Syrah - Mourvedre) blends made famous in the Rhone Valley of France. It turns out Australia can do GSM blends pretty well too.
The 2011 Yalumba The Strapper Grenache-Shiraz-Mataro begins with lots of delicious, spicy red and black fruit notes along with some lovely touches of lavender. In fact, this one smells so good you may find it a challenge getting your nose out of the glass to take a sip! You will definitely want to do that however, as this wine is filled with tons of fresh, juicy and delicious tart fruit tinged with herbs and spice. Medium-bodied with a smooth and luscious texture, the wine will hold up just fine on day two but it's highly doubtful it'll last that long. The wine finishes a bit rough which helps to give it some character and also features more lingering sweet tart fruit and touches spice, vanilla and chocolate. Yum, I absolutely love it!
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
