What a bitch!
recommendation By
aglassofwine
11 Dec
Bitch Barossa Grenache 2004, Australia
Usually, I steer clear away of bottles with fancy-pants labels – and most of the time with good reason. I mean, I’m Chinese right, and Chinese people know that the best eateries aren’t the prettily done up ones with mood lighting and nattily dressed wait staff; hole-in-the-wall places give the best bang for your buck. This is why I was skeptical, when, shopping at Sam’s Wine with two friends in tow, the two excitedly jammed the bottle in my face and urged me to get it. They looked so ecstatic at their find, that I didn’t really have the heart to turn them down. After all, the fun in drinking wine is as much the shared experience of the bottle as the content itself (which is also why, it really sucks to be the only one at a dinner who is drinking).
I brought the bottle to dinner a couple nights ago, and my dinner companions and I many good minutes passing the unopened bottle around the table, laughing at its back label: “Bitch, bitch, bitch, ….and bitch some more.” When we finally opened it, we weren’t disappointed. At 14.7% alcohol, I had expected a really hot wine, but it turned out to be quite light and lively, with tastes of cherry and milk chocolate. Compared with the somewhat sharp and tart finish of the Estancia Pinot Noir that we also had, the Grenache’s finish was soft, and rounded. In all, a fun, simple, and easy to drink wine that would make the perfect centerpiece for any lively and engaging dinner.
And what do you know! Parker gave this a cool 90 points!
90 Points - Robert Parker (Wine Advocate)
"A spectacular bargain, this 100% Grenache (from 40-year-old vines) has nothing 'bitchy' about it. Gorgeous kirsch liqueur intermixed with pepper and soil undertones result in an Australian Grenache that tastes like a Vacqueyras on steroids. Medium to full-bodied, supple-textured, and silky, this is a stunning example of a value-priced Barossa red. The good news is there is 4,000 cases, and the packaging was designed by someone with considerable imagination. Drink it over the next 1-2 years."
