Charlie's WorldRed Wine Wednesday – Storm Bird
So, wine lovers, you made it to hump day – well done you!
It’s been a crazy few weeks here, work is bouncing along in the shadow of a load of very public statements about cost cutting and efficiency, which is always an interesting time. However, I’m still here and in order to restore some balance to the force, a healthy application of red wine is required.
For your tasting pleasure this week, we have the Storm Bird Shiraz Cab Merlot 2006
I can’t find any information on which vineyard makes Storm Bird wines, however I do know that they come from the Mudgee region of New South Wales in the South East of Australia, not too far from Sydney and just the other side of the Great Dividing Ranges from the famous Hunter Valley,
Anyways, its a good blend of 3 grape varieties that are often used together to make well balanced reds. So what’s this one like.
Presentation: Simple, classy with a nice logo of the Channel Billed Cuckoo bird (which is apparently called the storm bird). So there you go
Appearance: medium weight, cherry red, slightly translucent but only in the top 5mm or so. Other than that it’s dark and mysterious
Aroma/Smell/Bouquet: Slightly sweet smelling at first, especially if you give it a good firm whirl around the glass. Also little acidic, fruity – blackberry and something even sweeter like cherry – from the Cab and Merlot no doubt. Once it’s settled, there’s another layer too – darker, smooth, chocolatey, rich. Nice.
Taste: The sweetness on the nose gives way to a much layered structure that’s quite subtle. What hits me first is the juicy fruit and I can taste the Cabernet and theres a little bit of pepper from the shiraz up front. It’s also very smooth – darker in the mid palate – that chocolate again and other dark tones that I can’t put my finger on.
Finish: Here comes the Shiraz – little bit of peppery spice, but not too much – kinda like the Margaret River cool climate Shirazes which are soft and subtle, and certainly nothing like the South Australian fire breathers. It’s got almost nutty undertones. It has quite a long finish, plenty of tannin and enough acidity to stop the velvety chocolate from becoming cloying.
Verdict: Quite unusual, but very nice. Easily drinkable and there’s just enough in the blend to be interesting
Score: 7.5/10 – I’d drink it again (which is just as well, I have another 5 on the rack!)
Charlie's World 
Very interesting blog. Good sense of humor. thanks, bill
LikeLike