Wine Time with Aaron the Wine Guy

By Aaron Winsor

Hello Prince Albert! Do you need a couple of gift ideas for the wine lover in your family or circle of friends? There are so many great looking (and hopefully great tasting) bottles of wines, beers, liqueurs and spirits to choose from this time of year, especially with the huge holiday displays, teeming with tantalizing products. I’ve got a few drinks for you to consider or even check out yourself which should make holiday shopping a bit easier.

As a fan of all types of music and wine, the Iron Maiden Darkest Red screamed at me from the Portugal section with its beautifully wrapped exterior and quality Douro DOC designation stated on the label. Sticking to the heavy metal theme, I also found a bottle of Shiraz from Australia made by Hardy’s called Brave New World (also the name of an Iron Maiden album). You may or may not know that Iron Maiden’s mascot is named Eddie, and he is featured on every single one of their record labels. This shrunken-faced rock icon is also emblazoned on the front of this colorful wrap which is expertly designed and features both past and present album covers.

I’m always leery about alcohol or food products endorsed by celebrities since they tend to be designed for the everyday consumer. In other words, they often have a generally acceptable flavor, but don’t feature interesting or outlandish flavors in case they offend or scare away customers. Personally, I want something different and unique to make my purchase worthwhile and while a brand like Snoop Dogg’s Cali red sounds good on paper, the actual wine was undrinkable for me. Which brings us to the Iron Maiden Darkest Red, allegedly chosen by the band itself for its rich flavor and quality. What do these NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) rockers know about wine anyway? Apparently, a decent amount, as the wine in the bottle is very high quality. Sip it on its own for rich, ripe flavors of dark fruit with a delicious, savory finish or pair it with all types of food. This red wine will make a great gift for any metal/wine enthusiast.

The Brave New World Shiraz Black by Hardy’s hit the mark at first with its incredibly intense nose and fruity flavor profile but like most Shiraz I taste from Australia (those under $30-$40), it comes off as unbalanced and heavy-handed. The wine leaves a sweetness on the lips, but the finish fades too quickly, and the concentration loses its depth towards the end of the mid-palate. Putting this red against the Iron Maiden wine is a good example of why I usually prefer old-world wines to new-world wines. They are typically more balanced (there are, however, tons of exceptions to this declaration) and the quality for price ratio is better.

Moving on to another gift idea is the Krombacher (German Pilsner) beer set which includes five 500ml cans of Pilsner and a unique Krombacher glass with a soccer ball shape at the center of the stem. This type of beer is crisp and clean with a touch of malty bitterness on the finish. Incredibly thirst-quenching and perfect to pair with fried foods or snacks, the best part is the price which comes out to around $25 after taxes.

Sometimes it is worth quieting the voices or suspicions in your mind and giving things a chance and the Iron Maiden wine is worth the purchase at $46 after taxes but I would pass on the Brave New World by Hardy’s. Here are my wine picks of the week!

Hardy’s Brave New World Shiraz Black 2017: (McLaren Vale, Australia). Off-dry red, deep purple color with thick legs on the glass. The nose is very high in intensity with powerful aromas of black grapes, dark cherries, chocolate, leather/smoke, engine oil, sweet earth, licorice and sage brush rising from the glass. The intensity continues on the palate at first with a wave of jammy dark fruits (cherries, blackberries, grapes) with a delicious, oily layer of chocolate, caramel and licorice. A syrupy sweetness builds and lingers on the lips and tip of the tongue, leading into some light pepper notes and a liqueur-like sweetness. This wine is full-bodied with low acidity, so it is round and silky-smooth on the tastebuds with medium tannins for a touch of grip/roughness. While the fruity flavors are intense at first and the concentration is medium-plus, the flavors seem to thin or fade out after the quick mid-palate, leading into a medium-length finish. The slight savory note of smoke and earth blends well with dark fruits but the wine is somewhat out of balance. Will be delicious with cheeseburgers, steaks or ribs. Good! $25, 14.5% ABV

Iron Maiden Darkest Red 2021: (DOC Douro, Portugal). Dry red, deep purple color with medium legs in the glass. The medium-plus intense bouquet is full of ripe, juicy scents of cooked dark fruits (plums/prunes, cherries, black grapes), saline rock/mineral and hot countryside (the smell of hot earth, bushes, fruits and/or pavement). On the palate, the wine is dry but also fruity with medium-plus intense, vibrantly fruity flavors of ripe black/dark fruits (plums, cherries, blackberries). The fruity flavors are tangy and stick to the edges of the tongue, mingling with smooth, fine medium-plus tannins. Medium acidity with medium-plus body and a long mid-palate of ripe fruit with a delicious hint of savory earth and pepper. As the wine transitions into the finish, the tannins grab on to the cheeks and tongue and leave a small bite of pepper and savory spice. I expected this wine to be thick and syrupy, but it is beautifully balanced and lovely to sip on. This makes a great choice as a gift but also for pairing with all kinds of appetizers, grilled meats, roasts, hard cheeses or slow-cooked meats (try it with marinated kabobs). Very good! $46, 13.5% ABV  

Cheers and thanks for reading!

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