Ray Jordan got his hands on a bottle of our special release 2008 Alicanté and had plenty to say about it in The West Australian – West Weekend last Saturday the 10/4/2010.
“Alicanté Bouschet. Sounds kinda sexy, doesn’t it? Well, it gets a spark out of me. But for the most of it’s life it has been distinctly unsexy; a sort of dowdy plodder grape variety that has been used as a blender and to create light bodied to rose styles.
It’s main claim to fame was probably it’s clandestine role in the prohibition era of the United States when Californian winemakers sent truckloads of the stuff across the country to New York where all manner of dodgy characters pressed it’s pulpy flesh over and over to extract vast amounts of juice from relatively small amounts of grapes to flog it off in the speakeasies.
So you can imagine my surprise when Forester Estate’s Kevin McKay gives me the drum recently that he has made a wine from Alicante Bouschet that he thinks I might be interested in.
Yeah sure Kevin. Alicante bouschet…….from Margaret River……..I think you’ve been out in the sun too long mate.
All I can say now is sorry Kevin. The wine which he simply calls Alicanté is one of the most exciting, groundbreaking wines I have tasted in a long time. A rollicking red wine of wonderful flavours and drinkability. Look, it’s not incredibly complex nor does it have classic red wine structure, but it has flavour in spades. And above all, it’s drinkable…. very drinkable, as I discovered when later that night I had finished the bottle without missing a beat.
Alicanté Bouschet differs from most other varieties in that it’s flesh is also dark whereas in mist grape varieties the flesh is clear and all the colour comes from the skins. As a result the colour for McKay’s Alicanté is inky black with just hints of deep red hues.
In Australia there is a little of the variety grown and most is generally blended into rose styles. The most famous is Robert O’Callaghan’s alicante bouschet rose which has a big following.
McKay said he has been working on the style for a few years, making a small amount in 2007 before finally being happy enough to release a wine from the 2008 vintage. The wine gets used oak but McKay says he will experiment with some new French in the future.”
Pick of the Week
Forester Estate Margaret River Alicanté 2008 ($35 Cellar Door Only)
Something a little different from Margaret River. It’s just a gorgeous soft fleshy drink with supple tannins, subtle oak and deep inky vibrant fruit flavour. If you don’t like this you should take a hike. It’s rustic and earthy and fun with every slurp. 91/100.
Perfect with Spag Bol.
Written by Ray Jordan for The West Australian, West Weekend 10th April 2010.
