Drinking…
O’Leary Walker 2010 Shiraz – a charming bottle that was delivered straight to my pleasantly surprised, (secretly wine-greedy) little hands.
Its a wonderful thing to drink wine blind, so to speak – with no knowledge of where the bottle came from or how much it retails for.
This one certainly delivered an exquisite mouthful of rich & balanced fruit flavours. As far as Shiraz goes, this one is bold, without being too heavy, if your taste buds can imagine such. Enjoy a glass over lunch – I promise you’ll be able to go back to work afterwards without that too-much-Shiraz stupor ;-)
Eating:
Spinach, Ricott & Vegetable Pie, and beautiful Beetroot & Orange salad that compliments the deep red colour of the wine. (it makes for a pretty photo as well ;)
The Beetroot salad is simple & tastes phenomenal, so I’ll share it with you:
// Peel, chop and the steam 2 whole beetroot until they’re cooked all the way through // Let the beets cool down until they’re soft enough to touch without burning your fingers (yes, I learnt this the hard way) and grate the pieces into a bowl // Take 1/2 an orange and squeeze the juice over the beetroot. A little grated rind won’t go astray either, just don’t add too much. // Take a large bunch of basil & chop finely. Add to the beets. // Finally, add a little pepper & drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil. // Pour yourself a glass of wine & enjoy!
Reading…
If you’re interested, here’s a little info about the wine itself…
This wine is the child of two highly esteemed winemakers - David O’Leary and Nick Walker, who began collaborating in 2000 under the O’Leary Walker Wine name.
As such, this drop is a blend of Shiraz from 2 different areas – 70% Doctor’s Block Martin Smith Polish Hill River (Clare Valley), 30% Angelo Maglieri (McLaren Vale). Traditionally, the Clare Valley Shiraz is quite smooth, while the McLaren Vale has a bit more grunt, so the two compliment each other superbly.
Matured in French Oak, this vintage is spicy on the nose, with a concentrated sweet blackberry flavour on the palate. Good balance of alcohol & acidity.
It also turns out this wine is very well priced – $18 – $22 a bottle, depending on where you buy it. I’m a fan of the label as well – it’s simple, but sophisticated which is fitting – given the bottle’s contents. It’s also a pleasure to land on a well- designed & socially integrated website (sorry for being picky – it’s all part of my day job). Read more on the wine makers, the company history, the Winery, it’s Cellar Door, and the different wines themselves here.
To David & Nick – salud! Thanks for producing a stellar bottle. I’ll be looking for more in the future :)
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