Leogate Gatecrasher Balmain 2015
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The wine is rich and velvety, displaying bright red fruit flavors with lovely supple tannins to provide a fresh and long palate. The French oak characters gently sitting in the background adding complexity and length to the soft and rounded finish. Medium to full bodied.
A very versatile wine which is suited to many types of cuisine including Asian food, red meats, game and cheese.
Blend: 40% Shiraz, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot
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Wine Enthusiast
Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot make up the blend of this cool climate, Victorian wine. It takes a while to open in the glass, but have patience. With time, some interesting aromas float to the fore: tree sap, graphite, black licorice, plum and cherry vanilla cola. The juicy fruit on the palate is wound by powerful, leathery tannins. This is an affordable wine in need of a slab of rare red meat.
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With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Northwest from Sydney, across the Blue Mountains, Mudgee is one of Australia's historic wine-producing regions. But even though wine has been made here since the 1850s, today the region boasts a thriving and modern wine scene with no shortage of passionate, boutique winemakers. Soils here are loam and clay and the elevation in Mudgee creates an atmosphere of cool nights and warm, sunny days, perfect for grape growing. Mudgee is recognized for deep and robust Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz as well as for its high quality Chardonnay and fruity Riesling.