Wasn't sure whether to post this in this section or in the food section, as my intention in opening my last bottle of this wine was to concentrate on food matching.
I gave up on many Australian wines after the 'Bigger is Better' phenomenon took over somewhere in the 2002-2003 period, with wineries seemingly going for power reds that accentuated sweet fruit and concentration over long term potential, whoring after Parker-points and such. I have a lot of Australian wine prior to that period, though, and while I find myself less and less interested in the kinds that even back then stressed ripe fruit and concentration to the detriment of the overall wine impression, there are a bunch that I still get a lot of enjoyment out of.
The 1997 and even more so the 1998 vintages were killer in terms of quality, with 98 the riper and 97 often the better defined. I decided to get out my last bottle of the Cimicky Signature Shiraz, this Barossa producer's top wine, taste it and come up with a dinner that would work with it.
First the wine note:
Dark, with a moderate not too sweet nose of the requisite dark fruit, vanilla oak and spice, good midpalate concentration without being overly sweet (I recall that the 98 was a bit sweet for me, but I enjoyed both the 95 and 96). Now soft with low acidity and a good medium long finish, lacking much complexity but that is what I find to be the case with many of these wines.
The food match:
I had some boneless brisket in the larder and and sliced and marinated it in a mix of EVOO, garlic, soy, thyme (lots) a little brown sugar and a good shot of harissa paste and then I grilled it.
It worked - the wine played off against sweet and spice elements in the marinade and I think we enjoyed the wine more than we would have alone, or possibly with cheese.
I shall work at refining my list of recipes for 'Shiraz Helper' for use with future similar bottles.