Landelia Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
What happened to global warming? I write this on Sunday morning in Manchester, and it’s another rainy July day. We’ve just had the coldest June since 1999, but we are still smiling. Dunkirk spirit eh?
Although it is cold and wet, I sense that we have had much less rain than last year’s “summer”, the one that kept every reservoir in Britain at mid winter levels, and hosepipe bans a fond memory of childhood days.
We Brits are famous for talking about the weather too much, but our islands are prone to such regular and rapid changes, that it actually makes interesting conversation.
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink.
Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!
The sun has got his hat on, shout hip, hip, hooray!
Literary references all, proving my case that weather is interesting because of its variety and inherently unexpected nature. In that sense perhaps it is a lot like wine, another subject I talk about too much.
I was so impressed by Landelia Malbec that it is still recommended on my favourites page. Recently, I went back to the Virgin website to top up my stocks but the cupboard was bare. However, my search threw up another wine by Landelia, this one a Cab Sauv from 2005.
At 14% it is more alcoholic than its brother (I reckon Argie reds are male) but shares the deep purple hues. I opened it at about 18°C which, on reflection, was probably optimal for me.
It smells of chewy toffee, berry fruit, and burnt sugar with just a touch of cabbage. It tastes as potent as it looks, and has a long, long finish. The oak-driven tannins roll around your cheeks for ages, but so does the fruit. Landelia tastes much more expensive than it is, and I found it a very interesting quaff, with or without food. Don’t expect this to taste like a French Cabernet, though, Argentina delivers excitement and adrenalin, but rarely predictability.
Landelia Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 is available from Virgin Wines at £8.49 per bottle.