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Wine Rating: Seven Stars
Courtesy of
30 Second Wine Advisor
By
Robin Garr
Today let us lift our eyes, and perhaps a
glass filled with good red wine, toward the stars as we examine the
latest rendition of a personal favorite, Sean H. Thackrey's
"Pleiades XII" California red wine.
Thackrey may draw inspiration from the
celestial sphere (his other wine is called "Orion"), but his hands
clearly remain firmly in contact with his grapes.
In ancient Greek mythology, the Pleiades
were the seven daughters of Atlas (the fellow who carried the Earth
on his shoulder). One of the most eye-catching clusters of stars,
prominent in the winter sky in the Northern Hemisphere, is named in
their honor. It also
formed a sort of early eye test, as only the keen of vision can
easily pick out the seventh of these stellar sisters. (Actually, a
quick peek through binoculars reveals dozens of stars in this
grouping, and a telescope sees hundreds, but why let technology
take the gloss off a delightful old story?)
Why the name? Neither Thackrey's
hard-to-make-out brown-on-buff label nor his Website spells it out,
but it's hard to miss the
obvious: Seven sisters, seven grapes, a wild blend of Syrah,
Barbera, Carignan, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Sangiovese plus a
dash of white Viognier, a geographical and chronological mix of
vineyards and vintages, version XII having been bottled in July
2003.
It's easy to drink, a robust and earthy dry
red with plenty of oak but good structure and balance, a wine made
for enjoyment but that won't resist at least a little age.
Contrary to the tongue-in-cheek headline on
today's article, I don't really rate wines by symbol or number,
preferring to describe wines in words so you can draw your own
conclusions about whether you will like it too.
But in the spirit of the Oscars, if I did
bestow a symbolic rating on the wines I like, it would be hard to
resist giving Pleiades XII ...seven stars. |
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THACKREY PLEIADES XII OLD VINES CALIFORNIA
RED TABLE WINE ($20.99)
The latest release in this consistently persuasive Roman-numeral
series from Sean H. Thackrey, this dark-ruby wine is clear but not
brilliant, showing a hint of haze in the glass. That's no flaw,
though, as it foreshadows rich aromatics and good body in an
unusually complex and pleasing red. Full plum and red-berry fruit
aromas add an appealing "gamey" note that evokes the hearty reds of
Southern France; juicy fruit and pleasantly earthy flavors are
consistent with the nose, with 14 percent alcohol adding body and
tart, lemon-squirt acidity to provide a cleansing edge. (Feb. 21,
2004)
FOOD MATCH: A food wine in the
European style, it made a great match with a medium-rare New York
strip steak with plenty of black pepper.
VALUE: A bit above everyday price,
but justifies the toll with complexity, balance and character. Shop
around, as vendors at Wine- Searcher.com show it for substantially
less than I paid at local retail.
WHEN TO DRINK: Fine now, might gain
even more flavor interest with a few years under good cellar
conditions.
WEB LINK: Sean H. Thackrey offers an
unusually personal and interesting Website, with a remarkable
library of ancient wine- making texts online, at
http://www.wine-maker.net/
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Look for Thackrey's Pleiades on
Wine-Searcher.com. |
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