Chain of Ponds Novello Shiraz 2020

This week I am sipping on a Semillon from First Creek in the Hunter Valley.  Semillon is a thing of beauty really.  Drunk young it's fresh with juicy acidity, apple, pear, and loads of bright citrus notes.  Kept in the cellar and it will reward you in 5, 10, and 20 years.  As it develops it gets (I think) a little grassy, the acidity is less prominent and notes of honey start to form.  Pick this up from winedirect.com.au at a bargain of $22 a bottle and the only thing you will complain about is having not bought 6-12 bottles! 

Lovely lighter take on pasta and scallops. Make the Angel Hair Pasta yourself to really own the dish... very nice!

Shiraz (which is essentially Syrah) is a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce powerful red wines.

Wines made from Syrah are often powerfully flavoured and full-bodied. The variety produces wines with a wide range of flavor notes, depending on the climate and soils where it is grown, as well as other viticultural practices chosen. Aroma characters can range from violets to berries (usually dark as opposed to red), chocolate, espresso and black pepper. No one aroma can be called "typical" though blackberry and pepper are often noticed. With time in the bottle these "primary" notes are moderated and then supplemented with earthy or savory "tertiary" notes such as leather and truffle.

"Secondary" flavor and aroma notes are those associated with several things, generally winemakers' practices (such as oak barrel and yeast regimes).

History

It is called Syrah in its country of origin, France, as well as in the rest of Europe,