The pairing isn’t necessarily for the sauce, but more the sauce and the steak! It’s hard to pair a wine just with a sauce. Probably because it’s been a while since I just ate sauce for dinner! So the classic pairing with pepper sauce is a juicy steak.
When I cook up a juicy steak, I usually look for a nice Aussie Shiraz! I was in South Australia and found TONS of wines and wineries that now take center stage in my cellar. In fact, I would probably say two-thirds of my wines are from SA. With that being said, Manser Family Wines were one of the great wines I discovered on my trip. They don’t have a cellar door but a good friend Daniel O’Connell whose Uncles and Grandfather are the custodians of the vines got me onto them and I haven’t looked back. Dan has a particular sense of pride in the Block 4 Shiraz as he and the family picked the fruit for the first vintage released in 2016 of this lovely Shiraz after the Mansers took over custody of the vines. Rated 96 points from Sam Kim, it defo piqued my interest immediately. I can see why after having about five bottles of the stuff at this stage (not as I write this – although that would make for a fun piece!).
The wine is full-bodied. It’s not for the faint-hearted. But, I think that’s why it works so damn well with the bold flavours of the steak and classic pepper sauce. Decanting it is defo advisable. Probably about the same time you take the steak from the fridge to come to temp will do. You get tons of good black and blue fruit, a nice spiciness, and a little mint on the back palate too. It’s rich, complex, enjoyable and one that’ll keep on giving. Grab yourself a dozen, drink one ASAP to form your opinion, and then cellar a few for 10 years and drink a wine that would/should cost double the current RRP. You can also grab it along with 11 other stunning reds as part of “The Tasting Panel’s Swag of Splendiferousness” pack, while stocks last of course.
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