I finally got a chance to taste this wine, which is made from an exotic blend of grapes, too bad the name Coalition is already taken, or I would have suggested it. But although the grapes going into the blend are exotic, making it the first time I tasted a wine containing any Marselan--let alone 53%--or Caladoc, the wine itself isn't all that weird. To me the best known of the four grapes making up the blend is Carignan, the grape with the smallest physical presence, contributing only 12%, yet I feel as though all four grapes are quite similar in profile, since the wine has the overall feel of a Carignan. If anything the body is a bid heavier than the Israeli Carignan I've had. The fourth component is Pinotage, its share of the blend is 15%. The fruit is expressive and bright, with fresh flavors of cherry and raspberry, to the point it is buoyant and vibrant. There are clearly detectable traces of sweetness to the wine, though it is technically still accurately categorized as dry wine, but enough that I think some would find it too sweet to their tastes. Its 14% AbV is very well contained. Overall, it is a fun, if not complex wine, one I'd pair with lighter fare such as fish, chicken or even pizza, but not one I'd use with a serious cut of beef. B-/na/Y
Best,
-> Pinchas
Grading for quality: A - marvellous, B - good/intriguing, C - mediocre/uninspiring, D - subjectively flawed, F - objectively flawed
Grading for value: *** - it's a steal, ** - it's a reasonable deal, * - you've been robbed
Indication of further interest: Y - would purchase again, N - no desire to purchase more
Way too sweet, overripe, and new world, and with little structure and joy. Gone were all the wonderful orange and red fruit - now it is a hodgepodge of aromas andd flavors with a clear and present underpinning of overly sweet flavors - no go.
