[Here is another contribution from a “passionate amateur” wine taster who doesn’t (yet) have a blog but wanted to join in the fun.]
“Hi Jeanne! I was inspired to do a tasting myself, but I am (as of yet) blogless. So I hope you do not mind that I add my comments here.
I found a bottle of Asara Wine Estate 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon (Stellenbosch), and decided to cook up a South African style meal to enjoy it with. There is detailed info available at http://www.asarawine.com/
Menu:
Coriander curry marinated beef filet on the grill, white corn grit polenta with sweet minced shrimps and chiles, baby broccoli with ginger peanut sauce, Asara 1998 Cabernet.
Tasting notes (from a passionate amateur at tasting):
The black pepper and red/black fruits were there, but my first impression was actually beef’s blood (not in a bad way). The wine was clearly calling out for steak. The color was a nice deep red/ruby, clearly aged. The structure was solid and should last for a long while, with solid tannins. Other scents included leather, mulberries, raisins, red delicious apples (think skins!), tobacco, cedar, and black currants during the moderately long finish.
A nice introduction to South African reds, which paired best with the crispy polenta and of course the steak.
Thanks for the inspiration!”