I like to imagine that I am never influenced by the label on a wine bottle, unless it has the words "Chateau Margaux" or something similar on it. The truth lies elsewhere and during a recent visit to The Wine Club in San Francisco, on a mission to find something for Wine Blogging Wednesday #5 I saw a case of wine alluringly named The Chocolate Block.
While we should all be satisfied with wine that tastes like wine, for some reason, we aren't. There is a scene in Orwell's 1984 where Winston Smith gets to taste wine for the first time. He is expecting it to taste like raspberry syrup and to intoxicate him with the first sip. He is horribly disappointed in the actual experience. And, critics are constantly describing wines as tasting like cherries or maple syrup or steaks, or bacon (or, to be completely fair, even tar or a barnyard). We don't grade and evaluate wine like diamonds, it is much less scientific and much more subjective. Which is to say, the thought of a red wine that tasted like chocolate was all but irresistible, and I bought a bottle. The fact that it was made by a company named Boekenhoutskloof and was from South Africa was a definite bonus.
Dinner with friends at an Afghan restaurant (Kabul in San Carlos) gave me my Winston Smith opportunity. Would the wine remind me of Cadbury or Valrhona squares? The answer is, perhaps. If I hadn't known what was on the label would my tasting note read as follows?
The color was a deep and dark crimson, sparkling with no turbidity. The nose was moderate showing ripe fruits, garrigue and just the faintest tough of bret. The palate had a medium-full body; not overly acidic (a French wine would have much more), and mouth-filling quality, no doubt due to the 14.5% alcohol that wasn't really noticeable. It had a slightly bitter and sweet quality that, God help me, reminded me of bittersweet chocolate. Not overly complex, it was smooth, fun and with a reasonable finish showing smooth tannins and a structure which lingered on in the mouth and the memory.
The wine is made from an interesting blend of 44% Syrah, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Grenache Noir, 12% Cinsault, and 6% Viognier. Cinsault (cinsaut in France) is a grape I don't see too often. The Oxford Companion to wine reports that it was the most common variety planted South Africa until 1993 when it was overtaken by Cabernet Sauvignon. It is used primarily as a blending grape to add aroma, suppleness, perfume, and fruitiness to wines. It was also crossed with Pinot Noir to produce Pinotage, which is now a very well respected grape in South African winemaking.
I liked The Chocolate Block and recommend it to anyone looking for a pleasant, uncomplicated $25 bottle to have with roasted chicken, grilled meats, or..... Afghan food.
