TRANSCRIPT: Vertical wine pairing with Charmaine (UMAMU Estate) & Lindsay Corby (Cosmo Wines)
*Video at foot of article
**Edited for length
(1:45) 2014 Red Seal Cabernet Sauvignon
LINDSAY – I would describe the colour as a dark red garnet. Some herbal notes, fresh tobacco, hints of dried fruit on the nose... Tannins are talking to me and making me think of sweeter meats to balance it out... A cabernet character, you can taste leaf shading coming through in the fruit.
CHARMAINE – Yummmmm... I always think of wearing a perfume made out of wine, and I wouldn’t mind wearing this one!
(5:45) 2011 Ann's Cabernet Sauvignon
CHARMAINE – We named this one after my mum, Ann...
LINDSAY – Definitely a difference on the nose, more into the dried-fruit area. Dare I say it's reminiscent of your mother in terms of elegance & style.
CHARMAINE – She's cheersing you right now!
LINDSAY – And not even 6 o' clock yet! It's very easy to drink. Drying tannins, bit of dried fruit.
CHARMAINE – Definitely a good conversation wine. I love wines that talk to me, and with each mouthful you have another bit of conversation and it’s telling you something. It's very interesting... just like my mum. I think we did well naming that Ann’s!
LINDSAY – Just waiting for her to come and tell me to chop more firewood!
(7:55) 2011 Red Seal Cabernet Sauvignon
CHARMAINE – This 2011 is from older vines [1978 & 1982] than the Ann's [1997]. Gosh! The nose is a lot richer.
LINDSAY – Much riper fruit. Much more dried fruit, dried plums, plum jam... Definitely a steak wine. No doubt about that.
CHARMAINE – What cut??
LINDSAY – Well, I like to have the fat, so a porterhouse probably.
CHARMAINE – I’m a rib eye lass! ... It has bags of character, definitely quite forceful, a bit more forced than our typical wine, but a sign of the vintage. We chart degree days and 2011 is the warmest vintage we’ve had yet... and you can definitely feel it in the wine.
LINDSAY – We see some chewiness in the tannins and the richness there.
(10:50) 2010 Red Seal Cabernet Sauvignon
10:50 2010
LINDSAY – Density of colour again, dark red garnet... Chocolate, dried fruit with some herbal hints. It's teasing.
CHARMAINE – It's warm. It's not as bold as the 2011. It's elegant. But I feel the word warm, and that it's encompassing me but not pushing me.
LINDSAY – Yep. I think this wine is defined by its balance, good balance front to back, some leafiness & dried plum. It’s not as rich as the Red Seal 2011, but more elegant – though not as elegant as Ann.
CHARMAINE – That’s why we love verticals and horizontals! Just to have this fun and play and see what the vintage has done, what the wine is doing, how much balance... because that’s what we seek for in the grape. We walk the vines to find the ideal harvest date, and then we pop it into the wine. These would all have had 18 months in French barrels. It’s really fascinating and I must say exactly what you said. I just feel it’s warm and fuzzy, very inviting... inviting me to drink more!
LINDSAY – Back to work now!
(13:09) 2009 Red Seal Cabernet Sauvignon
LINDSAY – Very chocolatey, dried fruit, jammy, jam fruit, plum jam. Still a lovely layer of freshness and zing coming through. There is some juiciness in the mouth too... Still to me some tannins on the edge, but that just shows longevity of the wine. Thinking about an osso buco one might have with it, something rich with a gravy.
CHARMAINE – Yummm.
(14:58) 2008 Red Seal Cabernet Sauvignon
CHARMAINE – The 2008 comes from the 1982 vines and it was first year we made a Cabernet Sauvignon... Normally we track each vine and make each parcel on its own before blending. And in 2008 this 1982 parcel was shouting out saying 'hello!' I want to be on my own this year. So we packed it on its own and sent it off to the Melbourne wine show. It didn’t get the Jimmy Watson, but it was a runner up and we were really thrilled.
LINDSAY – Similar to the 2010 in terms of jam, plum jam and chocolate. Similar dried fruit notes there.
CHARMAINE – I have to say I’m spot on picking up dried fruit and plums now after the tasting today!
LINDSAY – I do like the balance of this wine, front and back tannins, richness, ripe fruit. Still worthy of its position on the Jimmy I think!
CHARMAINE – It’s just divine, isn’t it? It’s elegant, yet elegance doesn’t mean not-concentrated, but its not overly concentrated. Try it again and its talking to you a little bit more.
LINDSAY – Good set!
CHARMAINE – Absolutely. We’re going to have to make that osso buco, but how are we going to share that across Zoom? Perhaps you cook and I bring the wines?
LINDSAY – Sure!
CHARMAINE – Thank you for joining us everyone. That was really fun. If you guys have any questions let us know! Have a taste! Sante and cheers!
Click here if you'd like to buy the Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon six-pack.