|  If you are looking for Bordeaux on Budget, this red wine is an excellent choice. Imported by Chateau d'Ori, Mumbai it is a blend of about 80% Merlot and balance Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a dark ruby red colour , easy to drink wine. The dark cherry flavour is predominant. The mouthfeel is pleasant and the after-taste is reasonable(don't expect wonders here).
When I tasted this wine 2 years ago, I had found it rather astringent and I had mentioned the same to their senior marketing people. When I tasted it again a couple of months ago, I found it more luscious and less tannic. I was surprised to be told that the company had taken my comment seriously and had the blend changed (without paying me a dime!) to reverse the Cab/ Merlot ratio, making it more palatable for the novice drinkers.
It is an excellent banquet wine. The dry, yet fruity flavour makes it palatable for new drinkers. For the budget conscious drinkers, it is a Bordeaux with great value.
A few words of wisdom while on the subject: when in doubt, look at the credentials of the producer or the man behind the wine. Ranjit Dhuru, Chairman and CEO of Aftek Systems and the promoter of Chateau d'Ori is a lawyer making his millions in the software industry and ploughing back some profits into his winery and vineyards in Dindori, near Nashik. He is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about wines. Understanding very well the dictum that new vines will never produce great wines, he is selling his grapes in Nashik so far and is planning to come out with his domestic range in 2007. He is fully behind this entry level import. 'I wanted to make the price less than Rs.600 so that people would have a decent Bordeaux wine at a more affordable price. But we just cannot go lower than this with the current duty structure,' he laments.
I tend to agree with him. Till he brings out his domestic wines, enjoy this quaffable wine at reasonable price. Most wine retail shops in Mumbai sell it at the MRP of Rs. 880. Modern Wines in Shivaji Park sells it for Rs. 698 due to the high volume- he pushes over 50 cases a month of this label alone. Shah Wines in Crawford Market sells it for Rs. 690 while his neighbour, Peekay Wines sells it at the lowest price of Rs. 680 a bottle.
Unfortunately, it is not yet available in Delhi as they don't have a distributor yet and haven't got it registered.
Although it is a perfect choice for mutton, lamb dishes including curries, it can also be drunk with mushroom and spinach preparations. The tannins won't interfere too much if you have it with most vegetarian snacks. |
