This wine stood out on the shelf as an oddity: a non-vintage red table wine made from the pressings of miscellaneous (and unspecified) varieties, proudly advertised as unfiltered and preservative free. All this strangeness for $10.15 -- now that's value. According to its website, La Cantina is a family-run producer in the King Valley of Victoria. Its range includes a number of very reasonably priced labels made from predominantly Italian varietals. This wine is the baby of the range.
A dark, dense colour, apparently garnet/ruby, some flashes of brilliance. The nose is immediately offputting and, initially, I thought the wine was tainted with brett. As I smell it more, though, its savoury funk translates to a slightly vegetal note that, in the end, is moderately attractive in its way. Certainly not a clean style, though. On the palate, more surprises. The nose's savouriness is overwhelmed by unexpectedly bright, sweet, raisin-like fruit on entry and mid-palate. It is crunchy and red and in some ways reminiscent of young Pinot Noir. Acidity sweeps over the tongue and accentuates a sappy, stemmy dimension to the flavour profile. Mouthfeel is correspondingly rough and bright -- not a bad thing at all, especially considering the almost-too-sweet nature of the fruit. The after palate reverts to an almond-like note before transitioning to a finish marked by grainy, unobtrusive tannins and more slightly over-ripe fruit flavours.
Interesting wine. It's totally unsophisticated in its structure and flavour profile, and trades instead on a sense of coarse rusticity that, for me, has its own attraction. In some ways, it is almost unbalanced, but it also coheres on its own terms as an unpretentious, food-friendly wine. One to throw back over a picnic or with pizza.
Price: $A10.40
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: August 2008
Leave a comment