Your head may fall off…
Thursday, May 28, 2009 by Charon QC
Normally I steer clear of the heavier alcohol content wines but the other evening, doing my duty for my country and my new ‘career’ as a wine reviewer, I found myself working at my laptop and a bottle of Spier ‘Private Collection’ Stellenbosch Shiraz, 2005 from South Africa happened to 
be open on my right. I enjoy South African reds. They often have strong nose, a bit of leg and taste good.
Unfortunately, I did not check the alcohol content (15.5% – I rarely do). This wine didn’t just have legs. This wine played for the Springboks in the second row, had legs of thunder and a kick to match. A delicious wine that made me ever more amused with life until I got up to answer nature’s call. I realised that I had been drinking when I staggered into the bathroom and saw an apparition before me, Vercingetorix mustache bristling, eyes wide and smiling. In fact, I will confess that I was singing the chorus from The Village People’s GO WEST at this stage.
A fine wine indeed, but perhaps not a whole bottle on a modest meal of raw prawns and bean salad. Fortunately, ASDA sell it at £13.98 and I shall be buying some more very soon.
For those of you who enjoy your wine being compared to christmas cakes – I can tell you that the wine is dark red in colour, heading towards plum, lightly spiced, perhaps a bit of cinnamon and had a smooth texture and after taste. I could not taste any leather rugby ball – but it was probably in there somewhere.
Spier Private Collection Shiraz, 2005
ASDA £13.98 (15.5% vol)
Stars: ****
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Charon,
A fine review.
Thank you – it was a fine wine!
Bacchus would be proud. I think.
Croc… a compliment, indeed! I am looking forward to doing many more reviews!. It is, as it happens, fun…. most wines produced these days are pretty good, some are very good… and some… really do the business… and it is not based on cost…. some very reasonably priced wines are truly ea pleasure to drink. This, I have found.
I love the Village People and from this I can tell what this wine’s going to be like. Feel jollicose already….
as bacchus was mentioned… a compatriot of the bokke spier is the vivat bacchus from small paarl winery veenwouden. it has legs and smelled when younger like the inside of a cigar box. the 1997 has matured rather nicely. unlike me.
worth looking for tho i’m not sure anyone is still stocking it. perhaps i shoiuld bring one of my bottles over to the boat after i have finished the bvc. just to check whether it has sea legs.
SW… we could do the business when you have finished the BVC – as you are a man of many talents and lives before the BVC… and know a thing or two… it would be a pleasure.
I am not on Das Boot at the moment… I am *East of London*… but for pleasure… I can travel… it would be a pleasure to meet and drink.
Can I borrow a bottle to give to the Thesis Monster?! It keeps WAKING me with bizzare thoughts about the convention on human rights – if it has a hangover, I might be able to sleep!!!!!!
[...] Something for the weekend should, naturally, include a bit of wine. I have come up with the remarkably simple idea of setting up a wine column called Charon’s Noble Rot. It is marvellous. Hardly a day goes by when wine doesn’t arrive by courier for my delectation and delight. I shall publish a full column monthly in legal life style online mag, LawandMore and on my blog – but here is an extract from my first Pourriture Noble… .. Your head may fall off. [...]