The Geologist Grenache Shiraz Mataro
Johann Menge was South Australia’s first Geologist and was struck by Barossa’s potential for viticulture. Menge wrote to George Fife Angas, describing the region as “the cream, the whole cream and nothing but the cream.” His description convinced Pastor Kavel to make Barossa his flock’s new home.
Colour: Medium depth crimson with purple hues.
Aroma: A rich and inviting aroma of dark cherry, plum and sweet spice mingle with hints of mocca and savoury notes, adding complexity.
Palate: Juicy red berries and dark cherries flow through the palate, with generous sweet fruit balancing with sweet and briary spices. The finish lingers on a fruity and spicy note with youthful, grippy and chalky tannins extending the length.
Since its release just weeks ago, it has been so nice to see our new Geologist Grenache Shiraz Mataro so warmly embraced by so many. One cheeky convert (you know who you are) enquired if, being a classic French blend, the three varieties constituted a ménage à trois?
In answer, I would suggest that rather than a ménage, which refers to a living arrangement, it might better be described as a mélange, which in translation is a medley: a combination of different, often contrasting yet complementary, elements.
Interestingly, in yet another example of art imitating life, melange is also the name author Frank Herbert gave to the fictional, highly addictive, blue eye–causing drug central to his Dune series of novels. In his Dune universe, melange, often referred to as “the spice,” is essential for interstellar travel, extended life, and heightened awareness. Its flavour is “never twice the same, it presents a different face each time you take it.”
The similarities to a well-crafted Rhône-style blend are uncanny. And here was I assuming all the blue eyes in the Barossa were of German origin!
