Primo Estate 1998 Shiraz Sangiovese (IL Briccone)

"the one that got away!"

We were in that rebellious sort of mood where you break the classic rule of red with red meat, and white with white meat. We decided to have this Shiraz blend with seafood marinara. However, it seemed we had left it a bit too long in the rack. And the great little wine that this was in its youth had got away.

It is predominantly Shiraz with lesser amounts of Sangiovese Barbera, Nebbiolo and Cabernet. It is made with older oak and because this wine was designed to break rules, Joe Grilli the wine maker decided that it was quite a rogue which, in Italian, is Il Briccone. In its youth, this wine has spice, dust, and herbs and all marries in quite nicely. However, what we were left with both tasted amd smelled like sweaty socks (not good whether or not you like sweaty socks!).

Primo Estate is located in Virginia, Adelaide plains region, South Australia. At time of purchase, this wine costed me AUD16. The current vintage (I think it is 2007) retails around AUD22.00. Buy it in its youth - it's well-worth drinking.

As for our dinner....Luckily for us, the seafood marinara was in its prime! and we have other wines in reserve....