like a normal wine blog, only deadly

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, over many a DVD after a hard day’s work, I happened upon this quaint little drop. Having already sampled (nay, heartily quaffed) the Shiraz offered by Bowman Wines but a few weeks before, I knew what to expect. At least, so I thought…

Ah, distinctly I remember it was a bleak December (ok, Perth doesn’t really get particularly bleak in December, but I’m sure we’d had some unseasonal rain) when I imbibed this one. A cursory glance at it in the glass, deep purple in colour, almost black even, it is easy to see where the inspiration for the gothic label came from. Edgar Allen Poe surely envisaged his raven to be of a similar hue.

That’s the design of the label accounted for then, but why translate the name of the ominous bird of yore into French? Well, as with the Bowman Shiraz, a certain European style permeates. And this time it’s France that comes through. It’s got the acid and tannin that makes this a savoury specimen that squawks for a complimentary dish. Follow this up with some chewy liqorice and black cherry and you’ve got a dark, serious wine that would be ideal for a winter’s night in front of the fire.

I can see that this Raven’s blend would benefit with some cellaring, if only to see how appropriate the label would look with a few inches of dust on it, but it can be drunk now. Perhaps even share it with your very own Lenore.