For those who don’t know, the photo above is of a Tasmanian Tiger.  Thylacinus cynocephalus to be precise.  Believed to be extinct, there have been reported sightings of this meat eating marsupial but nothing confirmed of its actual existence.  If you see one of these, don’t tell anyone.  The poor thing deserves to be left alone I reckon.

The photo at the bottom of this page is of another rarity on this island state.  It’s called Malbec.  Yep, Tasmanian Malbec.

The colour was pretty well as expected.  Deep red at the core with a youthful red/purple colour at the rim.

When I poured the wine the rich juicy fruit aromas burst from the glass.  It was quite exciting.  But then it seemed to go into almost like a sleepy stage giving almost nothing.

After another pour, the employment of an aerator (sorry Bob & Rita) and swirl after swirl after swirl this opened up beautifully!  Lovely fresh red and black fruits proudly showed themselves.  Patience is the key here.

This is where I could type forever because from here, things just got better with the nose and palate the longer it sat in the glass.  I’ll do my best to keep it short.

On the palate it was a stubborn bugger of a thing too.  Clearly a pup, the dark fruits were as primary as can be.  A hint of menthol and steminess added interest early but they soon melded into the ‘bigger picture’ of this wine.

Gee it got better with time.  This allowed those abundant dark fruits (think blackberries, plums, even cherries) to ‘come on down’ and drag savouriness and some white pepper notes with them.  As is a trait with a young Grey Sands wine, the finish may be nice and rich, fruity and long but the tannins are bit dry at the moment.  Definitely throw some red protein at it because, as with most wines of this ilk, it is made to be enjoyed with food.

My advice is to buy some of this wine before it succumbs to the same fate as the Tasmanian Tiger…extinct.

Grey Sands Website

Region: Glengarry, Tasmania     Price: $40     Source: Cellar Door Purchase