Here are the Raidis Estate tasting notes from our extended SA Drink(s) Of The Week segment in episode 128 of The Adelaide Show.
John Gledhill from Gledhill Vignerons gave us the idea when he heard we had a bottle of Raidis Estate 2012 Billy Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2012 Mama Goat Merlot, both from the Coonawarra.
He said try them straight but also try blending a little Merlot in with the Cabernet Sauvignon to explore the various blend combinations.
We did.
So we videoed it as well and you have 11 minutes of in-glass blending below.
The short version is we really enjoyed these wines, which were very different from each other and then different again as blended.
2012 Raidis Estate Billy Cabernet Sauvignon
This is not the typical, huge Cabernet from the Coonawarra.
In fact, our Steve Davis said it was sleek and neat, like a nice, well-made bed with its sheets tucked in all around the sides.
Mama Goat and Billy blend
As you’ll hear in the podcast or see in the video below, the more we added the Merlot to the Cabernet, the more the wine transformed dramatically.
After Nigel picked up the sudden increase in tannin-like qualities with even just a little Merlot, Steve then noted, early in the blending process, that the arrival of the fruit brought by the Merlot was like the behaviour of cartoon characters.
You know how cartoon characters spin their legs and then blast off, the Merlot blasts into the palate but then suddenly remembers the fruit and back fills the palate.
At the end of the blend, about 70:30, Steve noted the wine was very regal, opening up like a fan across the palate (whatever that means).
2012 Raidis Estate Mama Goat Merlot
Finally, the boys tried the Merlot straight.
It is a bold Merlot with an archlike structure and after in-glass blending you certainly notice the absence of the Cabernet.
Steve identified the fruit on the palate as like little blackcurrant jubes, much to David’s amusement.
You can hear the wine tasting in the player, starting about nine minutes in, or watch the full blending experience on the video below.
[buzzsprout episode=’349019′ player=’true’]
The wine tasting video