Typing Mid Strength for a wine doesn’t quite seem right just year. I’ve been on a bit of a quest to find quality mid strength beers. There’s plenty out there and they’ve been embraced by the beer drinking community and brewers alike. Does the wine industry need the same thing? Plenty of Non Alcoholic wines out there, but they nearly all suffer from the same issue of body and structure once the alcohol has been removed (though there are many wineries trying their best to replace that palate through varying degrees of chemistry/alchemy). Which brings us to this release from the stalwart TWE brand that has flirted with variations on their theme of Barossa Shiraz (Made For Steak™) previously. Sticking to the region that made the label famous, they’ve taken a bit of the booze out in an effort to compete in this suddenly very popular sector. Listed as 99.6% Shiraz and 0.4% Other grape varieties and sitting with 10g/L residual sugar (which assists with the fuller palate). Local Barossa lad Richard Mattner is winemaker.
Pepperjack, Mid Strength, Shiraz, Barossa, 2021
Deep garnet hue. Hallmarks of Barossa Shiraz, chocolate and plum, boysenberry, red currant and mocha. There’s a hint of graphite and a little fresh juicy blood orange. Up front palate is signature Pepperjack: plush and fruity with solid varietal black and red fruits. The finish thins up as the 7% alcohol shows its true face: the lack of body can’t be escaped with this reduced alcohol. There’s an amount of rough, roguish tannins and some fresh acidity to give texture and cut. It’s a decent effort and fair option for those looking to have more than one glass of wine over dinner.
RRP: $25
Alc: 7%
Rating: 89/100 (ranked accordingly against other “NoLo” wines)
Wine sample courtesy of Pepperjack and Treasury Wine Estates
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Definitely one of the better low/mid strength red wines I have tried lately. Unfortunately it still lacks body. Would a short period of aging in oak barrels previously used for Shiraz or Cabinet help.
Unfortunately Hugh, I don’t think any further maturation in oak would assist, it may only simply cover over the lack of alcohol. Lower Alc German Rieslings make up for the alcohol with the residual sugars to give the wine body. Good luck n your journey to find a lower alcohol red that tastes delicious!