Airline wine. What a disappointment. Two choices, red or white. Fox Grove Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon or Red Tree Chardonnay, I think it was, shoved at me by the flight attendant who was a lot more concerned with getting her cart down the aisle than discussing the merits of the wine in her plastic drawer that served as her airborne cellar. I didn't expect a sommelier 's attention, but it was quite a soulless exchange. "May I have your credit card please?" With a swipe of it, I was the proud owner of an Australian Shiraz-Cabernet in a tiny plastic bottle.
Fox Grove Shiraz-Cab is a Southeastern Australia blend of 70% Shiraz and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, clocking in at 13% abv. I could find little else about it online, and frankly I didn't really want to. The jug wine formula name (iconic image + nature reference) does not bode well.
An oaky nose with blackberry and cherry aromas leads to a palate that's full and juicy with not much complexity. There is red berry and black pepper, so at least it tastes alright. The oak I discovered on the nose is not as pronounced as I feared it would be, but still a tad overdone. The bite of the tannins are more suited for beef than bar nuts.
It was a welcome return to wine grapes, as my stay in Texas had been heavily populated with fruit wines and Muscadine, not that those options are bad in and of themselves. I would not, however, seek out this wine if more than two choices were available. I was left wondering if maybe the Red Tree Chardonnay might have been a more enjoyable choice. Or a Muscadine.
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