Cara and I are big college football fans, so when our beloved Florida Gators are playing a night game in The Swamp, it’s a perfect excuse to open a red that is bold enough to stand up to the drama on the field yet “sippable” enough to enjoy over the length of the game. For a recent victorious – but shaky at times – conference tilt with the Kentucky Wildcats, we selected a 2011 Shiraz cuvée from Torbreck Vintners called “The Struie” (named in honor of the famed former Ladies Course at Scotland’s Royal Dornach Golf Club).

The 2011 Struie is a blend of Shiraz from 80-year-old vines in the Barossa Valley (95%) and 44-year-old vines in the Edna Valley (5%), which was then aged for 18 months in old and new French barriques. This blend of higher elevation (Edna Valley) and lower elevation (Barossa Valley) Shiraz results in a deep garnet full-bodied wine with a rich nose and palate, high acidity and supple tannins. The particularly cool 2011 growing conditions in the Barossa Range further emphasized the distinctive varietal flavor characteristics contributed by the Edna Valley grapes – which lend a northern Rhône-like style to this southern Australian charmer.

On the nose, there are blackberries, blackcurrants and cedar with hints of eucalyptus, leather and loam. The black fruits remain prominent on the palate, but there are underlying notes of violets, cedar, vanilla and licorice – which linger during the long finish.

While events on the field may not always go your way, sipping on The Struie puts sports setbacks in perspective. How upset can you really get with a classic red in hand?

Cheers!

Suggested Pairing:

Monk’s Dream (Take 8) – Thelonious Monk (1962)