Black Swan

Black Swan, to some it’s the name of a 1942 classic swashbuckling Caribbean pirate movie starring Tyrone Power and the imposing Laird Cregar as Captain Henry Morgan. To others, it is the name of a fine wine coming out of Australia. The latest vintage of Black Swan wines have arrived and the movie can be rented. Why not try both? To be honest, there is a bit of ocean adventure in both of them.
The Black Swan winery is among the luckier of the Australian grape growers and wine makers. The horrific drought that has decimated many of the Australian vineyards has had little effect on the vines of Black Swan. The winery has extensive holdings all over South Eastern Australia which affords them the luxury to pick and choose the grapes for their wines. That luxury has resulted in some very nice wines and what is even nicer’ their very affordable price.

Black Swan 2009 Chardonnay ($8.00). Black Swan 2009 Chardonnay is a very soft and easy to drink wine and is a fine example of the modern, better wines now coming from Australia. There are no bold or super dominant flavors or aromas to overpower the wine. The wine has also been made au natural, without any oak used in the fermenting or aging so the true and pure flavors and aromas of the grape is unaffected by anything external. The traditional Chardonnay aromas of citrus, apple and pineapple carry over to the flavor and merge into a collage of tropical fruits. The wine has an extra bit of fruitiness that seems almost sweet, which is derived from a bit of other white wine grapes that has been blended in for just that purpose. There is also that elusive creamy mouth feel, often found in the more expensive chardonnays. This wine can be enjoyed with all of the food that can be accompanied by a white wine or, as we like it, with broiled seafood.

Black Swan 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon ($8.00). Black Swan 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, like the rest of the 2009 vintage has received no oak aging. It has been made to be enjoyed now with no waiting time, so that what we have is a pure cabernet sauvignon that must stand or fall solely on the flavors endowed the wine by the grape. The hard tannins and excessive acid usually associated with a new Cabernet Sauvignon have been held in check by a process called malo-lactic fermentation. This wine, however, does not abandon all of the charms that have made Cabernet Sauvignon so popular. It exhibits herbaceous qualities as well as a cassis flavor, which is buoyed up and accentuated by a background flavor of dark red berries; the wine stands tall. The flavor and aroma is that of cassis and blackberries with a myriad of under flavors just waiting to be explored. This wine opens new vistas for the variety and presents interesting challenges to the traditional foods that have always been associated with cabernet sauvignon

Black Swan 2009 Merlot ($8.00). Here we have another un-oaked wine that proves to be more than impressive. Black Swan 2009 Merlot has the brilliant amethyst color of a classical merlot and a full, almost overpowering varietal flavor and aroma. The wine displays a bold blackberry flavor with a background of black cherries and a fascinating under flavor that vintners describe as earthy. This earthy component adds another layer of character and complexity to the wine. All of these factors combine to make the Black Swan 2009 Merlot an excellent and very enjoyable affordable wine. This wine will also cover a broad spectrum of foods. It can accompany any meat dish, from the heaviest cuts to the lightest, as well as the full flavored grilled seafood’s and cheese of every description. This wine takes the “boring” out of merlot by presenting the wine in the same form that made it so popular before the recent boring examples hit the marketplace.