15 February 2010

GRAND OLD DAME

My husband has suffered medical (mis)adventures over the past few weeks, but I knew he was back on form when he disappeared into the cellar and came out grinning with a bottle of Eileen Hardy Shiraz 1996 on Saturday night. We were eating steak, so something big and bold was called for. I have never been a Shiraz girl. I truly believe it is a man's wine. It is one of the great wines of Australia, apparently, loved by blokes who also go for those huge oaky Chardonnays. But I had a go at Eileen, mainly to keep the harmony and also because if a wine is named after a woman it can't be all bad. Eileen was silky smooth with layers of interesting aromas and flavours that danced on my tongue. And I could not pick up the eucalyptus I often detect in Aussie Shiraz. I'd recommend this wine to accompany hearty beef dishes and steak. But I could only manage one large glass as Eileen is really, really rich!