Print this Wine         1998 Pikes Cabernet Merlot   POLISH HILL RIVER, CLARE VALLEY                 January Release   Bordeaux Blends       Generally this is the lighter and slightly shy red in the Pikes stable. Not that it is ever a light red, just a little less full bodied than the straight Cabernet Sauvignon and indeed quite a different sensation to the powerful Shiraz which is so "in your face". The vagaries of the vintage sometimes changes these characters and with the outstanding 1998 vintage this wine takes on a new dimension. There is a considerable array of fragrances with the most readily identifiable being musk, violets along with sweet berry fruit and toasty oak. All of these characters are in balance without one character dominating. The palate is just crammed with flavor. The berry fruit of mulberry, blackberry and cherries are all noticeable. Again the oak characters can be detected but they are not overly strong. The floral aspects so evident on the nose just slip seamlessly into the fruit mix. Texture wise the wine has mouth-filling properties. At the back of the palate this wine has soft to medium tannin levels, with quite crisp acidity. This makes this Bordeaux blend ideal as a short to medium term cellaring prospect. Allow the wine 4 - 6 years. You should not age the wine too long, not because the wine will not last, but you will miss the most attractive time of its drinking life when there is a combination of the perfume fragrances, sweet berry fruit along with just a little bit of bottle age mellowness. Food matching with this wine is quite exciting as here is a Cabernet Sauvignon predominant wine that is not dominated with big heavy tannins. This allows a much wider selection of dishes and you can consider lighter meats and fish such as seared Tuna, Beef carpaccio and even look towards some salads with a mixture of chilli heat and some sweetness either from palm sugar or as part of a dressing.         How do I download Hi-Res Labels?

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