| Wine | Down The Rabbit Hole |
| Variety | Tempranillo |
| Region | McLaren Vale |
| Alc/Vol. | 14% |
| Wine Maker | Walter Clappis |
| RRP | $25.00 |
Good evening all my fellow wine lovers!
In front of me tonight I have another reasonably priced wine from McLaren Vale, a Tempranillo from Down the Rabbit Hole wines. Tempranillo is a Spanish Variety that thrives around the Mediterranean. McLaren Vale has similar climates, and because the region is located close to the Gulf of St Vincent the geographic location is similar in traits to that in Spain.
Colour: Dark red cherry, with plum hue.
Aroma: Dark Cherry, with black and blueberry push up front. Nuances of raspberry nestle along aromas of liquorice. Hints of green pepper work their way through this wine too, giving this wine a well-structured aroma profile.
Palate: Medium bodied, this wine is quite savoury. Dark cherry, (but by no means sweet) work alongside a savoury liquorice and coca blend which remains lengthy throughout the mid-palate. Tannin is present, but not domineering, it does subdue the fruit drive of this wine. There is a slight bitter aftertaste resembling chinotto, with traces of green peppercorns. However, the wine remains lengthy, and the mid-palate is charismatically the high point of this wine.
Personal Thoughts: This is not the kind of wine for everyone. As a standalone wine, our westernised palates would not go for something so typically dry and savoury as this. From a critical standpoint though, this wine does showcase all the characteristics of Tempranillo and is quite a well-made wine. However, if this wine is not your type of thing, don’t neglect it, it is the type of wine that matches up well with food. Cured meats and beef would suit nicely alongside this wine. I’m not for putting wine and cheeses together as many of you might know, but this wine lifts cheddar bringing out the richness of the cheese and all the while taming the savoury nature of this wine. Quite salty foods, and olives in particular bring out the sweetness of this wine, and the dark cherry fruit really leaps forward on the palate.
This wine does need a good decanting before serving. Let it sit out and breathe for a good hour prior to consuming.
Drink: Now-2026
Rating: 93/100
The SA Wine Guy
