It’s red wine. In a can! I’m somewhat curious to try it, because A.A. Bodenhorn’s higher-range stuff is quite nice. So I’m curious if this will live up their reputation.
In the glass: Medium-plus in depth, clear. I’d call it ruby, without purple on the edges. It’s a young wine. It’s a red wine. There’s really nothing particularly distinguishing about it.
Sounds: Cracking open the can is not quite the same sort of noise as you get from opening a beer or fizzy drink. That’s the lack of pressure from the carbon dioxide in the fluid. Otherwise, it sounds like a can being popped open, and then being poured into a glass.
The nose: Red fruit, with a hint of sweetness. Redcurrants and cherries. It’s all primary fruits. Simple fruits, with perhaps a hint of over-ripeness to them. The fact that I pick them up and come up with two aromas fairly easily suggest it has a quiet prominent nose. Nothing to complain about, nothing to get excited about.
The palate. Medium bodied, dry. Aspirating brings some bitterness. My notes say ‘nasty,’ but perhaps that’s a bit harsh. The fruits are still red. I’d go with redcurrants and cherries again. There’s also something that it took me ages to place, but I’ve finally decided is a hint of grape jelly. That may also be what I was thinking of as over-ripeness on the nose.
The tannins come across initially as fine and soft, but they linger and are a bit dusty. So more prominent than you first think. The alcohol is a bit sharp and lingers. The finish – once defined in a WSET course as the ‘pleasant bits’ that linger – is quite short. I’m left with an aftertaste of alcohol burn and lingering tannins.
Rating: This is getting a straight yummy-minus, I’m afraid. It’s red wine. It’s plonk in a can. There’s nothing wrong with plonk. Sometimes that’s exactly what you are looking for. But, sadly, this isn’t it. It’s technically fine, but I find it uninspired and uninspiring. It’s a bit odd – after reading reviews online, lots of other people seem to like this wine. I wish I could. As I noted above, their posher stuff is quite good, so I’m extra disappointed, even expecting a wine good for uncomplicated drinking.
Perhaps the most telling rating of all is this: It comes in a 250ml can. That’s the size of a large glass of wine in a pub or a restaurant. I didn’t finish it.
Sustainability: It’s hard to say, really. The AA Badenhorst website mentions ‘biological farming,’ and ‘natural wine,’ but it doesn’t seem to apply to their Curator wines, which, rather oddly don’t get much of a mention on the website at all. So, pretty much – probably not.
Other stuff: It comes in a can. I can see it being easier to take on a picnic, or, here in Cambridge, on the punts. And bonus points for the quirky write-up on the back label, although this isn’t a wine that will benefit from cellaring at all. I do appreciate the health warning as well.
The technical info and such: 14.0% ABV. 48% Cabernet Sauvignon; 39% Shiraz; 12% Cinsault; 1% Grenache. £3.99 from Cambridge Wine Merchants.