It’s good to be back in the saddle. The holiday period was anything but; interstate travels, writing the new Heartbreak Club album in Melbourne, assignments, yadda yadda yadda. Have had many new and interesting drinks, though none have been sparkling reds (!)
Winery: Fox Creek
Region: McLaren Vale
Vintage: NV
Alcohol: 14%
Review
So, unlike the Padthaway Estate Eliza which I bought concurrent to this, the packaging of Vixen was a big turn off. However it had far more in common with the Eliza than the label suggested:
The wine looks identical the Eliza.
The wine smells identical to Eliza.
The wine tastes identical to Eliza, but with more Mr Sheen.
It really felt like they splashed whatever leftover shit was around into a barrel and added bubbles. If it weren’t for the price tag, it’d belong with many of the Cheap Tuesday cohorts. How this got an 89 for Saint Halliday is beyond me.
Alas, a same old story that’s getting tiresome; 2/5.
Fox Creek | Bought at Vintage Cellars Mosman for about $25
Pairing
South Park – You’re Getting Old
[IMDB | Wikipedia | South Park Studios]
From Wikipedia:
“You’re Getting Old” is the seventh episode and mid-season finale of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 216th episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on June 8, 2011. In the episode, Stan, after celebrating his tenth birthday, begins to develop a profound sense of cynicism, and his inability to see anything positive in the world around him alienates him from his friends.
The episode was written by series co-creator Trey Parker and is rated TV-MA L in the United States. It was seen by some critics as a metaphor for the frustration experienced by creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone stemming from the show’s continued production, and an unofficial series finale. However, Parker and Stone denied being unhappy with the show and stated that they still enjoy producing episodes.
This episode was frequently mistaken as a swan song for South Park, and indeed, the cynicism Stan Marsh was afflicted with in this episode was similar to the (brief) feelings of cynicism I had while reviewing this wine.
On it’s own merits, the episode manages to be tasteless, satirical and somewhat poignant. And much, much better than Vixen.
Alternative
Not in the mood? Red Duck Limited Release Golden Dragon is worth checking out.
Red Duck are one of Australia’s smallest microbreweries, but some of they’re releases are deserving of much more notoriety and acclaim. Golden Dragon is well balanced and very tasty, and a very pleasant pick as I work my way through the extensive McCoppins Fitzroy beer range during my month-long stay in Melbourne.
Image taken from Highly Hopped review
Journal of Sparkling Shiraz 