Winery: Seppelt
Region: Grampians, Victoria
Vintage: NV
Alcohol: 13.5%
Review
We drank the Silverband a week or so after we had the Seppelt ‘Original’ Sparkling Shiraz, and this one, on balance, is a better wine. In saying that, I mean it’s not as sweet than the ‘Original’, and also a little more complex. Nevertheless, the enjoyment we got from it was approximately the same.
Silverband is a dark maroon-purple, medium-full body, and has a nice continual effervescence. There’s alot of fruit on the palate, and tastes like there’s something fortified in there (I’m unsure if port was used in the liquering after disgorgement). Quite a good balance between the fruit and the dryness; and if you prefer an earthy, spicy, dry sparkling shiraz, I’d recommend this over the ‘Original’.
Overall, a really solid sparkling shiraz! 3.5/5
Bought from Dan Murphy’s for $25 | Seppelt Wines
Andrew Graham’s Seppelt Spakling Shiraz Deathmatch | Winefront
Pairing
The Silverband is the drier, darker cousin of the Original in the Seppelt line. Similarly, Super (2010) is the drier, darker (and better) thematic cousin to the hit film Kick-Ass (2010), however it will probably never get quite the coverage and widespread acclaim as Original.
The similarities between Super and Kick-Ass are obvious, but any charges of plagiarism on one film or the other are fatuous:
(from Wikipedia): Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar defended Super in light of accusations that it was copying his work with, “People have said to me, ‘oh my God, he’s ripping off Kick-Ass,’ because it’s coming out one year later, but James was doing this when I was doing Kick-Ass as well. Both projects were coming together at exactly the same time.” Millar went on to screen Super at his Kapow! comic convention in London. Gunn responded to the controversy with, “It sucks on the one hand and then on the other hand, who gives a shit? There are 4,000 bank heist movies. We can have five superheroes-without-powers movies”, referring to Defendor, Hero at Large and Special, in addition to Kick-Ass and Super.
[Warning: Super is a very dark and violent comedy. Viewer discretion advised!]
Super is a greatly under-appreciated film, but it’s perfect to sit down with an under-appreciated style of sparkling Australian wine.
Alternative
Not in the mood? Murray’s Wild Thing Imperial Stout. You’ll see a lot of recommendations for Murray’s in the ‘Alternative’ sections of my reviews. This is because one of (if not the) finest brewers in Australia, Shaun Sherlock, is at the helm, and as such Murray’s are at the forefront of Australian craft brewing. I’m exceptionally luck to have a Murray’s in Manly.
I’ll let the Murray beer bio do the talking on this one… it’s all true:
Murray’s ‘Wild Thing’ Imperial Stout was inspired by the great stouts favoured by the Russian Imperial Court. A massive, intense drinking experience. The colour is black. Totally black. The heart of darkness. Impossible to see through even when held up to the light – nothing insipid about this beer. Aromas of strong dark chocolate, a little fruitiness from the hops and yeast and some rumminess from the alcohol. The flavour is an intense hit of mocha – bitter dark chocolate bordering on coffee. Some malt sweetness but an aggressive hop bitterness and roast grain bite to balance. And then there’s the mouthfeel… Full bodied is an understatement. Massive mouth-fillling malt that almost overwhelms, before the freight train of the bitterness from the hops and the roast acidity kicks in to clean up the palate.Murray’s Brewing Co. | Ratebeer | Beer Bureau
Journal of Sparkling Shiraz 