Penfolds Shiraz/Cabernet Koonunga Hill 2006 $10

There are four main flavor centers on the human tongue, salt, sweet, sour and bitter. There's a mysterious fifth called umami, but I won't address that today. In my experience there are certain cravings, sweet or salty. You'll gravitate towards one or another when the snack bug calls... but what if you had both, let's say a buttery toffee popcorn, imparting both the sweet and salt? You've something special, a snack you can't put down until the bag is empty! The following wine was just that for me, very hard to put down.

The Penfolds Shiraz/Cabernet Koonunga Hill 2006 ($10), had the dense berry you expect for an aussie shiraz but also a salty/briny taste from the Cabernet. Not being a big Cabernet drinker I asked Keith from the Wine School of Philadelphia why they peppered my wine with sea salt! According to Keith, Cabernet often carries a briny flavor profile and a chemistry close to mercaptans but without the skunky odor. Science aside, this wine was thoroughly enjoyable at the right price. Penfolds is an excellent producer at both high end and low end wines. Enjoy some high end taste at a low end price with The Koonunga Hill 2006.

Cheers everyone, happy New Year!