Cat Amongst The Pigeons - reviewed by Kerri

The facts:

2007 Cat Amongst the Pigeons – Alley Cat
Region: Barossa Valley, Australia
Winemaker: Mark Jamieson
Variety: 61% Grenache, 39% Shiraz

My take:

I ended up tasting this wine because I was lambasting Australian wines. (In general, I am not a fan of new world style wines - I prefer old world style wines.) Seeking out a glass of wine after a conference and before a dinner meeting, I went to New Heights restaurant, in Washington, DC. After perusing their reds by the glass, I opted for a Spanish wine and started talking with the bartender about wine.

After talking some smack about Australian wines, which I typically find too bold, too fruit forward, and too jammy, the bartener insisted I try the Cat Amongst the Pigeons. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. So much so that I made Jonathan come back to New Heights with me the following week to check it out.

The wine is much more mellow and subtle than I ever expected from an Australian wine. The wine smells a bit red (you’ll see after reading some of my reviews that I tend to smell in colors), maybe a bit dark or slightly on the purple side. Anyway..., it’s a soft, mellow wine. It’s not too dry, not overly tannic, has some depth in the middle, and has a relatively long finish.

It makes a good sipping wine for sure, but it also pairs well with food. I’ve had it with various cheeses and with steak and in both cases feel like it paired well. All in all, it’s one that I’ve sought out since I first had it – and I never thought I’d actually go looking for an Australian wine in a wine shop. If you’re looking for something unexpected, I highly recommend checking it out.

Price point:

After doing a quick search online, it looks to be between $14 and $20 a bottle.