Getting lost in the Woods

My bogey... Tiger Woods and his golf game were to blame for a red-wine hangover.

WINESTEIN UNCORKED

That Tiger Woods has really got a lot to answer for.

Yesterday, because of him, I experienced probably the silliest hangover in my many over the years.

'Jesus loves me... Jesus loves me... oh god... never again... why?'

As I lay there in bed, with those words rolling languidly off my tongue, I tried to think... "how can I make this into a meaningful column?"

In the end I'm not sure if I can, I'll just have to trust that you'll take from it what you will.

If my mum had walked in she'd utter those six words I loved and loathed hearing back in my youth: "This room smells like a brewery."

Well, Tiger and I had quite the night.

I opened a red wine because there was a lovely roast chicken roll sitting in front of me, demanding company.

I went for a Clare Valley shiraz which, generally, take a little while to open up due to their deep, intense flavours.

By the time I was ready to hit the sack, some time way before midnight, the wine was hitting its straps. I couldn't just abandon it in its moment of glory.

So Tiger and I got reacquainted, via the Wii, and the wine began to dance on my palate.

Like the man himself (in recent times) it was hard to stop; I was hitting birdies, I was getting loose, I was the man.

The more I drank, the better I played ... and soon silly decisions were being made - not unlike Tiger of late.

The Lindt mint chocolate came out, and the only slices I was hitting were cheese (so classy).

Some five hours later, and there were two empty bottles of red on my kitchen floor, half a bottle of port and one very silly boy.

(I did get my PGA tour card though).

WINESTEIN UNCORKED – Tee-off with Tiger

2007 Sevenhill Inigo Cabernet Sauvignon, 14%, $19, 91pts
This started off very slow but by the end had opened right up into a classic Clare Valley shiraz. Typical intense, rich flavours that are a bit sharp on the palate at first but, after a good one-hour decant, the ripe fruit and powerful tannins really shine. Made from the oldest winery in the region, which happened to be established by Jesuits.

2006 Saltram Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon, 15%, $30, 91pts
I must admit I swore when I saw the price after opening this, the second bottle of the game. A $30 bottle in my state? Nevertheless I shouldn't have worried. Saltram make smooth, silky wines and this was not getting away from me. A wine with authority, density and no faults. Barossa cab sauv is quite spectacular when done right and this has all the classic flavours.

2007 Spinifex Pablo VP MMVII Barossa, 18%, $20, 92pts
I first tasted this special release 2007 vintage port at the Artisans of the Barossa tasting at Lamont's - basically a collection of boutique Barossa winemakers who don't have the marketing clout of their better-known contemporaries. Only 800 500ml bottles were made, using traditional Portuguese grape varieties sourced from a 50-year-old vineyard in the  Barossa. It has complex flavours, deep, aromatic spices, and is very fine and dry in style. Thankfully I managed to drag myself to bed and leave half a bottle for a less hazier day.

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