Goats do Roam Red - 2005

Price: $9
Maker: Goats do Roam Wine Company, Paarl, South Africa
Varietal: Shiraz - Pinotage blend
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, screw cap
Alcohol: 14%
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10


Goats do Roam Red 2005 is part of a group of humorously named wines (think “C�te du Rh�ne”) that also includes Bored Doe and Goat Door. This wine is a blend of Shiraz and Pinotage with Cinsaut, Mourv�dre, Grenache, Merlot, Carignan, Gamay and Cabernet added. Its aroma is earthy and spicy, with some ripe berry notes. The flavor is well balanced, with cherry and currant notes, a bit of oak, and smooth tannins and spice in the finish. Breathing definitely helped this wine - initially, it was a bit thin, and some air brought out the flavor and improved the balance.

This wine has received a fair amount of attention by bloggers. Kim of WineLog said, “It�s a great wine on multiple accounts: taste, color, price, uniqueness, and versatility.” Cheap Wine Reviews liked it well enough to say, “I will be purchasing this wine many more times.” Taste T.O. termed it a “pleasant, but on the whole forgettable wine.” Strictly Tastings said, “it’s not on my list for Santa.” Soup For 1 describes it as, “a wine that I know and love.” Diary Writing and Bedtime Stories had a somewhat different take on the wine, noting, “And if you want a bottle to sip away a glass or maybe two with a friend - this is a great candidate. However, it will demolish any food you serve with it. I suppose what I mean is that it has so much flavour intensity and punch that you won’t taste your food much.” The Wineaux strongly recommend Goats Do Roam by itself or for pairing with food. Budget Vino said, “really drinkable… definitely buy it.” Benito’s Wine Reviews said, “a great table wine… definitely recommended.”