This is Real "Sick"

Fox Creek, Vixen NV10 ($16) -- McLaren Vale, Australia. I am weak on the latest lingo here, but "bomb" is old and I'm not sure what "random" means, but this stuff is unbelievable. It is a Sparkling wine from Australia made from 54% Shiraz, 32% Cabernet Franc and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is blood-red and foams up with pale rouge colored bubbles when first poured. The nose has light fruit aromas, and the initial attack on the mouth is softened by the tiny bubbles. (So many cheap Sparklers are all about large bubbles and no fruit or flavor, and I feel the headache coming on with the first glass.) The finish here is lingering with fruit and a touch of sweetness, but very dry. (If that is a contradiction, please try this wine.) First off, this is a good drinking red wine, with the emphasis on red wine. Second, it's a fizzy! And it's definitely not a Blush or Rose, so from a distance it looks like a red wine. If you are Pink intolerant, then the coast is clear to walk around a crowded ballroom without embarrassment!

I just opened a bottle for lunch when the case was delivered off the truck, and I immediately called the sales rep to grab the last three bottles in the warehouse. This case is going home. Good luck finding it in Cincinnati! And as the Chef said the other day to the Manager of the resaurant at the mid-day tasting, where I first encountered this treat, after a case was ordered for the wine list, "Hey, you better lock this stuff up, this is sick!"