Fairview – Goats do Roam

Hailing from often overlooked South Africa the cheekily named wines of Fairview have garnered quite a bit of praise in the last few years. Their ‘Goats do Roam’ line has some high quality decently priced wines worth exploring.

I have tried both the 2003 and 2004 ‘Goats do Roam in Villages’, here are my impressions:

2003 Goats do Roam in Villages
Well balanced. The new oak is not overpowering and I detect some floral (violets?), spice (cardamom), and semi-ripe strawberry blackberry elements. Not huge, but fine sipping. I found that it had decent acidity making it a good food wine, but a knowledgeable wine buddy of mine thinks the 2004 has better acidity. Wine Spectator gave it a 90. VG-E

2004 Goats do Roam in Villages
Lots of plum and cherry, red currant with a peculiar salty licorice preserved plum note (at least to me). Not as much body and more acid than the previous, as well as a bit hot and peppery on the finish. It improves with breathing (a sign that it can probably age for a few years), but is not as polished as the previous year in my opinion. There is a touch of smoke, but the oak influence here isn't quite right for me. It’s best to allow this one to breath in a decanter before serving. $15.95. G-VG (had 2 bottles with similar results)

Note: For more reviews of Fairview wines see this site - These guys have a similar tasting impression of the 2004 as I do.

If you’re looking for a more value priced wine the Goats do Roam Red is available as a Vintages Essential ($12.85) and pretty damn tasty. Also a nice one to look out for is the Viognier accented Shiraz Goat-Roti ($19.95) which is being released July 22, 06.