Much like with the Beach House, 2014 Rib Shack Red hangs it hat on Pinotage, the smokey, gamey clone from South Africa.  As with the Beach House, this means there are going to be some tobacco, leather, and earthy notes, but unlike Beach House, 2014 Rib Shack Red should be able to bring some weight to it with the full impact of the skins.  Also coming to the party is Shiraz, bring with it a medium body, big berry flavors, and hints of pepper / smoke to complement the Pinotage.  So does this red blend from South Africa deliver on a good barbecue wine by bringing a Pinotage – Shiraz marriage together? 

Sight:  2014 Rib Shack Red pours a magenta – red color, leaning toward purple on the body.  The edges are clearly lighter, and watery.

Smell:  The spices jump out from the wood, and theres a clear whiff of tobacco and leather.  The spices confuse the fruit, making it hard to distinguish between red fruit and black fruits.  Plums, currants, and red cherries are the most prevalent.

Sip:  2014 Rib Shack Red opens sweet, then moves bright before getting really, really spicy.  The spices pull in some bitter notes of plum skin and currants, wrapped in deep dense smoke and oak.  The moderate body predominance of the smoke is tobacco like, and overwhelms everything but the spices.

Savor:  The ending jumps slightly sweet again, pulls in some cherry and plum, and then goes off the rails, jumping into, you guessed it, smoke and spice.  It lingers smokey, almost like a scotch for Islay.

2014 Rib Shack Red is so full of smoke, it might have worked at a barbecue.  It’s so smokey, you might even be able to consider it a stand in for a cigarette.  With so much smoke though, the applications are somewhat limited.  Barbecue food would be a great pair, but beyond that, this isn’t the kind of wine that you want to enjoy a glass of by itself.  The fruit is just overwhelmed.  If you’re barbecuing, give 2014 Rib Shack Red a shot, if not, you won’t miss it.

Verdict: Smoke, Tobacco, Spice, Smoke
Price: $9.99
South Africa