Wine Code Breaker #332

Blue Poles is an abstract painting by Jackson Pollock that was purchased by the National Gallery of Australia in 1973 for a lazy $1.3 million.  A controversial purchase it was and today, this painting, originally titled Number 11, is valued at over $350 million. This controversy inspired the naming of the winery Blue Poles, a small enterprise based in Western Australia. 

The 2016 Blue Poles Allouran is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc from Margaret River in Western Australia.  Not a hint of blue in the dark reds and blacks that abstractly swirl in the glass.  On the nose there are perfumed violets, herbs of sage and bay leaves, cassis and blueberries that splash against the canvas.  The palate has strokes of red and blue fruits, along with brushes of savoury and herbal notes.  The plushness and tightness of tannins are firm and powdery that seemingly linger longer than the controversy of the purchase.