Warming Winter Wines

Having been particularly partial to The White Wine in most shapes & forms (largely except for Sauvignon Blanc), I am experiencing a rather interesting shift in tastes in correlation with the shift in season. By no means am I losing my deep-set love for The White Wine, but I am also learning to love The Red Wine. 
In an exercise to capture this adventure, I shall use this post to document some of my discoveries along this road.

THE RED WINE:

• Allee Bleue Shiraz (2012): Pump overs, 14 months oak, 60% new, 90% French. Big yet soft nose, Hagrid-like cuddliness rolled in cherries, tartness, Black Forest-y, chalky soft tannins, ballerina-like lightness with velvety fullness, like a down duvet. (*)

• Hidden Valley Pinotage (2013): 9 months, French. Smokey, subtle chocolate, whiff of lurking coffee, banana bread baking in the oven, sharpish but still shy, a quiet girl with a sharp wit, soft berries, spot of tart blueberry jam, softens as it breathes.

• Beaumont Raoul's Red Blend (2011): Tinta Barocca, Merlot, Cab Franc. Red berry powder, dried berries, strong spine but soft around the edges, philosophising wine, good to tell fairytales to, fireside & lovely people. (*)

• Kloovenburg Merlot (2012): 13 year old trellised block, 6t/hectare, 12 months French, 20% first fill, 60% 2nd fill, 20% 3rd fill. Intense spicy start, turns to sharp tart berries with allspice and ends in a swish of softly whipped cream. Dreamily drinkable (*)