The Society Tyrrell’s 2008 Semillon (TWS $11.99 Reorder $10.19) was actually the last of the six that I got 'round to sampling. The Wine Society Society labels are usually pretty good value, though they don't always reveal the providence of the wine in question. I'm not sure the wines are always crafted exclusively for The Wine Society (I suspect there's a bulk deal to move part of the vintage off the winery).
There are two styles of Hunter Semillon, made differently depending on how long the wine is likely to stay in the bottle. The long term version usually comes onto the market with a couple of years' bottle age, so the fact that this is a 2008 suggests that this one comes from the end of the drink now style, where the winery is moving the remainder of what they'd made (or a big chunk of it) before it starts to fade. Maybe that suspicion explains the fact that I left what turned out to be one of the better wines in the pack till last.
For years they often labelled Semillon as Hunter River Riesling and you can tell why when you take an exploratory sniff. The lemon and citrus notes are very similar to what you'd find in a quality Riesling, and the same notes are there on the palate. A bit of zing, refreshing acidity that would go well with fish, and it’s something you could sip over a summer lunch (the 10.5% alc/vol makes it an ideal candidate for that, actually). Very nice, and pretty good value.
As far as reordering goes, I'm tempted. It'd make a change from the Rieslings on hand without straying too far away in style and taste, an interesting variant on a favourite theme, if you like. there are some difficult decisions to be made before 31 May...
The first two reds, Bay Hill 2006 Shiraz Cabernet (TWS $9.99 Reorder $8.49) and Tempi 2008 Shiraz (TWS $10.99 Reorder $9.34) are quite acceptable wines, prime examples of what Southeast Australia can turn out by the tankerful, and there's nothing particularly wrong with either - you're getting exactly what you'd expect to get at this price point - these days I'm inclined to go a little more upmarket, unless I'm looking at an everyday glugger, in which case the Tahbilk Everyday Drinking Range looks like the way to go as far as Hughesy’s concerned.
So while the Bay Hill Shiraz Cabernet is everything you'd expect - plenty of blackberry on the nose, medium bodied with a rounded palate, all the elements nicely integrated, bit of spice, touch of mint, blackberry in the mouth to go with the nose, there's nothing that makes you stop, sit up and take notice either. Easy drinking, easy on the wallet, and if that's what floats your boat, it's go down reasonably well in most situations where you'd reach for a red.
You can say the same about the Tempi 2008 Shiraz, drawn from fruit grown at Perricoota on the banks of the Murray opposite Echuca, rather than an unspecified venue in Southeast Australia. We’re still talking Riverland fruit, standard blackberry elements on the nose and in the mouth, pleasantly soft, rounded tannins, the regulation elements in regulation doses. While you're getting what you'd expect at the price, there's not much to distinguish this from a thousand others.
The Rex Watson 2007 Merlot (TWS $9.99 Reorder &8.49) is a good example of what the current situation in the Australian wine industry is throwing up at very reasonable prices. Well made, ticks all the right boxes, good colour, attractive oaky chocolate nose, nicely balanced as it passes across the palate....
So how do you sell it when there's so much other wine out there similar in quality and attractively priced? You move it somewhere at a substantial discount. Somewhere like The Wine Society. Better to get what you can for it than to have it left sitting in a warehouse where you'll have to discount it even more at the point in time where you need the space to store something else. This is a classy cool climate Merlot at an attractive price. It's now a question of whether I'll be needing a case between now and the end of May (assuming stocks last).
