Thursday, 7 October 2010
Thanks to the wonders of on-line bank statements I had a pretty fair idea, as we set out to stock up for the approaching weekend, that we'd be filling in some space in the wine rack as well, and as I lugged the case across to the car I was struck by the fact that it might well be the last time I collect a Wine Society Regular Tasting Dozen from the Post Office.
As noted elsewhere, I'm having trouble keeping up with the things I'd like to buy from wineries we've visited. Eventually, something's going to have to give, and when it does it's probably going to have to be The Wine Society dozens.
The Wine Society sets a financial threshold that delivers shipments to the door freight free for the next twelve months, so whether I decide to continue will depend on my ability to find enough excuses over the next three months to get the total over the threshold, which, in turn, means that if it's going to happen it'll be down to the contents of this box and whatever's in the next two monthly magazines....
There wasn't anything in the April edition that was leaping off the page screaming "Buy me!"
I started with the Woolshed 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (TWS $10.99 Reorder $9.34) from Red Cliffs in north-western Victoria, though when I went to investigate on line it seemed that the winery was based in Mudgee. Regardless of where they're based, they’ve come up with a rather interesting little parcel of warm climate Sauvignon Blanc. Maybe not quite up with the fondly-remembered Oxford Landing a few years back but an impressive number nonetheless.
I went looking for the website because of a vaguely-remembered reference to a hybrid yeast being used with warm climate Savvy Blanc which apparently had a bit to do with the quality of the product that was being turned out at very attractive price points.
The wine had plenty of the expected herbaceous notes without the cut grass and cats pee characters that are associated with the Kiwi version, which are things I can quite happily do without. A nice, refreshing, light-bodied wine that went down rather nicely. Refreshing and rather tempting. We shall see....
The number of very good Rieslings we've had the opportunity to sample recently means the McWilliams Select Series 2009 Riesling (TWS $9.99 Reorder $8.49) never really stood a chance, very nice though it is. A nice pale yellow, exactly as you'd want a Riesling to be, ticks the boxes on the nose and across the palate, it's exactly as the brochure with the dozen states a great food wine at an affordable price and eighteen months ago I'd probably have been lining up and champing at the bit. But with over three dozen varietal Rieslings from Jim Barry, Holm Oak, Brook Eden, Thorn-Clarke and Grosset on hand, do I really need a dozen of these as well?
Unfortunately, I suspect that I don't.
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).