Those considerations are going to come to the fore as we work our way through the contents of the October '09 pack, which consists of:
2004 Riesling
2005 Merlot
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Shiraz
2007 Chardonnay (2 bottles)
2008 Riesling
2009 The Carson Gewurztraminer (2 bottles)
2009 Ensemble Rose
2009 Seriously Pink
Rutherglen Muscat
That's a pretty standard example of what arrives in these packs. A couple of older bottles, along with a smattering of others that represent a fair chunk of the winery's range.
Given summer drinking imperatives I headed more or less straight for The Carson Gewurztraminer and the Ensemble Rose, and, predictably, liked what I found.
The Carson Gewurztraminer, while it didn't leap out of the glass and demand your immediate attention, turned out to be an almost ideal wine to stack up beside a curry. Since Hughesy's summer dining options are going to lean rather heavily towards chilli and curries, this lovely crisp fresh and floral fruit-driven style will go down a treat.
The question's going to be how much will be going down.
Ensemble Rose, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Merlot, Shiraz and Viognier proved to be an ideal summer drink out of the fridge option worth investigating further. Not a wine to sit down, sniff and savour, but at the same time it's not exactly a quaffer either. There's a pleasantly rounded character that makes it ideal for sitting back and chilling out on a summer afternoon with a bit of relaxed conversation.
Faced with a thorny decision it's a case of sorry as far as the Chardonnay Marsanne is concerned. Four Gamay, four Ensemble and the same with the Gewurz is the order that’ll be heading Pfeifferwards shortly after this gets published. and after that we'll see about the rest.,
The reorder arrived before we started on the rest of the box, but some Atlantic salmon on Christmas Eve seemed like a good match for the 2007 Chardonnay, so it was a case of out with a bottle and give it a go.
I've been definite about my preference for old-style buttery Chardonnays in the past, but the swing towards what I've seen described as finer, more subtle, more refreshing .... new-wave Aussie chard is delivering frequent examples that I'm finding very acceptable indeed. The Brook Eden 2008 was one example that has impressed recently, and when we launched into the Pfeiffers 2007 the swing towards the new wave continued.
A full flavoured well balanced style with a smidgeon of oak lurking in the background and a rich creamy texture, not quite the buttery end of the spectrum, but at the same time it's not a million miles away from it. Very nice. I'm looking forward to the next bottle, though I'm not sure where we're going after that.
We were in the process of putting the finishing touches to Christmas lunch when Madam asked what we were starting with as far as the liquid portion of the meal was concerned. Given the need to get the odd-shaped Brown Brothers Prosecco out of the bar fridge (odd shaped bottles are not always your friend when you're trying to maximise quantities in limited spaces) I'd planned on starting with that, but it wasn't quite time to fill the festive flutes...
"What about that pink bottle?" she asked. "Didn't you say it was one to try over ice?"
“The Seriously Pink?” was my response. “Good thinking.”