15 August 2010

There has been plenty of discussion in the media over the last two weeks about how Coles and Woolworths are introducing home-brand wines and what this means for the industry. In my view, if the wines are good, then this is probably a good thing for the consumer.

With this in mind, I went to Vintage Cellars in Shenton Park and asked Paul Stephenson for a couple of their wines to put into the panel tasting. I was amazed to see the number of exclusive wines that were available. Some are made by famous producers exclusively for Vintage Cellars, either under the original makers name, or with reference to the famous maker on the label.

These wines are not cheap quaffers, as the price range is from around $20 right up to the RK wines at over $70.

A third group have a unique label and fit into the “home-brand” category. These are more what I was expecting, ten dollar wines that have the potential to offer value for money for everyday drinking. And the outcome was nothing short of sensational!

Loomwine at $10.50 per bottle (in dozen buys) is fantastic value. The panel uniformly recommend this wine. This is up there with the Houghton Stripe-Range shiraz and the Long Row from Angove. It is worth remembering that the Houghton and the Angove are both available well under $10 on special. The Pensilva was also widely appreciated. It would appear that on the surface, these wines are good for the consumer, though there are known brands that offer equivalent or better value.

A couple of highlights in quality terms – the Turkey Flat and the O’Leary Walker were both outstanding. The Turkey Flat is a great effort for the year and the O’Leary Walker is a real sleeper. The Houghton Wisdom is a very sophisticated and elegant wine. Finally, if you are after a preservative free wine, then the Temple Bruer is a solid wine.

Reviewed

Turkey Flat – Shiraz – 2007 (18.3). Oooh! Classic Barossa shiraz on the nose. Dense, ripe fruit is interwoven with classy French oak. Dense palate with chocolate, licorice and dark fruits. This is a powerful wine, but the balance is superb the palate seamless and mouth-coating. This needs years to show its best. High quality old vines shiraz. Yes it is mainstream, but that is a good thing.

O’Leary Walker – Shiraz – Claire Reserve – 2006 (18/18.5). Dense and closed. There is a touch of Clare Valley mint to the fruit, and the mint continues on the fine palate. This is a very powerful wine that is extraordinarily closed and tight, but everything is in place. Will get higher marks in 5-10 years. I had another look at this after leaving the glass for about 3 hours and the fruit was just starting to shine. Will improve for 10 – 20 years.

Houghton – Shiraz – Wisdom – 2008 (17.9). Cedar, spice, cloves and aniseed on the nose with an amalgam of black fruits. This is medium bodied, supple and long, with cherry fruit notes. The palate is vibrant and the mouth-feel very good. Fine tannins add texture to a classy and sophisticated wine. Give it five years +.

Loomwine – Shiraz – Long Yarn – 2009 (17.7). Quite interesting. The nose is somewhat sweet and sour. The fruit is ripe, and there are some sour cherry tones to the aroma. Coffee, chocolate, licorice and cloves all coat the tongue. There is good complexity, to what is a solid wine. From Vintage Cellars.

Leasingham – Shiraz – Jam Shed – 2008 (17.5). Restrained with quite cool fruit on the nose. Silky and supple, this is a very elegant wine. There is spice and a touch of pepper along with cherry, plum and vanillin oak. Persistent finish and the fine tannins attest to the quality of the wine-making.

Pensilva Estate – Shiraz – 2008 9 (17.5). Somewhat subdued in comparison to some hear. This has lovely fruit and balance but is in the lighter spectrum. The balance and mouth-feel are good and the finish is very fine. Great value. Available from Vintage Cellars.

Mount Horricks – Shiraz – 2008 (17.5+). This has succulent fruit but it is tight and closed. This is a very young wine that shows potential, but it is hard to assess now. Grippy finish. (This took four days to open up, becoming fine and savoury. 10 yrs)

Fox Gordon – Shiraz – Eight Uncles – 2008 (17.2). Raspberry spectrum fruit here. The palate is flooded with ripe fruit. This finishes quite plumy with a touch of licorice and there is good fruit weight. Initially appears to lack the structure of the best, but this is deceiving, as the tannins are very fine and the oak well integrated. Good wine.

Gilberts – Shiraz – Three Devils – 2007 (16.8). Plum, and dark fruit. Some sweet vanillan oak adds interest. These characters continue on the palate with juicy plum and fresh fruit. There is enough structure to make good drinking.

Barwick Estate – Shiraz – The Collectables (16.5). White pepper on the nose. Silky, succulent, medium bodied wine. Cooler fruit spectrum. Excellent drinking in an uncomplicated way.

Millsreef – Syrah – 2008 (16.5). Fragrant and peppery with cherry and mint. The palate is a mass of white pepper with some red fruits building on the finish. Fine and medium bodied, this is a good cool climate wine that needs some time to open.

O’Leary Walker – Shiraz – 2008 (16.5). Polarised the panel. Cooler fruit on this. Pepper, plums, cinnamon and spice all coat the tongue, and the finish is shut down by firm tannins. Could improve in the medium term. Clare and McLaren blend.

Stella Bella – Shiraz – 2007 (16.5). Closed and unyielding. This really builds in the mouth. Fine tannins and oak dominate the finish, but the wine will improve over 5 or so years.

Temple Bruer – Shiraz – 2009 (16.5). Big, ripe fruit on the nose. This has classic warm climate fruit. The palate tends towards the candied fruit spectrum and the finish is soft and straight-forward. Quaff away. Organic and preservative free.