FEBRUARY 2008

 

I attended a seminar led by Paul Henry, General Manager, Market Development, Wine Australia, called "The Changing Trading Environment of the UK Wine Sector - Australia Responds." In it, Paul explained that in order for the Australian wine industry to financially survive as a whole, it had to get away from the image of being a cheap wine supplier and to concentrate on getting the UK consumer to trade up a little where they would find greater value for money in Regional Australian wines. Economics dictate that for the regional producer, selling wines that retail for under £5 in the UK is simply no longer viable, if they want to stay in business.

 

I couldn't agree more - I went round the tables at the annual Trade tasting, asking the merchants to let me taste their "best shot" wines that retail in the UK for less than £10. Some were, a little cynically perhaps, quoted at £9.99, but there is no doubt that in the £8 to £10 range, Australia can produce some terrific value for money wines at that level. And there are even a few wines at £6 0r £7 which can do the same job, but you have to look out for them carefully. The important thing is to taste as often as you can. There is a huge gap between these wines and those punted out at £4.99 and below.

 

Paul has an uphill task unless we in the Press and the Trade help to convince the British wine drinker that it is far more sensible (and indeed far more healthy) to drink one bottle of £9 decent Australian wine than three bottle of "factory wine" at £2.99. Some wine writers do a great disservice to the public by stating that if you spend more than £5 on a bottle of wine, you need your head examined. That's aided and abetted by the editors of the lifestyle sections of the weekend newspapers extolling the virtues of £40 bottles of Balsamic Vinegar and not allowing the wine writers to write about wines that are not on every street corner at the multiples, who, after all, are only selling price points and not wine. (And why they have to employ Masters of Wine to do this beats me, but that's another story.)

 

It is very important for the wine industry as a whole, particularly those dedicated growers who put in an enormous amount of effort to produce wines that they are really proud of and who deserve a decent return on their labours, to make as much PR to ensure that quality is paramount. Quality doesn't need to cost an arm and a leg - as I have implied before - drink less, but purer and better.

 

Best of the bunch...

White

 

Bay of Fires Tigress Riesling 2007.

Tigress is the second range of Bay of Fires wines, more designed for earlier drinking rather than cellaring. This Riesling has been sourced from various vineyards around the island of Tasmania which typifies cool climate quality. The wine has hints of citrus fruits; off-dry, but with a good streak of tangy acidity which makes it an excellent food wine with light summer dishes. With only 12.5% alcohol by volume, Fran Austin's elegant effort would also make a fine summer's drink just on its own on the banks of a stream with your feet in the water! £9.99 a bottle from www.drinksdirect.co.uk who currently have a special offer of £8.99 a bottle if you buy a whole case of 6.

 

Palandri Vita Novis Margaret River Chardonnay 2004.

Nice to see that Palandri has held back the release of this premium wine until they have reckoned that it is drinking maturely. This should make a great restaurant wine. It's very rich with complex aromas and hints of tropical fruit but there is some nice acidity on the finish to give it a bit of balance. We haven't actually found a UK retailer selling this particular wine (their UK agent, Ehrmanns, has other cuvées from Palandri), but you should be able to get a list of UK stockists from Palandri's own UK setup - Palandri (UK) Ltd, 14 The Old Power Station, 121 Mortlake High Street, London SW14 8SN - tel: 020 8878 1459, or visit their website, www.palandri.co.uk. We are assured by them that it retails for £9.99, so please do hold them to it!

 

Heartland Stickleback White 2007.

Ben Glaetzer, Wine Behind The Label's Winemaker of the Year 1997, was responsible for this (among many other) great value wines at the tasting. A blend of Verdelho (60%), Sémillon (20%) and Chardonnay (20%), it's one of those more-ish wines that you can drink and drink and drink. Crisp, refreshing and ready for immediate drinking, this unoaked blend has masses of citrus zest and pear flavours accompanied by a long finish, which screams DRINK ME NOW! The great news is that it retails at only £5.95 from Great Western Wine, The Wine Warehouse, Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AP. Tel: 01225 322800 or buy online at www.greatwesternwine.co.uk.

 

Chalkers Crossing Hilltops Sémillon 2007.

As Ben Glaetzer was the Quantas Young Winemaker of the Year in 2004, he followed in the footsteps of a young Frenchwoman, Celine Rousseau, the winemaker at Chalkers Crossing, who won the title in 2002. Chalkers Crossing is in the Tumbarumba area of New South Wales, 200 kilometres south west of Sydney and 150 kilometres north west of Canberra, a area not exactly noted for its wines, but Celine's objective is to produce wines that are typical of the terroir. The estate produces Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Chardonnay as whites as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz in red, but in my book the Sémillon is particularly outstanding for its creaminess without too much richness, its citrus and vanilla flavours and a long finish. £7.95 from Great Western Wine as above.

 

Red

 

Heartland Dolcetto Lagrein 2006.

Here Ben Glaetzer captures the pure essence of the Italian north, the slight sweetness and freshness of the Dolcetto being tempered by the savoury tannins of the Lagrein. A great blend which perhaps could only be accomplished by someone who is not "too close to the ball" with these varietals since I cannot recollect such a blend being made by the Italians. The result is a stunning and unusual wine - both varietals being vinified separately in old French oak for up to 9 months before blending into a rich but savoury wine. At £8.95 from Great Western Wine (see above for details) it could knock many a wine costing up to twice that amount into a cocked hat and is a great food wine to boot.

 

Harewood Estate Great Southern Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon 2005.

James Kellie is the winemaker here and this excellent Shiraz/Cab. blend (usually one of Australia's best shots) has quality well above its price station. Richly textured and full-bodied, the "animal" flavours of the Shiraz are tempered by the more elegant, black fruit flavours of the Cabernet Sauvignon. The result is a judiciously oaked wine which can be broached now, but would repay keeping for two or three years and at £8.95 again from Great Western Wine, is a snip. Try it with roast beef, venison, game birds and even the odd kangaroo.

 

You can probably gather from this review that Great Western Wine has practically swept the board for the best value for money Australia wines and we hope to let you have a more in depth review of that merchant in the future, covering the wines that they import from all over the world. In the meantime, they (and others) are certainly doing their best to help Paul Henry to get the message across that by paying just that little bit extra for your Australian wines, you can achieve a quantum leap in quality.

 

MARCH 2008

 

One of the most interesting and exciting wine tastings in London takes place annually - this year at Vinopolis, the wine museum and experience, and is called SITT. SITT stands for the Specialist Importers Trade Tasting and it is where some 40 of the U.K.'s leading independent importers show their wares to the wine trade - retailers, wholesalers, restaurateurs and hoteliers. The wines on display are not geared to the supermarket or chain retailer (although I am sure that some of them do supply the multiples), so by and large, they are their more upmarket wines, which certainly makes for pleasant tasting.

 

Taking my usual brief of finding the best quality wines retailing for under £10, I approached this tasting with a little trepidation , because at first glance browsing through the catalogue, there seemed to be so few. But digging deeper into the available wines and with the help of a few wines "under the table" which were not listed in the catalogue, I did find a lot of goodies.

 

So, once again, I went and asked each importer to give me their "best shots" at under £10, and I have to say that I came up with some remarkable results.

 

 

Best of the bunch

White

 

Quinta do Coa 2006.

This organically produced wine from the Douro is a blend of Codega de Larinho, Rabigato and Gouveto and goes to prove how these local Portuguese grapes can be harnessed into wines of a modern style. This is an aromatic wine with mineral and toasty tones from it being aged in new French oak. RRP £9.90. List of stockists from the importer, Raymond Reynolds Ltd., Station Road, Furness Vale, High Peak SK23 7SW. Telephone 01663 742230. www.winesfromportugal.com

 

Highness Riesling 2006.

A great effort from Rolf Binder, one of the Barossa's leading winemakers. Very good minerally structure with a marginally off-dry finish, so typical of Australian Rieslings. Well priced at £8.50, a list of stockists available form the importer, Seckford Agencies Ltd., Old Barn Farm, Harts Lane, Ardleigh, Colchester, CO7 7QQ. Tel. 01206 231188. www.seckfordagencies.co.uk

 

Roussette de Savioie 2006 - Pierre Boniface.

 A rich and creamy wine with pleasant softness in the mouth, but nevertheless with sufficient complexity. It's always nice to find good wines from Savoie - all too rare in the UK. RRP £9.00. List of stockists from the importer, Stevens Garnier, 47 West Way, Oxcford OX2 0JF. Telephone 01865 263300.

 

EQ Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Matetic Vineyards, Chile.

There's plenty of life in this zingy, fresh and aromatic organically produced wine. Clean as a whistle with undertones of melon and greengage. RRP £8.95. List of stockists from the importer, Genesis Wines Ltd, 78 Tachbrook Street, London SW1V 2NA. Telephone 020 7963 9062.

 

Bourgogne Blanc 2006, Cave de Prissé.

 It really is a pleasure to find a traditional, lowly appellation wine to rank among the best bargains you can find in the UK. Just the humble Bourgogne appellation, but this has more racy fruit and fullness in the mouth than some of the village wines. RRP £9.00. Details of stockists from the importer, Charles Taylor Wines Ltd., 59 Kenington Road, London SE1 7PZ. Telephone 020 7928 8151.

 

Pinot Blanc d'Alsace 2006, Domaine Rieflé.

Gentle, biscuity style and very easy drinking. Not a great deal of complexity but a lovely long, smooth finish. The kind of wine that doesn't necessarily need food. RRP £9.40. List of stockists from the importer, The Wine Treasury Ltd, 69/71 Bondway, London SW8 1SQ. www.winetreasury.com

 

Con Class Vendimia Excepcional 2007 D.O. Rueda Spain.

75% Verdejo, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, this is a crisp, sprightly wine with tones of citrus and nettle and a good deal of upfront fruit. RRP £6.99, which is very well priced. List of stockists from the importers, Moreno Wines, 26 Macroom Road, London W9 3HY. Telephone 020 8960 7161.

 

Moulin des Nonnes Minervois Blanc 2006.

Unusual to find white Minervois - it's generally known for it's reds, but this organically produced blend of Roussanne, Genache Blanc and Muscat is a real find. Zingy, racy and herbaceous, with some good persistence in the mouth. RRP £8.99. Details of stockists from the importers, Winegrowers Direct Ltd., 2 Station Road, Swavesey, Cambridge, CB24 4QJ. Telephone 01954 230176.

 

Viña Somoza Godello 2007.

Another little gem from Spain. Spanish whites have improved so much over the past few years. This is an aromatic wine with rich fruit in the mouth showing a touch of real class. RRP £9.40. Details of stockists from the importers Vinites UK, 37 Montholme Road, London SW11 6HX. Telephone 020 7924 4974.

 

Deep Woods Ivory 2006.

A Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon blend from Margaret River in Western Australia displaying good New World upfront fruit with nettley flavours and a good balance between the fruit and the acidity. RRP £7.99. List of stockists from the importers, Bella Wines Ltd., Beaufort House, 28 Lisburn Road, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 8HS. Telephone 01638 604899. www.bellawines.co.uk

 

The Hill Chardonnay 2006.

This is classy stuff, unoaked, sourced from King Valley fruit in Victoria, Australia. It is eminently quaffable without some of the aggressiveness associated with Australian Chardonnays. RRP £7.25. Details of stockists from the importers, Charles Hawkins and Partners, The Offices, Glaston Road, Uppingham, Rutland, LE15 9EU.

Telephone 01572 823030.

 

Viña Riojanas Torrontés "Seleccion" 2007.

This is zzingy stuff! And quite racy, to boot. If perhaps not quite up to the quality of the above wines (I have rated this 2+ out of 5 as against 3 or 3+ for the other above wines), the RRP of £4.50 should certainly make up for the lack of class, although I must say I have rated it above many a wine costing twice the price. Details of stockists from Layton's Wine Merchants, 7-9 Elliotts Place, London N1 8HX. www.laytons.co.uk

 

 

Rosé

 

It's rare when a rosé wine stands out in comparison to whites and reds of the same ilk, but the wine listed below certainly deserves the accolade. It's from a great estate, anyway.

 

Domaine de la Mordorée, Côtes du Rhône Rosé 2007.

Fresh, early bottled saignée of GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) from this well respected red wine estate, has nice weight and depth of flavour. RRP £7.95. List of stockists from the importer, Genesis Wines Ltd. as above.

 

 

Red

 

Quinta da Coa Tinto 2006. Full fruit from this organically produced wine. A robust, deep leathery taste completes the roundness of the wine. A very fine example indeed. RRP £9.90. Details of stockists from Raymond Reynolds as above.

 

Hackett Old Vine Grenache 2005 McLaren Vale, South Australia.

Big, ripe "in your face" fruit here but not jammy. RRP £8.99. Details of stockists from ABS Wine Agencies, 29 Recreation Ground Road, Stamford, Lincs. PE9 1EW.

Telephone 01780 755810

 

Quinta do Crasto 2006.

An established favourite value for money wine for many years, the 2006 vintage is no exception. Although easy drinking, it displays enough structure and body for serious consideration. RRP £7.50. Details of stockists from Haughton Agencies/Adnams, Sole Bay Brewery, High Street, Southwold, Suffolk IP18 6JW. Telephone 01502 727288.

 

Côtes du Rhône Bouquet des Garrigues 2005, Clos du Caillou.

The wines from the Côtes du Rhône appellation are so diverse - you can get anything from top quality to dross and here it is most important to follow an individual estate or grower for the best results. A good bet is usually a grower who is more well-known for a higher appellation wine. Here we have the Clos du Caillou, a leading estate in Châteauneuf du Pape, turning out this chunky, chewy wine at half the price of the wines from the higher appellation. RRP £9.95. Details of stockists from Genesis Wines, as above.

 

Cline Cellars California Zinfandel 2006.

This is an old favourite of mine. Cline have consistently made value-for-money wines and this, their entry level Zinfandel, mainly sourced from North Coast California, displays typical fruity, chewy characteristics but with good structural balance which would prevent it from being classified as a "fruit bomb"! RRP £9.95. List of stockists from The Wine Treasury as above.

 

 

Odfjell Vineyards "Armador" Maipo Valley Syrah 2004.

This Chilean producer is improving all the time. Already well known for their range of Cabernets, Merlots and Carmenères, this Syrah displays typical tarry varietal fruit, very forward on the palate - tasty and quaffable. RRP £9.80. Details of stockists from The Wine Treasury as above.

 

Plot Tempranillo 2006.

This entry level Vino de Mesa from Rioja producer Urbina is soft and fruity with an explosion of fruit in the mouth. A real fruit bomb and very more-ish! RRP £8.25. Details of stockists from the importer, Burridges of Arlington Street, Burridge House, Priestly Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9NT. Telephone 01293 530151. www.burridgewine.com

 

 

Navajas Rioja Tinto Crianza 2004 D.O.Ca Rioja Alta.

Soft fruit with subtle vanilla oaking makes this a great value wine with an RRP of £7.49. Details of stockists from Moreno Wines as above.

 

Bodega Bouza Tannat 2004 - Las Violetas Canelones, Uruguay.

This is a great effort from one of Uruguay's leading boutique wineries. Over the past year or two, Uruguayan wines have improved by leaps and bounds and the Tannat grape is doing for Uruguay what the Malbec grape has done for Argentina as a signature varietal. This example has nice, upfront fruit, but there is plenty of structure there as well. RRP £9.95. List of stockists from the importer, Great Western Wine, The Wine Warehouse, Wells Road, Bath, BA2 3AP. Telephone 01225 322800. www.greatwesternwine.co.uk.

 

Cremeschi Furlotti Family Limited Edition 2005.

Leading Chilean winery's "Meritage" wine - 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah and 20% Carmenère, shows a deeply structured wine, but underneath the tannins there is a good display of spice, leather and red berry fruits. RRP £9.59. Details of stockists from Charles Hawkins and Partners as above.

 

Miramonte Tinto Joven 2006.

From the Toro D.O. in Spain, this young wine is full of nice, smooth juicy fruit, immensely quaffable and a snip at an RRP of £5.95. Details of stockists from Laymont and Shaw, Stanley Way, Cardew, Redruth TR15 1SP. Telephone 01209 310770.

 

Onda Nova Syrah 2006.

 From the Algarve, in Portugal, we are now beginning to see an increase in the growing of "international" grapes there. This Syrah is good chunky stuff with lots of upfront fruit. RRP £6.99. Details of stockists from Laymont and Shaw as above.

 

Ch. Rouquette "Cuvée Merigot" 2003 Bordeaux Supérieur.

It's nice to be able to include a Bordeaux wine as good value for money. Here is a wine with good structure with nice soft and supple fruit beneath the tannins. A good food wine. RRP £9.95. List of stockists from Jackson Nugent Vintners, 30 Homefield Road, Wimbledon Village, London SW19 4QF. Telephone 020 8947 9722.

 

Well, as you can see, a large collection of worthwhile wines at under £10, which does show how good our independent importers are at finding these gems. If I had to reduce the list to the ones that were really top quality (approaching 4 stars), they would be as follows:

 

White Wines

Bourgogne 2006 - Caves de Prissé

The Hill Chardonnay 2006

Roussette de Savoie Pierre Boniface 2006

 

Red Wines

Quinta do Coa Tinto 2006

Odfjell Vineyards Armador Syrah 2004

Plot Tempranillo Vino de Mesa 2006

Bodegas Bouza Tannat 2004

Cremaschi Furlotti Family Limited Edition 2005

Onda Nova Syrah 2006

 

Best value wines

White - Viña Riojanas Torrontes "Seleccion" 2007 - £4.50

Red - Miramonte Tinto Joven - £5.95

 

There is obviously a big challenge from the Iberian peninsular and South America for the best quality/price ratio red wines, which might have hitherto been held by the Australians and the French. But they still seem to be doing better on the whites.