The Auswine Forum

hi everyone.
i know we have had threads about the 2002 wines. what i would like to know are wines the forum would recommend at under $20 aud.

thanks in advance

rorie

rorie wrote:...2002 wines. what i would like to know are wines the forum would recommend at under $20 aud.

Rorie,

At that price point I've tried only a few wines, and they've pretty much all been 'pearlers'

- Taylors Shiraz at $11.99-13.99 - a lot of length and depth for the money
- O'Leary Walker - Down around the $16 this is a big punch. Many places are sold out, but you can still find it I think
- St Hallett Faith Shiraz - I really like this very much. I've no idea why some are disappointed, and given that VC have it at $13.70/btl in the 14/dozen buy, it is very very good value
- Scarpantoni Block 3 - Really great value, it might break the $20 mark by a buck or two though.
- Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet - Not in the same league as the above, but then you can snatch it up for under $10 quite regularly. A quaffer really, but reasonable pizza or takeaway value.
- Ignore the Wynns Shiraz, it's not really up to scratch. Hardy's Oomoo should be given a very wide berth...
- Annie's Lane Shiraz is worth a look too.
- D'Arenberg Laughing Magpie and Wolf Blass Gold, both Shiraz Voignier are worth a look too, though probably a little over budget again.
- A bunch of others I can't recall right now...

Try a bottle of each and more, then buy more of the ones you like?

Jakob

Jakob wrote:

rorie wrote:...2002 wines. what i would like to know are wines the forum would recommend at under $20 aud.

- D'Arenberg Laughing Magpie

Opened a bottle of 2002 D'Arenberg Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier last weekend - Front and middle palate of mouthfilling, ripe dark fruits with some spice complexity and very well controlled BUT the wine's length was not that great. A most enjoyable wine that just left me wanting a touch more... maybe it was just my bottle.

Adair

Under $20, I go for TOP Wineries fr Riverland(rather than low-end wines fr more reputable region)
Do not underestimate the engine-room of the Australian Wine Industries.
2002 was a stellar and bountiful harvest fr this region.

MartinC wrote:Under $20, I go for TOP Wineries fr Riverland(rather than low-end wines fr more reputable region)
Do not underestimate the engine-room of the Australian Wine Industries.
2002 was a stellar and bountiful harvest fr this region.

Come on Martin, you can't say that without giving some recommendations. Which Riverland wines can satisfy your palate?

Adair

Adair wrote:recommendations. Which Riverland wines can satisfy your palate?

Adair

Maybe some of the fortifieds?

Kingston & Salena Est came to my mind.

Riverina wines can be pretty good from 2002. Westend 3-Bridges and Casella Yendah Vale spring to mind. (The Yendah Vale durif is excellent...the Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Petit Verdot are good, and I haven't tasted the Viognier but it comes highly regarded).

Kieran.

It's getting harder and harder to find good wine under $20.

Here are a few of my recent favourites around this range. All of these wines showed some special character or intensity or depth of flavour beyond their price point.

Tahbilk Marsanne 93 $19.75 CD, Web Site

Showing golden colour and intense citrus/orange peel aromas. If you like marmalade on toast you will probably love this wine. Still with just enough fruit and length on the palate, drinking well now. For under $10 you can get the current release in Stelvin. If you are starting a cellar this is probably the cheapest wine you could buy with high probability of improving with age.

Sandalford Cabernet 02 $22 VC

Sweet ripe blackcurrant aromas, full palate and long finish of smooth tannins with crisp acidity. Yum Yum. This tasted like a wonderfully varietal and balanced wine. I hope it ages as gracefully as it tastes now.

Gibson's BarossaVale Shiraz 01 $25 CD

Deep purple, chocolate and raspberry jam aromas with some oak toasting notes. Deep fruit palate showing sweet plum and dark fruitcake flavours. Lingering balanced finish with some acidity.

Rockford RD Pinot/Chardonnay Sparkling $16 CD

NV blend with significant time on lees and bottle age. Yeast lees characters give complexity to the nose and palete normally associated with more expensive wine. Acid and fruit are softened from the age of this wine so I would not cellar it too long.

Seppelt Drumborg Riesling 03 $23

Intense lemon and steely mineral notes. Reminiscent of Grosset Polish Hill with slightly higher acidity.

Scarpantoni Block 3 Shiraz 02

Memory fading a bit on this one, under $25. Enjoyed at the time, it seemed to be typically McLaren Vale - Ripe sweet plum fruits, deep flavour with firm tannins.

Biggest dissappointments:

Penfolds Bin 28 01
Leasingham Bin 61 01

Both wines seemed over oaked and lacking fruit flavour. After a couple of ordinary years I was hoping they would come good. Maybe victims of the wine food chain, but a few years ago they were excellent drinking under $20.

James.

My vote is for the Ingoldby Shiraz - good weight and flavour for less than $15 per bottle

Both are drinking well now and about $12-13 each.
MM

2002's recently Tried and enjoyed;

Kangarilla Road Shiraz
St Hallett Faith Shiraz (maybe a little oaky)
Jeanneret Shiraz
Water Wheel Shiraz

erm, notice a theme.............

Gumby wrote:2002's recently Tried and enjoyed;

Kangarilla Road Shiraz
St Hallett Faith Shiraz (maybe a little oaky)
Jeanneret Shiraz
Water Wheel Shiraz

erm, notice a theme.............

Deadset, how good is that 2002 Water Wheel Bendigo Shiraz!!!

Had it last week - should have made mention of it.

Adair

Last night had half a 2002 Ingoldby Shiraz (McLaren Vale). Utterly closed upon opening (!), I wondered at first if there was something wrong with it, or if I still had a noseful of the onion & garlic that was cooking on the stove! The wine eventually opened out a bit, with some warm McLaren Vale chocolate - minced fruit aromas. The wine is reasonably soft on the palate - some spicy tannins are present, and the acid is not an afterthought, which certainly helps the mouthfeel. It's quite ripe, without being overdone, and the inevitable 14.5% is carried quite well - but I wouldn't expect the wine to improve particularly. In fact, for a 2002 I thought the palate quite loose-knit, in spite of that austere nose. All criticisms pale beside the price, which I think is widely advertised for around $12-13, which makes it pretty good value as a house quaffer.

cheers,
Graeme

2002 Hardy's Oomoo is excellent, as are the 2002 Ingoldby Shiraz and 2002 Water Wheel Shiraz. Mamre Brook 2002s are not too far away, and will probably be available for under $20. If you look hard eough, you can find the Oomoo for under $10, making it one of the best value quaffing wines I have seen in a long time - not surprised that it took out a gold at the Sydney show.

Jess.

MAMRE BROOK

Anonymous wrote:2002 Hardy's Oomoo is excellent, as are the 2002 Ingoldby Shiraz and 2002 Water Wheel Shiraz. Mamre Brook 2002s are not too far away, and will probably be available for under $20. If you look hard eough, you can find the Oomoo for under $10, making it one of the best value quaffing wines I have seen in a long time - not surprised that it took out a gold at the Sydney show.

Jess.

The 2002 Oomoo to me, and a few other people it seems, is really very average, even awful. Maybe time to try another one in case those first few were bad bottles? Water Wheel is good though!

Stepping Stone 2002 Cabernet. Better than 2001 and a very well made wine . A steal at $10 - $13.

Chuck

Guest wrote:It's getting harder and harder to find good wine under $20.


Seppelt Drumborg Riesling 03 $23

Intense lemon and steely mineral notes. Reminiscent of Grosset Polish Hill with slightly higher acidity.

[James.

That's the understatement of the year ! I've had this wine breathing for 3 days and its only now starting to yield. Under screw cap it'll take 50 years to peak ! Could be a great wine but I'll be dead before it gets there.

Cheers,

CR

2002 Oomoo is really superb value to a lot of people I know. We've been buying it by the case. Get the odd dud bottle but no more tha usual and generally super good. Has a savoury classiness rarely seen at that price point. No single wine will appeal to evryone though, so not surprised that some don't like it. Just different taste.

JB.

Anonymous wrote:
2002 Hardy's Oomoo is excellent, as are the 2002 Ingoldby Shiraz and 2002 Water Wheel Shiraz. Mamre Brook 2002s are not too far away, and will probably be available for under $20. If you look hard eough, you can find the Oomoo for under $10, making it one of the best value quaffing wines I have seen in a long time - not surprised that it took out a gold at the Sydney show.

Jess.


The 2002 Oomoo to me, and a few other people it seems, is really very average, even awful. Maybe time to try another one in case those first few were bad bottles? Water Wheel is good though!

I quite liked the 2001 Oomoo with it's thick mud-chocolate and coffee characters - perfect with pepper steak, but I found the 2002 version overly green and lean, almost like it was from a different region, and I wouldn't rate it.

The best under $20 wine I've tried so far is the 2002 Lengs & Cooter Victor Shiraz Grenache (see seperate TN) - for around $15 it's a lot of bang for your buck.

Cheers
Ian

Must admit I find the 2002 Ingolby Shiraz too sweet. Not sure if its the low acid and high alcohol - (while the bottle says 14.5%, website says 15% and I think it is at least the latter) or there is some residual sugar - Adair where are you

Biggish wine, lots of fruit , soft tannins but no structure. I put it in the fridge for half an hour and that seemed to freshen the wine.

I have a feeling based on the 2001 Hardy Oomooloo I would prefer it to the Ingolby but thats just a personal preference. Worth $12 but not much more given some of the cleanskins etc. around.

Paul

Peter Lehmann's semillon is a reliable quaffer, pretty much regardless of vintage. The 02 Clancy's is a very good wine for under $15, best I've tried of this label - well-balanced without the excessive americoak of the 01. Tried the Oomoo 01, nuh, not even a starter in my book, and apparently the 02 is worse. Tahbilk roussane 03 is a good wine. Coldstream Hills chard 02 I like too but it may not appeal to all, it's had the full treatment, big fruit, big (quality) oak, malo etc etc. Annie's Lane shiraz 02 is worth a look too.

Cheers,

daz

PaulV wrote:Must admit I find the 2002 Ingolby Shiraz too sweet. Not sure if its the low acid and high alcohol - (while the bottle says 14.5%, website says 15% and I think it is at least the latter) or there is some residual sugar - Adair where are you

Biggish wine, lots of fruit , soft tannins but no structure. I put it in the fridge for half an hour and that seemed to freshen the wine.

I have a feeling based on the 2001 Hardy Oomooloo I would prefer it to the Ingolby but thats just a personal preference. Worth $12 but not much more given some of the cleanskins etc. around.

Paul

Thank you Paul for my introduction on to this topic. There was a reason I did not comment about the general feeling in this topic that the 2002 Ingolby Shiraz is a bargain... because I don't! However, before I make a very strong negative comment, I am not 100% sure whether I tried the 2001 or 2002, but since I had that wine, I am not wasting my money buying another bottle to find out. For what it is worth, I will not be buying any Oomoo either, for the same reason, winemaking techniques including leaving residual sugar covering up lack of fruit and ordinary structure. I find that these wines provide no interest. They also give me heartburn!

I look forward to TORB's SA reports to get my next few cases of less than $15 per bottle wines that provide me with interest at a good price.

Adair

Both dem Ingoldby Sh and Hardy's too badum Oooooomoo to makum big buyum. But I thought the Ingodby Cab 02 not bad at all (taking into consideration that it is not the perfect varietal Cab) for the price.

chewers,

Adair wrote:Thank you Paul for my introduction on to this topic. There was a reason I did not comment about the general feeling in this topic that the 2002 Ingolby Shiraz is a bargain... because I don't! However, before I make a very strong negative comment, I am not 100% sure whether I tried the 2001 or 2002, but since I had that wine, I am not wasting my money buying another bottle to find out. For what it is worth, I will not be buying any Oomoo either, for the same reason, winemaking techniques including leaving residual sugar covering up lack of fruit and ordinary structure. I find that these wines provide no interest. They also give me heartburn!

I look forward to TORB's SA reports to get my next few cases of less than $15 per bottle wines that provide me with interest at a good price.

Adair

Okay, with regard to the 2002 Ingoldby McLaren Vale Shiraz, after reading Campbell's review in his latest Wine Front Monthly, I suspect that I last tried the 2001. I will make an attempt to taste this wine. My comments still stand about the Oomoo.

FWIW, this is Campbell's review of the 2002 Ingoldby McLaren Vale Shiraz in the latest Wine Front Monthly (see page 17):

"Boy this is a fruit-driven little number. Peppered blood plums, glistening blackberries, a gentle pass of oak - it's fresh as all hell, with the kind of fruit definition rarely found at this price point. The tannins too are barely noticeable, presenting as much as flavour-enhancers as components of the wine's texture. And the finish is all red-and-black berried fruit. For the kind of price you'll find this at, this is exceptional. Drink: Now - 2011. 90/100.

Kind regards,
Adair

Adair wrote:

Gumby wrote:2002's recently Tried and enjoyed;

Kangarilla Road Shiraz
St Hallett Faith Shiraz (maybe a little oaky)
Jeanneret Shiraz
Water Wheel Shiraz

erm, notice a theme.............

Deadset, how good is that 2002 Water Wheel Bendigo Shiraz!!!

Had it last week - should have made mention of it.

Adair

Hi Adair!
After having read everyones thoughts on the Water Wheel Sh 02 I thought I should go out and try one. Not as enthusiastic as you, here are my notes from last night:

Water Wheel Bendigo Shiraz 2002 (poured straight from the bottle)

Colour: Deep and clear crimson, with indigo on the rim
Nose: Red plums with blueberry, white and green pepper, and a noticeable sappy/ stalkiness. Amyl Nitrate levels of alcohol (my god, 14.8%) lift if you sniff too hard. After an hour the sappiness is replaced by some tar.
Palate: Big, chewy, and alcoholically hot with plums and red berries curried with pepper and spices. Stalky nature comes through at first (as on the nose) and balance is all over the place with lingering green tannins and alcohol (vodka aftertaste) simply too much for any powerful fruit length.

Drink with: cigarettes (as they seem to make it a very drinkable wine) 86/100 (based on first impressions)

cheers old bean,

simm wrote:

Adair wrote:

Gumby wrote:2002's recently Tried and enjoyed;

Kangarilla Road Shiraz
St Hallett Faith Shiraz (maybe a little oaky)
Jeanneret Shiraz
Water Wheel Shiraz

erm, notice a theme.............

Deadset, how good is that 2002 Water Wheel Bendigo Shiraz!!!

Had it last week - should have made mention of it.

Adair

Hi Adair!
After having read everyones thoughts on the Water Wheel Sh 02 I thought I should go out and try one. Not as enthusiastic as you, here are my notes from last night:

Water Wheel Bendigo Shiraz 2002 (poured straight from the bottle)

Colour: Deep and clear crimson, with indigo on the rim
Nose: Red plums with blueberry, white and green pepper, and a noticeable sappy/ stalkiness. Amyl Nitrate levels of alcohol (my god, 14.8%) lift if you sniff too hard. After an hour the sappiness is replaced by some tar.
Palate: Big, chewy, and alcoholically hot with plums and red berries curried with pepper and spices. Stalky nature comes through at first (as on the nose) and balance is all over the place with lingering green tannins and alcohol (vodka aftertaste) simply too much for any powerful fruit length.

Drink with: cigarettes (as they seem to make it a very drinkable wine) 86/100 (based on first impressions)

cheers old bean,

One thing I am finding with wines under screwcap - they need at least 30 or so minutes to open up to be enjoyed. They are very, very closed and can seem quite thin beforehand. I wonder (I hope) this is the case with this experience of yours.

Adair

Chuck wrote:Stepping Stone 2002 Cabernet. Better than 2001 and a very well made wine . A steal at $10 - $13.

Chuck

You gotta be kidding!

I rated the 2001 as worst cab I've ever tasted. I'd agree that the 2002 is certainly better, but not by much. Extremely acidic wine. Bloody awlful IMO. They couldn't even pay me to drink this! Well I suppose it might be good for use as a draincleaner.

Bill

Seems to be a lot of disagreement in regards to the 2002 Oomoo, maybe bottle variation??? Haven't tried it myself yet, but I quite enjoyed the 2001 as a good value quaffer.

Bill