Drinkable cheap and nasties....

[Luke W]

Interested in what u find in the cellar or from other means that belie their origins or price tag. In the last week I've opened a litre bottle of Hardys Insignia shiraz 2013 which was admittedly a simple but quite delicious wine that gave me quite a headache the next morning and a Wolf Blass cabernet merlot 2006 which also is easy to drink and surprisingly quaffable (thanks to my sister who is cleaning out her cellar).
During that time I also opened a 2004 Murdock cabernet that was undrinkable (bretty as hell). Bit of a problem when the cheapies cellar better than the $40 Coonawarra!

[ticklenow1]

I always thought Noon 12 Bells was about as good as one could get for $12. Haven't bought for a few years now, but I normally enjoyed it.

Cheers
Ian

[Dragzworthy]

My cheap and easy quaffables are usually montepulciano (Jasci and Marchesani do some great varietals ) or wolf blass grey or gold labels (Shiraz Cabernet / cabernet).

[JamieBahrain]

Generally $20AUD in Hong Kong, gets me an across the board, world class standard of wine from all regions- except Burgundy and Bordeaux ( lack of trying ).

This week for example, Elderton Estate shiraz & Produttori Langhe Nebbiolo. Both extremely cellarable and world class expressions in their price range.

Venturing price wise less, brings inevitable international logistics into play and I find you fall off the quality cliff!

[Scotty vino]

said it before say it again....tscharke....
cheap? yes
nasty? no way.

MIke press was pretty good in this department for a while.
Haven't sussed it out for a while though

[Cloth Ears]

Found these while going through the cellar on the weekend. Recent tasting have shown they are all NOT nasty, even if they were cheap.

IMG_20200826_080408.jpg

[cuttlefish]

Generally $20AUD in Hong Kong, gets me an across the board, world class standard of wine from all regions- except Burgundy and Bordeaux ( lack of trying ).

This week for example, Elderton Estate shiraz & Produttori Langhe Nebbiolo. Both extremely cellarable and world class expressions in their price range.

Venturing price wise less, brings inevitable international logistics into play and I find you fall off the quality cliff!

Elderton Shiraz for $20. Nice.

[Gavin Trott]

Generally $20AUD in Hong Kong, gets me an across the board, world class standard of wine from all regions- except Burgundy and Bordeaux ( lack of trying ).

This week for example, Elderton Estate shiraz & Produttori Langhe Nebbiolo. Both extremely cellarable and world class expressions in their price range.

Venturing price wise less, brings inevitable international logistics into play and I find you fall off the quality cliff!

Elderton Shiraz for $20. Nice.

No

and really

Produttori Langhe Nebbiolo for $20 ... very nice!

.

[Mahmoud Ali]

Found these while going through the cellar on the weekend. Recent tasting have shown they are all NOT nasty, even if they were cheap.

IMG_20200826_080408.jpg

I don't know about the others but the four on the left look to be good candidates to be much better than "not nasty".

[Luke W]

My aim on this thread was more to find out the surprises, like a 1986 Seaview cabernet that blew ur socks off. Cheap wines that u accidently discover that are really good.....

[Matt@5453]

in recent memory, maybe 2 years ago, we had a 2008 Macaw Creek Wines (a small producer from the very southern end of the Clare Valley). Stored in a friend's lounge room, I had no hope for it - it ended up being a very decent wine!

[sjw_11]

Found these while going through the cellar on the weekend. Recent tasting have shown they are all NOT nasty, even if they were cheap.

Looking forward to a full summary of these!

[sjw_11]

I used to have a lot more surprises when I lived in Oz and would buy assorted cheapies from auction...

One that sticks in the mind was a couple of bottles of 1987 Jim Barry Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Red Malbec Shiraz Cabernet, on the back label of which it said "a light, lunchtime red" which still drank well around 2007-8.

1988 D'arenberg Shiraz Burgundy (now the Original) drunk in 2004.

1994 Hardys Cabernet Sauvignon Padthaway drunk in 2011 (which I mentioned in the old notes I posted recently)

And the Settlement Wine Co 1996 Cab Franc... astonishing wine. Don't know how they did it and what happened to them since but that was something else. That was IIRC from Woolies liquor in Rundle Mall.

[Mahmoud Ali]

My aim on this thread was more to find out the surprises, like a 1986 Seaview cabernet that blew ur socks off. Cheap wines that u accidently discover that are really good.....

Ahh ... I see. This, my best result from Australia:

1975 Lindemans 'Auburn Burgundy' Bin 5220 that I opened in 2001 and a candidate for one of the better mature Australian wine I've had after the 1982 Bin 820.

AuburnBurgundy.jpg

It cost me something in the region of C$10. Much later, when I was at Lindemans cellar door back in early 2001 when it was just north of Penola, I mentioned that I had this old bottle of Lindemans wine. The lady there volunteered to fax head office to ask about it and not long after came a reply that it was never presented at any wine show.

When I returned home from Australia and went looking for something to open, I found this bottle lying on its side under the china cabinet. As I slowly pulled the burgundy bottle out from under, wine spilled out from the capsule and onto the carpet. The cork was failing and wine was leaking out. When I removed the capsule I could see the wine was wet on top with little bubbles around the edge. Surely the time had come to drink it. Removing the cork was a delicate process as it was wet and spongy all the way through.

The wine was glorious, the bouquet open and fragrant with sweet, ripe notes. The palate was rich, broad, and harmonious, the elements in balance, the tannins fully resolved and a long lengthy finish. Magic.

By the way, I used to think the 'Auburn' referred to Clare Valley but after some research discovered that it was named after a suburb of Sydney with the wine likely being a blend of Hunter and other fruit.

Cheers ............................ Mahmoud.

[JamieBahrain]

Generally $20AUD in Hong Kong, gets me an across the board, world class standard of wine from all regions- except Burgundy and Bordeaux ( lack of trying ).

This week for example, Elderton Estate shiraz & Produttori Langhe Nebbiolo. Both extremely cellarable and world class expressions in their price range.

Venturing price wise less, brings inevitable international logistics into play and I find you fall off the quality cliff!

Elderton Shiraz for $20. Nice.

No

and really

Produttori Langhe Nebbiolo for $20 ... very nice!

.

The PdB Langhe Nebbiolo is a supermarket wine in Alba. Even less than $20 but obviously spoilt for choice.

Pricing can be accentuated in HKG where the more fashionable line is purchased, sold at a profit, and the regular wine is moved as quick as possible. In the case of PdB, Asili, Rabaja come in at a premium. Whereas Rio Sordo & Pora seem to often be dumped at a very cheap price.

I thought the Elderton a lovely Barossa shiraz. Guided friends into going long. Perhaps drinking in the cooler weather toward the end of the year versus the sweltering summer conditions now.

[felixp21]

if you want an incredibly drinkable Burgundy that won't break the bank, go for the 2018 Domaine de Bellene Bourgogne Rouge Maison Dieu.
You can pick this up in Australia for $38, which I think is a great price for a really good wine.

[felixp21]

My aim on this thread was more to find out the surprises, like a 1986 Seaview cabernet that blew ur socks off. Cheap wines that u accidently discover that are really good.....

I'm slowly working my way thru my last case of 1990 Seaview Cabernet.... absolutely phantastic wine.

[Luke W]

Mahmoud
I used to drink the Lindemans Auburn in the 70s and 80s and it was $2.50 a bottle! A beautiful wine and glad that one lasted for u. Often I get to raid a mates cellar (Ticklenow) has helped me on occasion, and found something old and innocuous and been blown away by them. Remember a 1983 Pipers Brook cabernet that had no right to be alive but it was mindblowing, a 1991 Wynns BL following Ian's declaration it was his WOTY and it became mine also. Want to hear about these little unexpected gems that no one had an expectation of....

[Mahmoud Ali]

One more, a 1990 Balgownie Chardonnay 'Premier Cuvee' Series One that was absolutely brilliant in 2008 - and it was only 11% alcohol. It was made with Coonawarra fruit and Burgundian techniques. As the back label stated: “This wine is produced from hand pruned and harvested chardonnay grapes from the Coonawarra region of South Australia. Traditional Burgundian fermentation and oak maturation techniques have created a rich full flavoured style that can be enjoyed now or will repay cellar maturation." Imagine, made from Coonawarra fruit!

Balgownie.jpg

I wonder if any of the newer Australian ones will last as long, though of course they aren't cheap anymore.

[Cloth Ears]

My aim on this thread was more to find out the surprises, like a 1986 Seaview cabernet that blew ur socks off. Cheap wines that u accidently discover that are really good.....

All of those pictured were a bit of a surprise. The older ones because they were bought via auction (and I have been bitten before) yet they've all been really good so far. The newer ones because they were cheap and 'recently' purchased and still good. My memory doesn't allow me to write them up so I'll have to tack on this thread when I open another one. But I'd buy more (if I had room) if I could find them.

[Dragzworthy]

My aim on this thread was more to find out the surprises, like a 1986 Seaview cabernet that blew ur socks off. Cheap wines that u accidently discover that are really good.....

Ahh ... I see. This, my best result from Australia:

1975 Lindemans 'Auburn Burgundy' Bin 5220 that I opened in 2001 and a candidate for one of the better mature Australian wine I've had after the 1982 Bin 820.

AuburnBurgundy.jpg

It cost me something in the region of C$10. Much later, when I was at Lindemans cellar door back in early 2001 when it was just north of Penola, I mentioned that I had this old bottle of Lindemans wine. The lady there volunteered to fax head office to ask about it and not long after came a reply that it was never presented at any wine show.

When I returned home from Australia and went looking for something to open, I found this bottle lying on its side under the china cabinet. As I slowly pulled the burgundy bottle out from under, wine spilled out from the capsule and onto the carpet. The cork was failing and wine was leaking out. When I removed the capsule I could see the wine was wet on top with little bubbles around the edge. Surely the time had come to drink it. Removing the cork was a delicate process as it was wet and spongy all the way through.

The wine was glorious, the bouquet open and fragrant with sweet, ripe notes. The palate was rich, broad, and harmonious, the elements in balance, the tannins fully resolved and a long lengthy finish. Magic.

By the way, I used to think the 'Auburn' referred to Clare Valley but after some research discovered that it was named after a suburb of Sydney with the wine likely being a blend of Hunter and other fruit.

Cheers ............................ Mahmoud.

Why they stopped using these old labels (ditto Tyrrell's and the like) is just beyond me. Glorious retro happening here.