BARGAIN WINES OF THE YEAR

[daz]

I've mostly been drinking at the swill end of the trough, have bought a few in the price range from TWS that have mostly been rather ordinary and have drunk a few from the meagre collection that haven't overly impressed.

My standout wine of the year has been Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. Opened last Sunday night, the last glass from the bottle is giving every indication that 15 years in the cellar will be a doddle. Excellent wine, excellent Aussie cabernet sauvignon with perfectly-judged cedary oak, line and length. Fully agree with Halliday's 95pts, reckon TWF's 93 pts at least one point shy of the mark. Some may criticise the slightly stalky, greenish tannins on the finish but I think they add complexity to this savoury-but-fruity wine.

My runner-up is Rosabrook Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, another cab with great balance and a lingering finish but perhaps with shorter cellaring potential than the Tahbilk. Both are terroirists, cost me less than $15/btl, are seriously good wines that reflect their individual terroirs. The 2008 Barwang cab and shiraz duo are also difficult to ignore in this context when offered .

So, what have been your bargain wines bought and tasted this year?

Cheers

[Craig(NZ)]

Although now the 2008 vintage is on the shelves earlier on this year 2007 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet could be had as cheap as $12 a bottle. Should have bought more (as per usual story), haven't got many left now. Shame as I bet it shines even brighter in 3 or 4 years time!

[phillisc]

i must be insane, but purchased 10 dozen 08 wynns coonawarra shiraz at the crazy price of $9.
i have drunk this wine with others and other bottles on 10-12 occasions now and may be I have a palate like a horse's arse but the flavour and intensity of this wine just keep improving.
i agree with GW that this is the best wynns shiraz for some time and based on better vintages, will easily go a decade.
Should be very good as a starter for my 50th in 5 years.

2010 Pewsey Vale is also great value at 12-13 dollars
2008 white label metala at $11ish, another consistent meduim bodied effort from this label
2005 Mt Pleasant Philip was also very well priced in the low teens.
2010 Sevenhill Inigo riesling approx $13.

Anyway a few starters
phillisc

[Matt]

the 2008 wynns are outstanding VFM...im looking forward to having mine in 3 - 5 more years.

[rens]

For me it was the 2006 Tahbilk Cabernet. Outstanding value and still available at some e-tailors for <$14.
The 2008 Wynns Black Label was a close second.

[Luke W]

i must be insane, but purchased 10 dozen 08 wynns coonawarra shiraz at the crazy price of $9.
i have drunk this wine with others and other bottles on 10-12 occasions now and may be I have a palate like a horse's arse but the flavour and intensity of this wine just keep improving.
i agree with GW that this is the best wynns shiraz for some time and based on better vintages, will easily go a decade.
Should be very good as a starter for my 50th in 5 years.

2010 Pewsey Vale is also great value at 12-13 dollars
2008 white label metala at $11ish, another consistent meduim bodied effort from this label
2005 Mt Pleasant Philip was also very well priced in the low teens.
2010 Sevenhill Inigo riesling approx $13.

Anyway a few starters
phillisc

Good onya mate
I bought my first kombi van full of wynns cabernet and shiraz in 1982 when the Kallangur Hotel offered them for 2 for 1 at approximately $2.25 for the Wynns BL (1979) and $1.80 for the shiraz (1980). They remained the backbone of my cellar (about 30 dozen) for about 10 years.

ya'll never regret it
cheers

Luke

[Luke W]

Bargain for me in 2010 was the 2001 Tahbilk Shiraz at $10.95 a bottle delivered - glorious wine with many years ahead. Let them (Tabillk CD) know who sent you!

[calm]

Tahbilk Cab and Wynns Shiraz both holding down positions in my cellar. Another few of my favourite purchases this year, Barwang Shiraz and Cab $13, Tyrrells Brokenback Hunter Shiraz $13, Gemtree Uncut 06 $17, Wynns BL $18, Kirrihill Single Vineyard Tullamore Shiraz $15.

[cuttlefish]

Don't forget your Hunter semillons, people.

[Waiters Friend]

No-one's listed a white yet. For me, the bargain of the decade has been Old Kent River 2009 Chardonnay at $95 a case (plus delivery) . I believe the price may have risen a fraction now but I hope they get all the sales they are hoping for.

[via collins]

I'll 5th or 6th the Tahbilk 2006 CS as a bargain at any price less than $20. It's a stunner, but most of the past 6 or 7 years have been at least very good. Will be interesting to see how they all fare over the long distance. After attending a Tahbilk 150th tasting earlier this year, I've got nothing but confidence.

Rieslings are still a better bargain though IMHO, and I've lost count of those that really impress - Lehmann's Eden Valley is always super good under $15, same applies to Pewsey Vale. I've just ordered a dozen, haven't tried it as yet, but the 09 was superb, and what I'm reading is that '10 might be better.

Every time I lay anything from Voyager Estate down I consider it a bargain, but I know $30 - $45 isn't in true bargain range. Mid-year, I picked up 6 of the 07 Girt by Sea blends at $19 p.b., and that's a top line bargain in my book. It tastes two or three times the price bracket, I love it, non-wine friends love it, a ripper piece of Margaret River under twenty bucks.

I'm happy as I write this, though in the back of my mind, i know Craig will scare up NZ's greatest ever Bordeaux blend in the greatest year ever for $3.50 at a little known superette on an island thought lost off the coast of NZ.

But that's okay.

[pokolbinguy]

2004 Brokenwood Sem Magnums...$20ea

2009 Jim Barry Watervale Riesling $12.60.

Damn they were good wines!!

[Sharkey]

I have to agree that Tahbilk wines are exceptional value. I have more Tahbilk in my cellar than any other winery.

My bargain of the decade was also a white. Last year I scored a couple of cases of 2004 Steingarten (the unreleased one) for $45 a case!

The bargain of this year was a red. Bought a six pack of the John Duval made Songlines Shiraz for $25 a bottle - delivered in a nice wooden box. 'Normal' price was $100-$120 a bottle.

[Rick Morcom]

Kurtz 2006 Lunar Block- at $40 a bottle it is to die for.

[ticklenow1]

Noon 12 Bells for me. At $10 a bottle it is stunning.

I'll also second the Tahbilk Cabernet. Have they ever made an ordinary red?

The Colonial Estate wines in the liquidation sale were also exceptional value and now having tried a couple, they were a steal.

At the end of the day I think that (sadly for the winemakers, but great for the end consumer (for now)) there will be a glut of good quality wine on the market the next couple of years at cheap prices Because of our strong $AUD, export markets may dry up a little for some producers. This wine will have to be sold somewhere and I think the internet will be awash with some huge bargains in the next year or two. This is not good for the industry as a whole. This may cause some very good wineries into financial hardship and while there may be some cheap wine around for a while, in the long run it may hurt consumers.

[Roscoe]

Rosemount Show Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 at $9.90 is my best bargain, off the top of my head.

[n4sir]

The Seppelt VP halves for $30/dozen & $50/dozen - Steve's initial topic heading "the best VP bargain ever" was right on the mark:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10607&p=89000

Cheers,
Ian

[DaveB]

The Seppelt VP halves for $30/dozen & $50/dozen - Steve's initial topic heading "the best VP bargain ever" was right on the mark:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10607&p=89000

Cheers,
Ian

Can't agree with that choice....spirit is quite tailsy and harsh in those VP's....there is a reason why they are so cheap you know

The Tahbilk is hard to beat value wise for sure!

[Bigwun]

The VP's aren't for everyone for sure, my wife doesn't like em. This is not a bad thing.

[xsorxpire]

Grabbing 8 Cullens "Diana Madeline" for $25 a bottle was probably my best buy.

[xsorxpire]

The VP's aren't for everyone for sure, my wife doesn't like em. This is not a bad thing.

NIbble the diagonal corners off a tim tam and suck the VP through the tim tam as if it were a straw.
When the liquid enters your mouth shove the whole tim tam in your head and you are in heaven...
(Is really good with nice coffee too).

[PaulG]

Cover a bowl of oreos with port, allow to soak in, then cover with hot custard and serve.