The Auswine Forum

I have had some mixed experience with cleanskin wines. Recently, I have seen ads on two cleanskin Bendigo 2004 reds, the "Good-as-it-Gets" Shiraz and the "Last Hurrah" Cab for $6/btl each. I am thinking about getting some to try. Has anyone tried them? Are they any good? Thanks in advance.

2004 Benigo Reds, that means they have aged for about 7 months and would have seen very little barrel maturation, either tank or wood. Sounds like you may be getting what you pay for.

Anonymous wrote:I have had some mixed experience with cleanskin wines. Recently, I have seen ads on two cleanskin Bendigo 2004 reds, the "Good-as-it-Gets" Shiraz and the "Last Hurrah" Cab for $6/btl each. I am thinking about getting some to try. Has anyone tried them? Are they any good? Thanks in advance.

Come back Monday night, I've got them both in a tasting set for my Monday evening tasting group, plus some under $15 2003 reds, Ingoldby Shiraz (Gold NWS this year), Taylors Shiraz, Cimicky Trumps Shiraz (JH Top 100) and the 2003 O'Leary Walker Clare/Mclarenvale Shiraz (around $18), I'll post some impressions. I think you may be too late for the Cabernet though.

Sheez ... go crazy and fork out $12 and find out for yourself!! Honestly you've just got to dive in sometimes.....

May be a bit hard to buy just 2 if you are not near the only shop that sells them...

Where are my Coopers?

And the verdict is...

The group ranking was:
1. Charles Cimicky Trumps Shiraz 2003, a bargain if you can pick it up on special for around $13-$14, lovely Barossa Shiraz style with a little backbone as well,will cellar up to 5 years.

2. O'Leary Walker Clare/MclarenVale Shiraz 2003, good value for around $18, a slightly leaner wine than the Cimicky, classier and more obvious oak treatment, but the lovely warm Barossa is more attractive right now.

3. Taylors Clare Shiraz 2003 (under cork), good value at around $13 on special, also sufficient balance and structure to cellar a while if you wanted to.

4. Ingoldby McLarenVale Shiraz 2003, ranked almost identically to the Taylors, opened nicely, but went through a disjointed stage in the glass, starting to come back at the end of the hour.

5. 'Last Hurrah' Bendigo Cabernet 2004, glass-staining magenta/purple, nice berry fruit, surprisingly approachable for such a young wine, not your average wimpy $6 cleanskin or labelled $8 crap, good value, only ranked slightly behind 3 and 4.

6. 'Good as it Gets' Bendigo Shiraz 2004, another glass-stainer, less forthcoming than the cabernet, but showing some savoury, slightly minerally shiraz fruit when drinking it now at home, just needs to fill out the middle palate a little more, probably will over the next 12 months or so.

The two cleanskins showed up as well-made young wines, pretty well balanced for such young reds, no searing acid or wimpy lightweight sweet fruit here, there was a lot of comment on how much better they were than the crappy 'function-special' reds (from Peter Lehmann, Lindemans, Tyrrells etc) that people had suffered or avoided at staff Christmas parties over the last week or two. I feel I got very good value for the price. Both sealed with screwcaps.

Brian, a pity u didnt include the WaterWheel Shiraz. I bet this wine will top ur tasting. For sheer value and "bang" this wine is hard to beat.

Chow Chow wrote:Brian, a pity u didnt include the WaterWheel Shiraz. I bet this wine will top ur tasting. For sheer value and "bang" this wine is hard to beat.

MC, I probably would have, I'm a fan and fairly regular buyer of the WW, but I haven't seen it locally yet.

Chow Chow wrote:Brian, a pity u didnt include the WaterWheel Shiraz. I bet this wine will top ur tasting. For sheer value and "bang" this wine is hard to beat.

- yesiree chow chow - i'll happily drink to that claim. WaterWheel has got to be the best bang for your buck Shiraz by a kountry kilometre.