The Auswine Forum

Had the good fortune to attend an old friends wedding at "The Trawler Room" Waterfront Restaurant 27 Circular Quay West, The Rocks Sydney, on Saturday (April Fools Day! ). What a great venue, and fabulous food.. wine was just average quaff..Peppermint Rock or something! but had a great time, and to be really honest, I envy you buggers with your brilliant weather, and the fact that you are SO spoilt for choice it puts the big smoke of Auckland to shame..I mean, $9.99 a kilo for plump Tiger Prawns at Paddys Mart..we are paying about $29.00 for the same thing..
$2.00 a kilo for sweet table grapes..god Kemenys had 4 litres of fresh squeezed orange juice for $5.99..unbelievable!! great place, had a ball, but So little time..arrived Thursday evening, home Monday 11am flight.
Anyway, back to the point in question..wish I had trusted the groom and followed his example..he got a bottle of Kemenys Hidden Label McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 for $13 Aus..this wine was brilliant..honestly drank like a $40-50..also 2004 Gimblett Gravels Merlot Hidden Label for $18 Aus..very classy.. anybody else on the forum taken the hidden label plunge??
Craig, if you read this, I will be in touch this week.
Cheers.
Rossi.

Hi Rossi,
Long time no see.
I had a crack at the 2004 Hidden Label Cab Sauv from Coonawarra at a party..I saw Paul Gordon on the label so must/may be Leconfield. Thought it was bloody good wine. Certainly boxing clever.

GW

Ditto on the Coonawarra hidden label, do a search on the forum I think there are a couple of notes on them floating about.

Glen

look forward to catching up, bet you had a good time - we just gotta squeeze a couple of drinks in ASAP - will get on the phone

good to hear positive report on the cabernet... I recently bought lots of the hidden labels to have a look. So far I've opened the cordon cut sauvignon blanc (think its made by brokenwood), found it to be reductive, a day in the fridge came good with intensity, but not much finesse (found the acid a bit unbalanced) about it. I'll try it again but currently I will pass on that price.

Will report back when I try the rest unless someone tells me that posts like this should not be displayed.

Also when you look at it they really are not that cheap, consider the 2005 semillon for example. Around that price you can get Tyrell's, Elizabeth... I didn't even feel like it was worth a punt.

Huon Hooke gave the 2000 brut a nice write up in good living last year so I got some to try, but at that price other sparklers like the seaview p/c come to mind...

Would anyone really have paid $32 (as quoted) for the McLaren Cabernet?

Alex F wrote:Would anyone really have paid $32 (as quoted) for the McLaren Cabernet?

Alex, it's standard practice for retailers to quote RRP rather than "street price" when advertising the savings. Just take of 20% in most cases, sometimes more.

Since Gavin hasn't intervened so far on all this chit-chat about a competitor, all add my bit. I've tried a few of the KHL wines and some of them are very good value, some borderline ands some fairly ordinary to my taste. I bought the Adelaide Hills Cabernet 2002, it's from Chain of Ponds and a good wine at $15.

Red Bigot wrote:

Alex F wrote:Would anyone really have paid $32 (as quoted) for the McLaren Cabernet?

Alex, it's standard practice for retailers to quote RRP rather than "street price" when advertising the savings. Just take of 20% in most cases, sometimes more.

Since Gavin hasn't intervened so far on all this chit-chat about a competitor, all add my bit. I've tried a few of the KHL wines and some of them are very good value, some borderline ands some fairly ordinary to my taste. I bought the Adelaide Hills Cabernet 2002, it's from Chain of Ponds and a good wine at $15.

I've thought about it, but they and I don't really compete directly, different wines and different market so I'm cool with it.

Let's not turn my forum into a

'best deals' at other retailers

though.

I'm sure you guys won't.

Red Bigot wrote:

Alex F wrote: some of them are very good value, some borderline ands some fairly ordinary to my taste. I bought the Adelaide Hills Cabernet 2002, it's from Chain of Ponds and a good wine at $15.

Thats cleanskins for you, which these essentially are, even if labelled.

You gets what you pays for generally, so there will be bargains, and lots of dogs!

Gavin..I do apologise!! I honestly didnt stop to give it one thought that I am indirectly praising a competitors product. I think i'm still trying to get back to planet earth after my quick Sydney trip, and I really slept badly most nights..everything to do with time change and daylight saving, and absolutley nothing to do with any form of excess
Cheers.
Rossi.

Hi Rossi,
Long time no see.
I had a crack at the 2004 Hidden Label Cab Sauv from Coonawarra at a party..I saw Paul Gordon on the label so must/may be Leconfield. Thought it was bloody good wine. Certainly boxing clever.


Hiya Gary..
Cheers for your reply, and nice to hear from you. I think they might have still had the bottle you speak about..I never buy cleanskins, so was surprised..have to agree with Gavin though..reckon its prolly pretty hit & miss. Hope life is treating you well.
Cheers.
Rossi.

Agree with you Gavin that cleanskins are maybe a bit touch and go. Brian, even if the street price was 20% off I am not certain I would pay it. Of course I haven't actually drunk the cabernet (yet), but I guess I don't trust this quoted prices... all they serve to do is make me feel like the wine will be good and then I am often disappointed and misled.

And I still think that for the same price you should be able to find quality.

Alex F wrote:Agree with you Gavin that cleanskins are maybe a bit touch and go. Brian, even if the street price was 20% off I am not certain I would pay it. Of course I haven't actually drunk the cabernet (yet), but I guess I don't trust this quoted prices... all they serve to do is make me feel like the wine will be good and then I am often disappointed and misled.

And I still think that for the same price you should be able to find quality.

Alex,

If you believe a lot of the marketing hype and quoted "normal" price for cleanskins and remainders (or many wines for that matter from some merchants) you will be often disappointed and misled (but hopefully not pregnant as well)

Despite that, there are good value and even bargains amongst the cleanskin and "own-label" wines, it's the reputable merchants like Auswine that do the selection for you or word of mouth by email or forum posts that sort out the occasional gem. Yes, there is quality wine out there at $10-$15 (mostly for early drinking, but not all and not all of them cleanskins) amongst all the dross and it's not even as hard to find as a good pinot under $100.