TN: 2002 Wolf Blass Red Label: for QANTAS Economy Travellers
Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2003 9:05 am
TN: 2002 Wolf Blass "Red Label" Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon
On Monday afternoon, after tasting some of BarossaÂ’s best earlier in the day, I was on a QANTAS plane back to Sydney. For those that donÂ’t know, drinks (wine and beer) are free on QANTAS planes after 4pm, and with a friendly smile, they can be unlimited. This would usually excite me but the two wines on offer initially did not enthuse. The white was the 2002 Penfolds Rawsons Retreat Chardonnay, a wine that I have previously tasted, written a tasting note and refused to drink again. The other was the 2002 Wolf Blass “Red LabelÂâ€Â, a wine I had not had before but did not hold much hope for based on my lack of preference for other Wolf Blass. Anyway, thinking I had nothing to lose but probably nothing to gain either, I accepted the Wolf Blass.
To my surprise, I was actually able to taste the fruit under the oak. This is something I tend to not be able to do with the more expensive Wolf Blass wines. In fact, there was hardly an oak influence at all. WhatÂ’s more? I actually thoroughly enjoyed the wine. The acid stuck out a bit for the first few minutes but after a bit of time, this combined with the fruit to be an asset. This wine was light/medium bodied with red berry flavours heightened by the acid with a small base of darker fruit. There were quite spicy, peppery features which lingered well and after the first few minutes, the finish was quite long and refreshing. I wish Wolf Blass used this amount of oak in his Grey Label!
This is not the wine I would bring to a wine dinner but after a day in the Barossa, this was a great palate cleanser. The second bottle was even nicer.
Wine rating: Recommended (first ever in QANTAS Economy)
QANTAS Economy failures:
2002 Penfolds Rawsons Retreat Chardonnay
2002 Lindemans Bin 50 Shiraz
QANTAS Economy “just passesÂâ€Â:
2002 Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay
On Monday afternoon, after tasting some of BarossaÂ’s best earlier in the day, I was on a QANTAS plane back to Sydney. For those that donÂ’t know, drinks (wine and beer) are free on QANTAS planes after 4pm, and with a friendly smile, they can be unlimited. This would usually excite me but the two wines on offer initially did not enthuse. The white was the 2002 Penfolds Rawsons Retreat Chardonnay, a wine that I have previously tasted, written a tasting note and refused to drink again. The other was the 2002 Wolf Blass “Red LabelÂâ€Â, a wine I had not had before but did not hold much hope for based on my lack of preference for other Wolf Blass. Anyway, thinking I had nothing to lose but probably nothing to gain either, I accepted the Wolf Blass.
To my surprise, I was actually able to taste the fruit under the oak. This is something I tend to not be able to do with the more expensive Wolf Blass wines. In fact, there was hardly an oak influence at all. WhatÂ’s more? I actually thoroughly enjoyed the wine. The acid stuck out a bit for the first few minutes but after a bit of time, this combined with the fruit to be an asset. This wine was light/medium bodied with red berry flavours heightened by the acid with a small base of darker fruit. There were quite spicy, peppery features which lingered well and after the first few minutes, the finish was quite long and refreshing. I wish Wolf Blass used this amount of oak in his Grey Label!
This is not the wine I would bring to a wine dinner but after a day in the Barossa, this was a great palate cleanser. The second bottle was even nicer.
Wine rating: Recommended (first ever in QANTAS Economy)
QANTAS Economy failures:
2002 Penfolds Rawsons Retreat Chardonnay
2002 Lindemans Bin 50 Shiraz
QANTAS Economy “just passesÂâ€Â:
2002 Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay
I'm getting confused by Qantas' Alcohol Policy: i thought it was universally free after 4pm in Economy class, but I've flown Bris Adelaide Direct, and also via Sydney, on tweo occasions in the last few weeks, both before and after 4pm, and on weekdays and weekends, and not once was alcohol offered free!
