The Auswine Forum

Seeing as how no one has volunteered to do it, and its a damn good idea, here is the first "Value Drinking Post. If it works or not is up to you guys, so fire away. Let us know what you have been drinking over the last week; but please only include wines that are real value, or inexpensive wines. Keep the "good stuff" for the weekly Sunday post.

Lately, I have been in love with two quite reasonable reds. You'll have to excuse my descriptions as I'm relatively new to posting and providing tasting notes:

2005 St. Halett Blackwell Shiraz $35-ish: Lush, rich, big berry decadence. Coats your glass and is full of that Barossa earthyness. I could drink the bottle by myself!

2003 Zema Estate Cluny: $21 beautiful-dusty-Terra Rossa-earthy-goodness. It reminds me of an agend Wynns Cab Sav and you don't have to wait! I think its the beautiful addition of cab franc and merlot.

Capel Vale 05 Debute Shiraz

Capel Vale 05 Debute Cab Merlot

Coriole 06 Redstone shiraz

Coriole Estate 06 Shiraz

Coriole Estate 06 Cab Sav

Brooke 07 Eden Reisling

Brooke 06 Eden Pinot Noir

All in the 14-20 price range and all great drinking now though I've laid a few down to try later. All straight from vineyards.

Graham

2005 Mount Pleasant Philip Shiraz
Opens with aromas of tar and a touch of shoe polish with baked earth. Very savoury. Big rich palate of earth and dark fruit. Medium length finish. Under screwcap finally so it is safe to buy (recent vintages have had huge variation under cork) Good to Very good and superb value. Deserves to be the house red.

cheers

Carl

ehhh... i object to the blackwell being here! too expensive! Err just kidding,

but more seriously, should there be a price cap, or should it just be relative to the drinker, i.e. this is where I post about the cask reds, and the Sunday post I'll tell you about bin 555...

2006 Chalambar Shiraz
IMO the Chalambar is always good value, and very good drinking.
If you search around you can pick it up under $17 a bottle

John #11 wrote:2006 Chalambar Shiraz
IMO the Chalambar is always good value, and very good drinking.
If you search around you can pick it up under $17 a bottle

Tried this recently and thought it too oaky.

The current vintage Seppelt Victorian Shiraz is great for any street price under $14,

Wizz wrote:

John #11 wrote:2006 Chalambar Shiraz
IMO the Chalambar is always good value, and very good drinking.
If you search around you can pick it up under $17 a bottle

Tried this recently and thought it too oaky.

Sorry to hear this, but this is not a view held among many other tasters, including myself.

'08 Axiom Sauv Blanc (Adelaide Hills). Only available direct from Winemaker (I think) but a fuller, more complex version of a varietal I'm not usually keen on. Good mouthfeel and moderate finish. I like it, even though it's winter! At the moment it's $95 dozen. I bought it originally under pressure because I'm being told all I ever buy is red! Worthwhile following up if you're in Adelaide (won't RB be disappointed!).

Just had a glass (though now I'm back on the red!).

Cheers,

Mark

silkwood wrote:' I bought it originally under pressure because I'm being told all I ever buy is red! Worthwhile following up if you're in Adelaide (won't RB be disappointed!).

Just had a glass (though now I'm back on the red!).

Cheers,

Mark

I don't get disappointed about what other people drink. BUT, never give in to pressure from people who don't understand that personal preference in wine is what it is all about!

Brian, I was sarcastically suggesting you would be disappointed it was only available in Adelaide. The pressure put on me was by my partner, who mainly drinks whites (which make up about 5% of my collection!).In this case, if you don't mind, I'll bow to pressure (the alternative is not pleasant!).

Cheers,

Mark

In their own way, they're all good value and it's my birthday so why not!?

Rockford Basket Press 2003
Very nice - has developed well since last we met, quite lush Barossa style without the angles and heat it previously seemed to exhibit. Plush oak, nice finish, loads of velvety fruit.

Orlando Steingarten Riesling 2002
Another winner, like lime juice and soda, still so fresh and lively and with so much room to move. This and the 05 are sensational Rieslings.

Kooyong Clonale Chardonnay 2006/7?
Can't remember vintage but the latest release. Fresh, lifted, fruitful style, minimal oak and good finish, with a touch of sweetness and zing. A good wine.

nealm wrote:Lately, I have been in love with two quite reasonable reds. You'll have to excuse my descriptions as I'm relatively new to posting and providing tasting notes:

2005 St. Halett Blackwell Shiraz $35-ish: Lush, rich, big berry decadence. Coats your glass and is full of that Barossa earthyness. I could drink the bottle by myself!

2003 Zema Estate Cluny: $21 beautiful-dusty-Terra Rossa-earthy-goodness. It reminds me of an agend Wynns Cab Sav and you don't have to wait! I think its the beautiful addition of cab franc and merlot.

It pays to shop around - the 1st Blackwell I've bought/tried, on the back of a raft of high-rating reviews, is the 06 for $28 incl freight. Drank all of a bottle myself.

One of these days I should get around to trying a Cluny - bought plenty of the cab 04 instead, nice wine but have only a couple of bottles left. Remember trying a cab 03(?) that didn't appeal much.

Cheers

daz

Alex F wrote:ehhh... i object to the blackwell being here! too expensive! Err just kidding,

but more seriously, should there be a price cap, or should it just be relative to the drinker, i.e. this is where I post about the cask reds, and the Sunday post I'll tell you about bin 555...

But I agree, think there should be a price cap, which for me would be $30. Even though by far the majority of wines I buy are <$20 I do buy a few (usually only a few of each too) up to $30 when they're very good/excellent value (qpr), e.g. Polleters Cab 05 and Blackwell 06. Only very rarely do I buy wines above $30.

It's a cap level that leaves a bit of room for some of the well-regarded, cheaper overseas wines entry to the thread too which may interest some, perhaps even including myself.

Cheers

daz

I was disappointed to find that Mike Press Shiraz 07 had sold out at the winery and on Gavin's site, having guzzled all but two of a dozen and was going to order another case of it.

But having seen that Mattinson rated it 92/100 and Walsh not too much less as well as a bit of other positive publicity, I ordered a case of Mike Press Cab Sauv 06. It's another bottler guzzler for $10-$12 depending on freight cost. This time I emailed Judy to ask her to send me another case of it before I'd had even half of the first. Fortunately it hadn't sold out and there's a 2nd case with my name on it. I think I prefer it to the Shiraz 07, it has very good varietal characters once it's breathed a bit - the vanillin oak recedes and some cigar box appears.

Mike Press Cab Sauv 06 is my value for money wine of the week or longer.

daz[/b]

TORB wrote:Seeing as how no one has volunteered to do it, and its a damn good idea, here is the first "Value Drinking Post. If it works or not is up to you guys, so fire away. Let us know what you have been drinking over the last week; but please only include wines that are real value, or inexpensive wines. Keep the "good stuff" for the weekly Sunday post.

Well done Ric!

There's bound to be some crossover with the Sunday post but at least a separate post for cheaper, <$20 or <$30 wines (I'm now leaning towards the lower amount or perhaps the median of $25), could compact the cheaper wines in one weekly thread for those of us who mostly buy in that price range.

Mind you, it's always fun, interesting to read about more expensive wines too - and wish.............

Cheers

daz

I think it is a good thread but can we please keep the prices off? Likewise alternative sources of supply.

Let's just stick to tasting notes.

cheers

Carl

griff wrote:I think it is a good thread but can we please keep the prices off? Likewise alternative sources of supply.

Let's just stick to tasting notes.

cheers

Carl

I'm careful to not mention alternative sources of supply. What's wrong with mentioning prices paid? Many TN's posted mention the price.

daz

Agree, I can't see the problem of giving the RRP and for many of the cheaper wines sourcing is not a problem and Gavin will stock many. In contrast, I don't see how you can have a thread about good value cheapies without quoting the price.

Also agree - gotta be a 30 buck limit, and preferably cheaper than that. Makes a mockery of the exercise to suggest Rockford (or Blackwell).

My favourite cheapie offering great value over the last few years (typically 18-20 bucks) is Saltram's Mamre Brook - either the Cab Sauv or the Shiraz. Incidentally, where are the 06 of these wines, I'd have thought they'd be available by now - the 05's have been out for well over a year.

If there is going to be a (weekly?) value drinking thread then it should include price. But the price should be in Aussie dollars because, first this is an Aussie forum, and second, its very obvious that prices differ for a number of wines that are exported (e.g. Penfold's is much cheaper in the US than OZ - St Henri less than $40USD, which is great value). With that said I won't post on my latest value wine (Groom Shiraz 2006 $27USD) because it looks like it costs $45-50AUD and at that price its no longer a steal.

EDIT: I was also going to add the 2005 Rolf Binder Heinrich (Shiraz/Mataro/Grenache) at $20.99USD, but they want $35AUD at cellar door!


Mike

Great idea the thread as i can't regularly drink wine at $50+ but some of the cheaper ones I have enjoyed are;

- Printhie 2006 cab sav. $18 (sold out I think, if anyone knows where to get any more let me know)
- d'Arenberg The footbolt 2005
- Brokenwood Semillion - can always be found for under $20 and sometimes under 15 and is one of the best semillions for the price.

Bick wrote:Also agree - gotta be a 30 buck limit, and preferably cheaper than that. Makes a mockery of the exercise to suggest Rockford (or Blackwell)..

Hey, yes I know... but it was my birthday! Value in context and all that

silkwood wrote:Brian, I was sarcastically suggesting you would be disappointed it was only available in Adelaide. The pressure put on me was by my partner, who mainly drinks whites (which make up about 5% of my collection!).In this case, if you don't mind, I'll bow to pressure (the alternative is not pleasant!).

Cheers,

Mark

I think it's only fair that your partner buys the whites if that's what she want to drink.

I guess I got lucky the second time around, found a dedicated red wine drinker who likes just about any red I like, although she turns her nose up at young cabernets, won't drink the stuff unless it's at least 5-6 yo. (Which luckily isn't a big problem at our place.)

pcjm wrote:- Printhie 2006 cab sav. $18 (sold out I think, if anyone knows where to get any more let me know)

If you were a member of my site you would have seen this listed for $10.99 on 25 August, may still be available.

(Sorry for the blatant advertising.)

I obviously am overly sensitive. I just thought if Gavin sold the wine then we shouldn't mention prices lower than his or suggest to shop around.

cheers

Carl

Edited to fix typo

Pepperjack Shiraz 2005 - Paid about $13 for this and had it over 2 nights. 1st night a little closed but the second night it was very nice for the price.

Brands Blockers Cab 2005 - Just had a glass out of the bottle last night and this represents good value. Was a bit worried about the 15.5% ABV but its really well balanced. Didn't get any heat at all. Looking forward to the rest tonight.

My number one candidate for this category would be Saltram Namre Brook Cab. Sav. It has been so consistent through the years in terms of quality and display of true variatel charecteristics. 02,03,04 are very good, they all got lonf time to live ,haven't tasted 05 yet. Best part of it, it is listed for $ 26-28 but I was always able to buy it around $ 16-18 by closely following deals.

Some good recommendations here and I like the concept.

One I’ve particularly enjoyed recently is the 2006 Heartland Directors Cut, it needs loads of air, 24 hours in fact, whereupon it signs, beautiful wine. I think I’m talking myself into getting more!

Agree on the 2005 Mt Pleasant Phillip, I don’t typically buy Hunter wines but given the price, made an exception for this one, great value.

One I took a punt on is the 2005 Leconfield Cabernet, which is approachable now but the balance of mine have now gone into the cellar.

Best value Pinot of the year by a long margin for me was the 2001 Micelli Lucy’s Choice, unfortunately it’s only just sold out and the current release (2005?) whilst a bit more expensive, is a better wine and still a Pinot bargain.

cheers
Ian

I can easily nominate 2006 Cuuttaway Hills Pinot Noir as the best value Pinot of the year as far as Pinot goes. I bought it for $ 20 direct from the winery but it was avaliable at Kemenys for $ 16.99 couple weeks ago !?!

G'day

"Wines over the past week" - well - I'm glad that is the criterion, as we would just end up posting a list of our evergreen value favourites.....

.... except that's what I've been drinking (among others):

2002 Elizabeth Semillon ($12.50 on a good day)
2008 Pewsey Vale Riesling ($15) - had this twice this week - I've been getting my partner into young rieslings, and this is a regular for me. However, both she and a couple of industry mates liked this, but preferred the 2002 from the cellar. I buy a case each year and watch it develop over time, after drinking a few young.
2005 Seppelts Chalambar Shiraz (had the 2006 last week and bought some - $18). This one of the most reliable shiraz wines, year in, year out, and ages generally up to 8 years as well. A beauty for the price.