WOW! Taylors 2016 Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon

I live for those moments when I taste a wine and the only rational response is WOW! Sometimes they are quite pricey but the quality still means they represent value. You can't afford to drink them often and save the few bottles you have for special occasions.

At a mere $20 this wine is a WOW! Dangerously drinkable and ridiculously affordable. OK it's not its regular price but I reckon anything under $40 would make it a bargain. It's one of those reds I just want to hold in my mouth and roll around the tongue. There's plenty of acid for a four year old red, lashings of cassis fruit and layers of complex flavours. The French oak is a little overt but that will calm down over time.

One of my new life's ambitions is to taste this in 10 years time.

GRAPE VARIETIES: Cabernet Sauvignon
VINTAGE: 2016
REGION:  A South Australian blend from the Clare Valley and Coonawarra
A/V: 14.5%
PRICE: $20 on a Members special
FROM: Dan Murphy
RATING: 5/5 from me [should be higher]

Deleted Labels mean Huge Savings

Yalumba’s “The Scribbler” label was introduced some years ago as an entry level version of “Signature”, one of their flagships. Even so, junior had worked itself up to a well deserved $20 retail price before the decision was taken to delete the label.

Aldi was given the opportunity to clear it and it’s on their shelves at $11.99 – if it hasn’t sold out already. [I scored the final seven at our local]. My advice is to grab whatever you can.

YALUMBA “The Scribbler” 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz $11.99 at Aldi

This is a Barossa blend of 62% Cabernet and 38% Shiraz in perfect balance. Alcohol is a sensible 14%. It’s not surprisingly cabernet flavour dominant with lovely cassis fruit character shining through with shiraz firming up the palate structure. The wine is on the fuller side of medium bodied with an easy five year cellaring life.

GRAPE VARIETIES: Blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Shiraz
VINTAGE: 2016
REGION: Barossa Valley, South Australia
A/V: 14%
PRICE: $11.99
FROM: Aldi
RATING: 5/5 from me

TAYLORS WINES, CLARE VALLEY SOUTH AUSTRALIA

If you're planning a visit to a wine area make sure you visit one of the big producers. They set a benchmark against which the smaller winemakers can be evaluated. Sometimes the big guys surprise you and often they disappoint. Which is why we had to visit Taylors and we are so glad we did. This family owned winery has achieved so much in 50 years and with what we tasted the future looks outstanding. 

Most wine drinkers would be familiar with their Estate Label featuring the sea horse logo. Sadly it's become a  label at the mercy of the volume retailers who manipulate the market with huge variations in price. Their Jaraman range is far more obscure but even that is currently on some retail shelves for 60% of their cellar door price. The vintages we tasted were outstanding.

Our Cellar Door visit highlight was tasting their two ranges that aren't on retail shelves: the TWP and Taylor Made Range. Contact the winery for these on 08 8849 1118 or email cdsales@taylorswines.com.au.

We tasted a lot of wines. Here are the ones that scored the 5/5 rating from us. It's a long list  with their cellar door prices. Be careful of the vintages, the ones listed are what we tasted. Insist on those.

ESTATE RANGE [$20]  lowest I've seen in the last 12 months is $11

2018 Sauvignon Blanc [Adelaide Hills] 

2018 Tempranillo

JARAMAN RANGE [$25 for chardonnay, $32 for reds] Currently $20 to $23 at Dan Murphy, but check the vintages.

2017 Chardonnay

2017 Pinot Noir [Yarra Valley]

2017 Shiraz 

2016 Cabernet Sauvignon [Coonawarra/Clare Valley]

TAYLORS WINEMAKER'S PROJECT

2017 Riesling $25

2015 Tasmania Pinot Noir $40

2017 Shiraz $25

2017 Cabernet Sauvignon $25

TAYLOR MADE [$25]

2016 Pinot Noir [Adelaide Hills]

2017 Malbec

2017 Shiraz

2017 BDX [Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Malbec/Cabernet Franc blend]

THE STUMP JUMP - brought to you by Spec Savers???

D'Arenberg's Stump Jack label and range has evolved considerably since it was introduced as a budget alternative to the iconic d'Arry's Original. So when you're trapped in the famous Eumundi Market carpark, with no red wine, there was no finer sight than this being offered at 2 for $25 at the local Thirsty Camel Bottleshop.
While the label looks like an eye chart [it comes with a back label justification] it's always the stuff inside that counts. And both really surprised me.

D'ARENBERG "THE STUMP JUMP" 2013 CABERNET MERLOT: At 5 years old I was expecting this to be a little tired. It's the complete opposite with lashings of vibrant berry fruit leaping out of a beautifully balanced, integrated palate. This is worth hunting for.
REGION: McLaren Vale
A/V: 14.4% 
PRICE: $12.50
FROM: The Thirsty Camel, Eumundi
RATING: 5/5 from me 

D'ARENBERG "THE STUMP JUMP" 2016 SHIRAZ: On Day One of tasting I thought this may just be too young. It was a little bit aggressive on the palate and fairly feral. So we tasted it over the next threed days and while it 
understandably softened it was still a wine that disappointed.
REGION: McLaren Vale
A/V: 14% 
PRICE: $12.50
FROM: The Thirsty Camel, Eumundi 
   RATING: 3/5 from me

    

QUITE DISAPPOINTING

I expect a retailer's $10 wines to be better than it's offerings 30% cheaper.The fact that this is not the case here reflects the premium that Margaret River wines command more than anything else. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the wine but nor is there anything particularly exciting.



AC BYRNE 2016 CABERNET MERLOT
GRAPE VARIETIES: Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
REGION: Margaret River, Western Australia
A/V: 14.2% 
PRICE: $9.99
FROM: Aldi, Australia
RATING: 3/5 from me 

STEINACKER 2016 RIESLING

Nicely presented dry white on the sweeter side of the spectrum. Half trocken or demi sec would describe it. Well made and could handle being served with ice.


GRAPE VARIETY: Riesling
REGION: Wurtemburg, Germany
A/V: 11.5% 
PRICE: 3.79 euro 
FROM: Lidl, Germany
RATING: 4/5 from me 

DOES THIS LABEL LOOK FAMILIAR?

Different words and one year older but pretty much the same wine as the last Gruner Veltliner posted. Seems that wherever you go in this part of the world you can score an outstanding value crisp dry white. 







WEIN GENUSS 1000ml GRUNER VELTLINER 2016
GRAPE VARIETY: Gruner Veltliner
A/V: 12% 
PRICE: 2.99 euro 
FROM: Lidl, Germany
RATING: 4.5/5 from me 

A LESS THAN OUTSTANDING WINE TASTING

So I grab a range of random reds from our first Lidl we visit in Italy. You've got to start somewhere so I chose price points.  From left to right these cost 1.69, 2.99, 4.99 and 13.99 euro . Alcohol levels seemed to go up with price. Once again left to right: 12%, 13%, 13.5% and an absurd 15.5%.

Sadly there's not much else to report. We opened the bottles and tasted them over three days. Nothing happened. The two innocuous cheaper wines stayed that way. The Valpolicella Ripasso stayed a charry unbalanced beast and the |Amarone remained a weird bottle of over extractive fruit.

It's sad when a retailer I enjoy gets it so wrong. In the absence of any on floor advice you run the risk of being very disappointed. Lidl also have their own label Barolo which I've found very disappointing.

A 2/5 rating is probably harsh on the cheaper two but generous for the others. Impossible to recommend any of these.

THE RED DRINKERS WHITE

The label is quite vague but the wine is unequivocally huge. This is a big rich, wooded, full bodied dry white. If you like this style you'll rate it much higher. If you prefer light zingy whites, avoid at all costs.

VILLA REAL 2016 PREMIUM DOURO
REGION: Douro, Portugal
A/V: 13.5% 
PRICE: 3.99 euro 
FROM: Lidl, Portugal
RATING: 4/5 from me 

OUTSTANDING PORTUGUESE DRY WHITE

It's a rare white wine, at this price, that combines a textural complexity with a fine fruit and acid delicacy. This is an absolutely outstanding dry white that I could happily drink for the rest of my life.

CASA FERREIRINHA PLANALTO 2016 VINHO BLANCO SECO RESERVA
GRAPE VARIETIES: ????
REGION: Douro, Portugal
A/V: 12.5% 
PRICE: 4.99 euro 
FROM: Lidl, Portugal
RATING: 5/5 from me 

NOW HERE'S THE PROBLEM OF BUYING TOO MUCH WINE

When I arrive in a new country or find a new retailer with a range of wines I've never seen before I get excited. I'm obsessed with tasting wine and making sense of varieties and regions that I've never encountered before. 
Sometimes I buy so much that we can't taste them all before we move on to a new place where those wines aren't available.  And so it was with this little beauty. We bought it in Portugal and opened the bottle in Spain. 
It's a dazzling crisp dry white full of aromatic flavour that warrants a much higher price. I wish we'd bought more

MONTE DA FERRA 2016 VINHO BRANCO
GRAPE VARIETIES: Roupeiro, Arinto and Fernao Pires
REGION: Alentejo, Portugal
A/V: 12.5% 
PRICE: 1.99 euro 
FROM: Aldi, Portugal
RATING: 5/5 from me 

AN INTRIGUING QUADRUPLE BLEND

This is another bargain from the recent Continente sale. 
Complex, surprisingly mellow and warmly inviting this is a masterful blend. I would have loved an opportunity to taste the components individually before the blend was put together

MULA VELHA 2016 PREMIUM WHITE
GRAPE VARIETIES: Fernao Pires, Arinto, Chardonnay and Verdelho
REGION: Lisboa, Portugal
A/V: 13% 
PRICE: 2.99 euro [marked down from 9.99]
FROM: Continente, Portugal
RATING: 5/5 from me 

A SECOND LABEL THAT'S WELL WORTH A TRY .... providing you buy it at the right price

We'd already been impressed by this maker's Premium Red so this was an interesting comparison. A solid impressive little red that over delivers at the markdown price. But still the premium is well worth the difference.


MULA VEHLA 2016 VINHO TINTO
GRAPE VARIETIES: Touriga Nacional, Aragonez and Castelao
REGION: Lisboa, Portugal
A/V: 13% 
PRICE: 2.19 euro [marked down from 5.49]
FROM: Continente, Portugal
RATING: 4.5/5 from me at the reduced price

DEFINITELY NOT WORTH 9.99 euro!

That's the original asking price Continente reckon before reducing it to 2.99. Even then there are so many better wines out there.
This is quite a hard, austere white without much enticing fruit. Some will like it but the markdown claim annoys me.

CALHANDRIZ 2016 PREMIUM WHITE 
GRAPE VARIETIES: Arinto and Chardonnay
REGION: Lisboa, Portugal
A/V: 13% 
PRICE: 2.99 euro [reduced from 9.99]
FROM: Continente, Portugal
RATING: 2/5 from me 

TWO OUTSTANDING RUEDA WHITES FROM MERCADONA

I love Verdejo and I'm equally enamoured with the achievements of Rueda winemakers. Congratulations Mercadona, who don't have the best wine range, for featuring these beauties. Two crisp dry quality whites that over deliver flavour. Absolute bargains.
ARRIBENO 2017 & ABADIA MANTRUS 2016 .... both .....
GRAPE VARIETIES: Verdejo
REGION: Rueda, Spain
A/V: 13%
PRICE: 2.40 euro
FROM: Mercadona Spain
RATING: 5/5 from me 

I'D BUY THIS JUST FOR THE BOTTLE

One of the most striking wine bottles I've ever seen contains a really impressive single varietal red. In an area obsessed with blending it's great to taste Mourvedre [aka Monastrell] on its proud, confrontational own. 
While this is a really impressive full on red it's not the pinnacle of value in this ridiculously cheap market. But it scores really highly on the quality of the wine, its individuality and distinctive packaging.



LAUDUM 2016 MONASTRELL
GRAPE VARIETIES: Monastrell
REGION: Alicante, Spain
A/V: 14% 
PRICE: 5.49 euro 
FROM: Aldi Spain
RATING: 4.5/5 from me 

A REALLY PRETTY LABEL FOR A SURPRISINGLY PRETTY WINE

I don't expect Grenache to taste like this especially with a hefty 14.5% a/v. But this is a supple fruit driven red that's really approachable from the moment you pull the cork. Equally surprisingly is that it drank really well over five days. Drink now or cellar.

JUNTOS 2016 GARNACHA


GRAPE VARIETIES: Grenache
REGION: Spain
A/V: 14.5% 
PRICE: 3.49 euro 
FROM: Ald,  Spain
RATING: 5/5 from me 

A GREAT BIG BOTTLE AT A VERY CHEAP PRICE

For sheer visual impact this is a winner. A stylishly labeled magnum in an equally impressive gift box. And the stuff inside doesn't let you down.
This is an elegant stylish red with more finesse and subtlety than power. Big bottles slow down the ageing process so while I'd be happy to drink now I'd love to taste it in 5-10 years time. It could be something quite special. And even if it's not to your taste just give them away as Christmas presents.


CASTELO do SULCO 2016 RESERVA 1.5L Gift Boxed
GRAPE VARIETIES: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Syrah
REGION: Lisboa, Portugal
A/V: 13.5% 
PRICE: 4.99 euro 
FROM: Aldi, Portugal
RATING: 4.5/5 from me 

A RED OF VARYING PRICES

We first encountered this in Palmeiras Restaurant at Turiscampo, Espiche. The young guy behind the bar had the enthusiasm to recommend it and we were happy enough to pay 14.5 euro. Next day we bought a bottle at Aldi for 5.99 and right after that we spotted it at Continente for 4.49.
But that's to be expected and it's a lovely wine so who cares. It offers a more elegant profile than some of the beasts we've encountered so far in this part of the world. Wood is restrained and there's a tasty balance of lively fruit characters. Will cellar well with plenty of acid and highish alcohol level that's not overt.

TRINCA BOLOTAS 2016 VINHO TINTO
GRAPE VARIETIES: Alicante Bouchet, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez
REGION: Alentejo, Portugal
A/V: 14% 
PRICE: 5.99 euro 
FROM: Aldi, Portugal
RATING: 4/5 from me 

PITEIRA 2016 PREMIUM RED BLEND

This is another one of Continente's markdowns [from 9,99 to 3.79 euro] that is highly recommended. Colour is deep and dazzling. It's a complete fruit bomb on the front palate and ends with a lovely dry tannic grip. It won't be to everyone's taste but grab a bottle, taste it and zip back for more if you rate it as highly as I do.

GRAPE VARIETIES: Aragones and Moreto
REGION:Alentjo, Portugal
A/V: 14 % 
PRICE: 3.79 euro 
FROM: Continente, Portugal
RATING: 4.5/5 from me