Good Austrailian Producers?

Hey Doug,

For $10 and under try Rosemount or Penfolds. I do not like yellow Tail. A lot of people here refer to it as plonk. Watch out for inexpensive Shiraz, You might think you got bottle of Grenadine instead of wine.

Penfolds also makes more expensive wines (Excellent Reputation). D'Arenberg is a well liked brand with wines ranging from $10-$70, They also have a good reputation.

How's your new hobby treating you? What are some of your early favorites?

Doug,

From what I have read, Yellow Tail is classified under "Extreme Value Wines", a phenomenon started by the Two Buck Chuck Craze.

I did buy some Merlot @ Sam's and I did not like it...It tasted like Cheap Wine...try it for yourself... I bet with all your tasting notes so far...you will taste the difference.

quote:

Originally posted by doug zdanivsky:
How do Wolf Blass and Yellow Tail stack up?

Wolf Blass is so-so at best, Yellow Tail is garbage. Try to find some Peter Lehmann Barossa Range wines; my favorites are the Shiraz and Riesling, but they're all quite good right across the board.

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Ok.. No Yellow Tail, then..

I have a bottle easch of Wolf Blass Black, Yellow, and Red Label..

We'll see how I like them..

I'll see if I can get the Barossa Range stuff..

Thanks for the link..

quote:

Originally posted by doug zdanivsky:
Ok.. No Yellow Tail, then..

Had an edit malfunction; check the link I gave above. The wines are reasonably priced and solid.

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quote:

Originally posted by doug zdanivsky:
How do Wolf Blass and Yellow Tail stack up? That's what I have in my local liqour store..

Doug,

My advice to you is to find a new liquor store!

If you want recommendations, there are hundreds of them to be found here. Just look at the Tour Diaries. In the 2005 series there are tasting notes on over 400 current releases, many availble in the US and there are some terrific quality wines in that lot too - and they are at all price points.

Doug: just a thought,but the LCB does have a listing of all the wines avaiable in B.C.
If you talked to the local manager in Mackenzie it may be possible to broaden the scope of your and his choices. Good luck and keep up the great posts!

Wolf blass make some decent upper level reds (brown label, grey label, black label et al) and are good at riesling, but I haven't been impressed with their cheaper stuff for a long time. A middle of the road sort of producer in that their wines are not under or overpriced for what you pay for.

My advice is to steer away from the "animal" wines (AKA "critter" wines), meaning anything with an animal on the label.

Consider supporting the small independent producers too. So....shop somewhere else!

pete

I am from California, but currently in Australia visiting wineries (article will follow in a few weeks).

For me, the most solid range of wines at a reasonable price (and that are readily available) is the Jacob's Creek Reserve line-up. They are in the $12 to $16 range.

Of course, I have stumbled on lots of great wine during my trip, but I tend to focus on higher-end bottlings.

I had a great time tasting at Kay's Amery. 2003 Block 6 (not yet bottled or released)is outstanding, while their regular 2003 Shiraz is a great value.

I'll be home in 2 days, and will begin compiling my notes...

from Highdesertwine:

quote:

Kay's Amery. 2003 Block 6 (not yet bottled

Do you mean to say this has had over 2 years in oak??
pete

No, it is sitting in tank (don't know for how long), awaiting bottling sometime soon.

The regular Shiraz bottling is already in the marketplace.

I also did some 2005 barrel sampling -- looks like it will be a great vintage. The Barossa samples I had were already finishing malo and looking great, while other areas had not quite finished up...

quote:

My advice to you is to find a new liquor store!

LOL.. Agreed..

I should say that for a population of 5,000, it's a pretty good liquor store..

But no, I go down to Vancouver if I want to get anything besides beer (and even then I'll go to Vancouver for the good stuff.. )

I just cited those 2 as examples (hopefully I didn't err too badly in picking up the Wolf Blass bottles..

Thanks for the link, TORB..

Jacob's Creek.. Check..

No Wallabee wines, nor Kookaburra, dobies, or dingos.. Check..

quote:

LCB does have a listing of all the wines avaiable in B.C.

Ya? Where?

Edit:

Found it.. God's TEETH! Quite the selection!

Too bad they couldn't tell you WHERE each bottle is located.. Well, I guess you could call.. I don't know if I'd like the added expense of having it shipped to me if I was going to be in say, Vancouver, soon anyways..

Thanks, everyone!

Peter Lehmann
Penfolds
Trevor Jones
d'Arenberg
Torbreck
Two Hands

All these have a wide range, pricewise, and are available in most areas.

I'm pretty much done with Australia - for the time being. Boring.

doug,
See if you can find a bottle of the Elderton Shriaz 2002 or 2003.
These are about $25 to $30 - not cheap, but you will not do better for the price.
Be sure to decant for about 2hrs first.

quote:

Peter Lehmann

Another vote for those folks..

I'll definately have to see if I can try some wine from them..

quote:

Elderton Shiraz 2002 or 2003.

Ok.. It's on the list.. Thanks!

Are you supposed to drink Aussie wines YOUNG, young? Or give them 5 years or so, same as other new world reds?

doug,

The back labels of Australian wines generally give pretty good recommendations on how long to keep the wine.

As for how long to keep them it depends on 2 things (1) The individual wine and (2) your personal preference as to whether you prefer primary (fruit) flavours or secondary (things that evolve in the bottle) flavours.

quote:

Originally posted by Pauly:
The back labels of Australian wines generally give pretty good recommendations on how long to keep the wine.

As for how long to keep them it depends on 2 things (1) The individual wine and (2) your personal preference as to whether you prefer primary (fruit) flavours or secondary (things that evolve in the bottle) flavours.

Agreed. Note also that the Southcorp wines (Penfolds, Rosemount, Wynns) have good resources - tasting notes, etc. - on their web pages. Penfolds also publishes a book every few years (the Rewards Of Patience) that details how the various wines are ageing. You can download it for free on their site.

I thought I wasn't supposed to listen to the flowery exposition of the producers...

quote:

Originally posted by Hunter:
I'm pretty much done with Australia - for the time being. Boring.

Hunter,

That makes as uch sense as saying " I'm pretty much done done with all the wine from France and Italy - for the time being as they are all boring.

Australia is a pretty big place and has very diverse wine styles. Not all of them are confected super-sweet Barossa Shiraz that have been produced for the "sweet tooth US market".

Yeah, Hunter,

Coitus gets boring too - I'd guess about at 110 YO.

quote:

Hunter,

That makes as uch sense as saying " I'm pretty much done done with all the wine from France and Italy - for the time being as they are all boring.

Australia is a pretty big place and has very diverse wine styles. Not all of them are confected super-sweet Barossa Shiraz that have been produced for the "sweet tooth US market".

I was speaking to Shiraz and big reds in particular and stand by what I said. It is an opinion, no? Have your tastes changed?

Yes, that does include Marquis, Penfolds 707 and on.... Yes, it includes Cabs and blends. I have grown tired of the style. Yes, it is a big place. Yes, I know what they produce. But when you hear "Australia", we all know the wines we are talking about - generally and certainly the thread author was looking at the same style too.

I like sleeker reds now - sorry if I offended you. Maybe I'll just say I find more wines that I do not like VS Wines that I do like from Australia now. Enjoy what you like fellas and let others speak their peace.

I'm with Hunter..

If you say you're bored with a particular wine (shiraz), it's not a snobby thumbs down at Australia, or it's wines, per se..

You've tried it, you liked it, but too much of a good thing..

Come back to it later when you're in the mood for it again..

Nothing wrong with that..

Doug and Hunter,

Whilst I can fully appreciate you being tired of, or prefering other wines to the "big reds" the point I was making is that Australia is much more than big reds.

The wines from some of central, and all of southern Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia are very diffenet to the South Australian monsters; but then even many of the Adelaide Hills wines are much more elegant.

I'm not tired of them..

I've never tried them, in fact, and am eager to do so..

I'm just saying that I can see where he's coming from, even if he did over-generalize by his blanket "Australia" statement..

Which would be the better bets if I wanted full-bodied, chewy reds that I could leave for 5 years to make the tannins more palatable?

But Doug, Hunter if Hunter meant that he was tired of the OTT Barossa/McLaren Vale reds he should have said that, not "I'm pretty much done with Australia - for the time being. Boring."

As far as I'm concerned his first statement is both snobbish and ignorant. For starters it ignores the 45% of Australian table wine that isn't red.

To use a cricket analogy: I just let Hunter's comment go through to the keeper...4 byes, actually. And Hunter, cricket is the only sport we play, too.
pete

Yep, with the Aussie remark and the offense he takes with people who don’t hold their wine glasses correctly, I’m pretty much “done with Hunter” - shallow.

Time to vote him off the island. I hear those Italian acid bombs go great with shark.

quote:

As far as I'm concerned his first statement is both snobbish and ignorant.

More like an inadvertant over-generalization.. An oversight which he clarified, and then appolgized for the mix up..

C'mon, guys.. Give him the benefit of the doubt..

Lots of guys put their foot in their mouths..

"Let he who has not sinned, cast the first stone.."



As for not holding their glasses "correctly"..

He's on his own.. LOL

I wrote this whole comeback and explanation here, but who cares? - so I edited it out?

I choose NOT to fight anymore! Drink up mates.

quote:

Time to vote him off the island. I hear those Italian acid bombs go great with shark.

I'm better on Fear Factor. Hog balls anyone?

quote:

Lots of guys put their foot in their mouths..

Don't help me Doug

I actually had a pretty good idea as to what Hunter actually meant, but it's always fun to throw petrol on the fire every now and again.

Doug,

Ditto on the Elderton Shiraz. They make the Tantalus, which is a bit cheaper, and the Command, which is high end. Both are really good for their price range. As for Wolf Blass, see if you can track down their Black Label. It was my "Epiphony" (sp?) wine. Other ones to look for have the "TAPWC" label on the neck...it stands for "The Australian Premium Wine Collection", an their wines are great. Out of this collection, look for Rocky Gully, Hewitson, Pikes, Hill of Content, and Wishing Tree. Finally, try some of the Aussie dessert wines. The muscats and ports are incredible QPR's out there, especially from producers like RL Buller.

quote:

The muscats and ports are incredible QPR's out there, especially from producers like RL Buller

I agree and Chambers too.

I most certainly wasn't talking about the dessert wines - which I find delicious and QPR friendly indeed

....and not boring like Shiraz

From Pauly:

quote:

I actually had a pretty good idea as to what Hunter actually meant, but it's always fun to throw petrol on the fire every now and again.

Me too.

pete

quote:

As for Wolf Blass, see if you can track down their Black Label.

Got one.. A 2000.. I'm going to open that one any time now.

We'll see if it's 4x as good as the Red and Yellow Labels..

Thanks for the recc's, Red.. I'll put those guys on the list..

Try the Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz or the d'Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz. Both are good and not expensive.

Hi Doug,
I have found that the d'Arenberg wines are pretty consistent and range from about $15 - $70. Many are available at your liquor store.

quote:

Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz or the d'Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz

quote:

the d'Arenberg wines are pretty consistent and range from about $15 - $70.

Check and check.. Thanks guys!