I’m fortunate to have Raj as the wine manager at my local supermarket. He’s a top bloke and knows about what he stocks, which can be a rare thing at the supermarket.
Raj is happy to offer suggestions from his own experience and customer feedback, which had an input into my selections.
These are all wines which were on special at $12-$13.
2020 Taylors Promised Land Shiraz
Rating Very good
Perfume, cherry, oak
scents, earthy
touches. Bright,
fresh, clean, there’s
good flavour depth
here focusing on red
fruits and charry
touches, raspberry
evolving with time.
An honest wine,
ripely fruited with
pleasingly zest
acidity keeping this
fresh and generous
for its price. A little
firmer with aeration,
even better with food
and good friends.
2021 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz
Rating Excellent
Immediate richness
evident, plum,
licorice, fragrance,
good fruit intensity
too. Continues the
journey on the palate
with clear fruit depth
in the plum and
blackberry spectrum,
picking up a little
leafy, minty
influence. A depth of
flavour that punches
above its weight,
rising above its price
point. Balance, depth,
structure, nicely done
and vfm.
2021 Yalumba Y Series Shiraz Viognier
Rating Very good to excellent
Fragrant nose, red
fruits, a little
dustiness, oak
spices, sweetly
fruited lift, vanilla with
time. An engaging
lightness of touch to
this, certainly plenty
of fruit depth yet
liveliness too, enough
chewiness to give it
interest with earthy
touches, growing
spiciness and oak
sweetness a foil to
the fruit. Not trying to
be a bruiser, but
good flavour depth.
2022 Taylors Promised Land Pinot Noir
Rating Good
Notes of fruit
lozenge, cherry and
licorice, oak scents
creep in with time.
Quite sweet on the
palate with candied
fruits and
confectionery to the
fore. Lighter bodied
befitting the grape
variety, not
particularly complex
but clean and well
made. It’s a little too
sweet for my palate
but an honest wine
for the money.
2021 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating Very good
Interesting nose
suggesting depth,
graphite, tobacco, fruit
neatly in the supporting
role. Blackcurrant,
darker fruited, rich and
somewhat brooding,
the palate quite chewy,
grippy tannins framing
the close. Less
immediately generous
but would be a good
food choice, bbq
meats a splendid foil to
the tannins. Fleshes
out nicely with
aeration.
2021 Yalumba Y Series Tempranillo
Rating Very good to excellent
Some elegance to the
nose, red-fruited,
spices, lifted and
fragrant, appealing.
Attractively medium-
weight, ripe yet dry,
lead pencil and black
tea notes lending a
dry, chewy quality to
the finish before the
fruit sweeps in
cosseting the tannins.
Comes across as
more serious rather
than "cuddly" and
grows very nicely with
air-time. Nicely done
for the money.
