Breeze in and pick up a top drop from Langhorne Creek

If you’re looking for a vinous treat this long weekend, you should Breeze into your nearest liquor superstore (of a forest-green hue) and stock up your cellar, and yourself, with a bottle – or 12 - of the following superlative drop.

But first, a bit of background bollocks…

Langhorne Creek is situated one hour’s drive south-east of Adelaide. A smallish wine region, it is often overlooked by wine plonkers who invariably travel north to the Barossa Valley or south to McLaren Vale. However, with over 10 cellar doors on offer, it is well worth making the detour to Langhorne Creek.

Lake Breeze have been making wines for over 20 years. They are one of Langhorne Creek’s top producers and, with a number of multi-award-winning wines, impossible to go past. At their quaint cellar door, you’ll be guaranteed a warm welcome and encouragement to try many of their fine wares. Special mention goes to their ‘Winemaker’s Selection’ shiraz and also their ‘Arthur’s Reserve’ – a blend of predominantly cabernet sauvignon with a splash of Petit Verdot.

However, today I am going to point you in the direction of their brilliant shiraz/cabernet blend, the ‘Bernoota.’ Bernoota’ was the original name given to the homestead on the Lake Breeze property and is Aboriginal for ‘camp among the gum trees.’

The ‘Bernoota’ is an Olympic-sized over-achiever in the value-for money-stakes. In fact, if it were a swimmer, given its collection of awards (the past 15 vintages of ‘Bernoota’ have been awarded 9 trophies and 30 Gold medals), it could reasonably be renamed ‘the Michael Phelps’ Cab Shiraz.

And here’s a bit about what your senses will encounter when you crack the bottle:

Dark fruit characters of blackberry and plums, with a hint of spice and smoky oak aromas. The palate encompasses lovely complex overtones of chocolate, pepper and vanilla with trademark Langhorne Creek fruit sweetness and soft tannins.

Ooooh, yummy!

And here’s the best bit: although a steal at its usual RRP of $22, our friendly bottle-o currently has this baby retailing for the absolutely criminal price of $17.80 (or $16.90 in any six)! Need I say more…

Get out there and get amongst it peoples!

Yours in plonk

The Plonker

x

Red, red wine...

... goes to my heaaaaaad... makes me forget that I.................ummm, '

(Clearly it makes me forget - amongst other things - the lyrics to this classic Neil Diamond track... )

However, I think you'll all agree with me that a good bottle of red (or 3) is definitely worth losing a few brain cells over.

And this week I am going to share with you some amazing deals I have discovered on cult Aussie reds, from three of Australia's most renowned producers.

Firstly we head over to Margaret River in Western Australia. Cape Mentelle is the winery in question and their cabernet-merlot blend, the 'Trinders' 2007 is an absolute cracker of a wine.

Deep, dark plum in appearance, with a fragrance of blackcurrant, lavender and tobacco, you'll be dying to jump into this baby the moment you take your first sniff. And the first sip will not disappoint: a palate of juicy ripe plums, blueberries and currants, with fine tannins leaving a long, lingering finish. It won't be long before you are faced with an empty bottle and confusion as to where it all went. It's that good. A suggested food match is pasta with wild mushrooms, or seared lamb.

At its RRP of around $30, its pretty good value. However, at this week's price (at you-know-where) of $18.90 in any six, its a no-brainer. Stock up now, or you'll kick yourself down the track. Don't say I didn't warn you!

The next cab (sauv) off the rank is Jacob's Creek St Hugo Cab Sauvignon 2005. This wine is made entirely from grapes grown in Coonawarra's famous terra rossa soil. Here's the lowdown: Classic regional mint and blackcurrant on the nose. The richness and intensity of fruit flavour is perfectly balanced with fresh acidity. A full bodied wine displaying a satisfyingly rich, textured palate of concentrated cassis and berry fruit flavours with well integrated tannins.

The St Hugo is in the top 25 of Australia's most collected wines, and usually retails for around $35. This week you can pick up a bottle for $26.90, so why not grab a few and start your own collection. Although, good luck with keeping them for longer than a few weeks!

We finish off with a wine from Wolf Blass - their The Grey Label Shiraz 2007. Wolf Blass have been making wines for over 30 years and have such an extensive range, the non-wine-nerd can easily get confused as to what's what. However, with the introduction of the coloured label system, this problem is made a lot easier. Their Platinum Label and Black Label are No 1 and 2 respectively; and these super-premium wines retail at over $130/bottle.

Their Grey Label is next in line, and the wines produced under this label are consistently brilliant and great value for money, especially in the case of the shiraz mentioned above. Usually retailing for around $35/bottle, this week stock up your cellar for $24.90/bottle in any six.

The grapes used in this drop are sourced wholly from the McLaren Vale region. Tasting notes as follows: aromas of rich, ripe berries with hints of pepper, spice and dark chocolate with a rich, soft, fruit palate with well-integrated oak, soft tannins and a long seamless finish.

There's no better time for a red wine tour of Australia, and with a six-pack consisting of the above wines, you can cover a good deal of this vast country, without even leaving your armchair.

However, you may need a long lie-down afterwards.

Get amongst it peoples!



Yours in Plonk



The Plonker

A Lovely Little Winter Warmer

Wow how time flies! Its been almost 3 months since my last post and as a result here we are, smack bang in the middle of winter.

In the wake of the unprecedented Masterchef-inspired mania that has enveloped the country, I'm sure that many hearty winter dishes are currently being served up in kitchens across Sydney.

A perfect time then to introduce my latest discovery: a lovely wee cabernet from WA's Margaret River region - just the ticket to wash down those inventive 'gourmet' meals, palatable or otherwise. This little baby will warm the cockles of your heart and bring a rosy glow to your cheeks (all of 'em).

Without further adieu, let me introduce you to the star in question: the Ringbolt Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2007.

In winemaker, Peter Gambetta's words:

'The nose is typical of cool climate Cabernet Sauvignon showing attractive complex aromas of dark chocolate, briar and dry forest leaf litter. The palate opens with an attack of bright berry fruit and mocha yielding to fuller satsuma and creamy oak flavours; grainy tannin balances the fruit and supports the medium bodied structure. The finish is lingering with both tannin and fruit making an equal contribution.'

And in my words:

"Intoxicating cow-shed aromas abound, followed by lip-smackingly-delicious earthy and savoury mouth-filling flavours, which leave a tantalising presence on the palate - and your mouth involuntarily verbalising: 'more, more, more!'"

Ok, I know it all sounds like bollocks, but seriously, give it a go and hopefully you'll be a convert too - and at only $20 a bottle (RRP $25), its worth a punt, even in these harsh economic times.

Here's a bit more from the experts:

"At the Macquarie Royal Sydney Wine Show 2009, the Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon went to Ringbolt Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2007.

As impressive as a $25 wine picking up a major gong is, it is the wines it beat home, which illustrate the value here. Penfolds Bin 407, Houghton Wisdom, Hardys HRB, Wolf Blass Grey, Coldstream Reserve Cabernet, Wynns John Riddoch and the list goes on and on. Most of these wines retail for twice the price as Ringbolt but some are 3 and 4 times the price."

I picked up the Ringbolt Cabernet 2007 for a little under $20 at my local bottle-o recently and very quickly realised I had scored a bargain. I also managed to procure my longstanding fave, Wynns Coonwarra Black Label Cab Sav 2006 for around the same amount.

This is outstanding value-for-money on both accounts, and I would strongly recommend you pick up a bottle of each and conduct a 'Coonawarra v Margaret River Cabernet Battle' in the safety of your own home. (Well, as a State v State competition, it hands-down beats watching State of Origin, dontcha think?!)

Go forth and procure. Happy drinking

Yours in plonk

The Plonker x

Margaret River Delivers!

Having only recently extolled the virtues of Voyager Estate's SBS (sauvignon blanc/semillon) - a ripper blend from the Margaret River region - here's a heads-up on another little beauty from the same area.

Cape Mentelle, like Voyager, is a James Halliday-rated 5 star winery and one of WA's best. It produces highly-awarded wines year after year, with its recent-release chardonnay and shiraz both receiving 94+ points in James' latest bible ('James Halliday's Wine Companion 2009).

Their SBS is also not to be sniffed at (or rather: should be sniffed at, sipped at, and consumed in its entirety in one sitting - in fact, I dare you to leave any in the bottle!). As with any quality Margaret River SBS, the regional flavours are present and correct in Cape Mentelle's version. On the palate you'll find lemon and lime zest, with crunchy sugar snap pea and wheatgrass. Very crisp and very moreish!

SBS's are best consumed young and well-chilled - and after consuming a bottle of this baby, I dare say you will feel the same!

Usually retailing for around $28 a bottle, get thee to Vintage Cellars and snap up their 2 for $40 offer (ends 3 May). Barganza!!

Get amongst it peoples!

Yours in plonk,

The Plonker

The Long and Wining Road Part 2

Right, back again (albeit a long time between drinks) to continue the story of our South Australian adventures back in February. Where was I? Oh that's right - only my favourite vinous destination on earth - right in the thick of the hallowed Coonawarra terra rossa (try saying that real fast after a few too many cellar doors in one afternoon!).

OK, so... after blitzing Wynns and Zema Estate's cellar doors within an hour of our arrival, we relaxed into a blissful evening at Punter's Retreat. The balmy evening was just the ticket for a gourmet bbq and sampling our recent purchases in the vine-covered courtyard.


DAY 5

After lining our collective stomachs with a hearty brekky, we were off to have a sticky beak at the neighbours' gaff. Majella wines was in my Top 3 'must-visit' cellar doors of the whole trip, so to discover our accommodation was located right next door to their vineyard was pleasing, to say the least. Their wines have been a longstanding fave of mine; they produce consistently excellent drops and are true Coonawarra icons. On arrival we duly tasted the straight 'Majella Shiraz' and 'Majella Cabernet Sauvignon,' and also were lucky enough to sample the super-premium 'The Mallea' (Aboriginal for 'green field'), a blend of Cabernet and Shiraz.

The two former wines retail for around $30, while The Mallea is just over double that. Do yourself a favour and, at some stage in your life, treat yourself to one of these babies - you will not regret it! Appearance across the board is very dark, almost inky, and flavours include chocolate, earth, spice and cedar. And if the budget is tight, Majella's Shiraz Cabernet Blend, 'The Musician' is an absolute steal at around $18 RRP.

So, with Majella ticked off the list, we eagerly headed off to further explore the cigar-shaped strip of dirt known as 'Australia's Other Red Centre.'

Notable mention must go to Penley Estate, with a lovely old rustic barn of a cellar door, an extensive and high-quality range of wines with eye-catching labels. Iconic predatory birds and fantasy creatures adorn each bottle including the 'Condor,' 'Phoenix,' 'Hyland' and 'Gryphon.' The standout wine was the Penley Estate Reserve Cab Sauv 2004 - about $50 a bottle and one to put away for a special occasion. Here's the blurb: Intense rich ripe berries, velvety tannins and characters of smoky oak and chocolate, The wine is elegant but extremely complex and can be cellared for 10 years. In a plonker word: Yum.

Over the remainder of the day, we somehow also managed to fit in the following wineries: Leconfield, Bowen Estate, Hollick, Balnaves and Punter's Corner (owned by the same crew as the retreat we were staying at). My God, that's a lot of cellar doors! No wonder we were a bit worse for wear come 5pm!

The Coonawarra doesn't have too many dining options, however, I would consider 'Upstairs at Hollick' as one of best vineyard restaurants I've come across. The restaurant is (unsurprisingly) upstairs, above Hollick's cellar door, with floor to ceiling windows that ensure uninterrupted views over the vineyard and beyond to the broader Coonawarra region. You can also see into the barrel store and may even catch a glimpse of the winemaker plying his craft.

We stopped here for lunch and were not disappointed! This was Modern Australian cuisine at is best - and we sampled several dishes showcasing some of the region's finest seasonal produce. Mmmm.

We savoured our last night in the Coonawarra, enjoying another barbie at Punter's, in the warm evening air accompanied, yet again, by more local tipples. Speaking of which, it would be remiss of me not to mention the 'oh my God' moment I experienced in the small township of Penola (the Coonawarra's main village). Whilst trawling through the local bottle-o, I stumbled across a dusty bottle of Wynns 'Michael' Shiraz (the super-premium, well-flash shiraz from Wynn's stable) from the renowned 1998 vintage. And the bottle price was an absolute steal! After eliciting a not particularly discreet moan, I grabbed it and scooted to the counter. Happy days indeed.

To be continued...

The Plonker

Something for the Weekend

I recently stepped out of my white wine safety zone: ie 'only chardonnay or sauvignon blanc for me, and no variations on that, thankyouverymuch' and was delighted to be rewarded by this daring move.

When it comes to white blends, the closest I have previously come is pairing myself with a glass of chardonnay.

However, let me introduce you to my New Best Friend:

The Voyager Estate Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008

My God this is a good wine! A perfect wine for summer.

For me, it has now overtaken the ubiquitous Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (the good producers, people - not the 'Land of the Long White Cloud' varieties) as my summer tipple of choice.

Hallelujah it is GOOD!

The Margaret River is one of Australia’s largest producers of this blend. Here you will find expressive Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon where the marriage of the two varieties results in a union greater than the individual parts (sounds like bollocks, but its actually true!).

Here's the Tasting Notes for the Voyager SBS:

Colour: Pale straw with vibrant green tinges.
Nose: Tight lemon blossom, honeydew, guava, gooseberry and white nectarine
Palate: Displays fruit flavours of gooseberry & citrus

And, that ain't the best part... here it comes...

It should retail for around $24 a bottle, but this week is on sale at you-know-where for $16.80 (or $15.50 by six).

Its criminal, really it is.

Don't take my word for it - get out there and see for yourself!

And, get amongst it peoples!!!

Till next time,

Yours in Plonk

The Plonker

A Long and Wining Road (Trip) Part 1

Q: Is there anything better than a long, luxurious road trip based around wine-tasting?

A: I think not.

Exception: you are the driver.

However, with four ladies sharing the experience, this problem is swept aside, with daily rotations of DDs (that's Designated Driver, not passengers of the female persuasion who are well-endowed upstairs. Although, theoretically, it could be one and the same. However, I digress...)

I recently had the pleasure of a totally indulgent week-long holiday in South Australia with my partner and two of our good friends. In a great big beast of a four-wheel-drive (almost requiring a ladder to gain access into, and a serious hazard to get out of, at times) and in 40+ degree days, we covered more than 1000km, visited more than 25 cellar doors in five wine regions, and tasted in excess of 100 wines (erring on the conservative side with that figure!)

By Day 6, I was almost ready for admission to Australia's version of the Betty Ford Clinic, however managed a second wind with a icy cold schooner (or 'pint' as they call em down there) of refreshing Coopers Ale... ooh yeah! And ready to go again...

Our trip began in late January in Adelaide, which was in the throes of one hell of a heatwave. Daytime temperatures were routinely in the mid-40s, with overnight lows of around 30°! Thank God for air conditioning!

DAY 1 & 2

Belinda and I had no firm plans for our first two days in Adelaide; happy enough to explore the city for the first time. However, on the second day, it occurred to me that it would be unforgiveable for us NOT to check out the Barossa Valley, given its close proximity.

By midday we were firmly ensconced in the tasting room at Grant Burge Wines, courtesy of our hastily-arranged rental car. A standout wine from this cellar door was the Grant Burge Sparkling Shiraz Cabernet - a deep ruby coloured sparkling wine with aromas of smoky bacon, rich red fruit flavours and very fine bubbles. RRP should be around $20.

Over the remainder of the day we visited six more cellar doors, including Chateau Tanunda, Charles Melton, Elderton and Penfolds.

It would have been rude to go to the Barossa and not have lunch at Maggie Beer's Farm. We re-fuelled with some of Maggie's pates, cheeses and relishes in a shady spot by a pond filled with baby turtles and various feathered animals incluiding peacocks - an absolute delight and highly recommended.

A highlight of the day included the tasting of Torbreck's 'The Runrig' 2005 (a shiraz-viognier blend) - which retails at over $200 a bottle! It was certainly a lovely drop, but unfortunately, not in the trip budget.

At the other end of the cost spectrum was Two Hands 'Brilliant Disguise' moscato at only $17 for a 500ml bottle. With just 7% alcohol, consume it either as an aperitif, or at the end of a meal, in place of a dessert wine.

Moscato has recently experienced a popularity explosion in Australia, with a wide range now available in this variety. However, I find a lot of moscatos to be sickly-sweet, almost resembling the dreaded 'alcopop.' This is not the case with the 'Brilliant Disguise.' Lightly carbonated with a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, it is long and lean, leaving the palate clean and ready for the next mouthful. Once opened, I guarantee a bottle will not last long!

DAY 3

Today Pip arrived from Sydney, and by late morning the three of us had set off to explore the Adelaide Hills wine region, a mere 20-minute drive from Adelaide city. Due to its cool climate, Adelaide Hills is one of Australia's largest producers of sauvignon blanc. As a proud Kiwi, I was on a mission to see if anything came close to Marlborough's outstanding examples.

We commenced tasting at Petaluma, a producer of highly-awarded wines, including Petaluma Chardonnay and the top-rated sparkling: 'The Croser.' The current vintage is 2006, but we were lucky enough to be able to try the 1998 Croser which was a creamy mouth-filling, biscuity taste sensation. Yum!

Then it was onwards to Hahdorf Hill and Nepenthe cellar doors, stopping for a well-needed lunch at The Lane Vineyard, a fantastically elevated spot looking over the vines. Highlight of the day for me was Nepenthe's wines, including their 2008 sauvignon blanc. Pick this baby up for under $18 and you'll be laughing: 'A core of tropical fruit balanced by lively, varietal, herbaceous characters. The palate is supported by crisp, citrus acidity and a long, refreshing finish.' Not quite a Marlborough savvy, but not far off!

DAY 4

After collecting our final passenger, Ms N, we headed south towards the famed terra rossa of the Coonawarra (aka 'Australia's Other Red Centre'), almost 400km away. After a four-hour drive and with only one hour of tasting time remaining, we still managed to fit in two of the biggies: Wynns Coonawarra Estate and Zema Estate.

Wynns was everything I had dreamed of, and more! Upon arrival, I was so overcome to be there, I fell to the ground and kissed it, giving thanks to this rich, red soil for so many nights of pleasure. (NB: we're still at a vineyard at this point peoples, not a red light district.. believe it or not!)

Inside the building there were riches galore - it was like being in Aladdin's (wine) cave... I didn't know where to begin. There was merchandise, there was stemware, and most importantly, there was Wynn's wine, including back vintages of their big hitters ... bliss!

We lined up the tasting glasses and a cheese platter, and off we went... chardonnay, shiraz, cab/shiraz/merlot, an exclusive cellar-door-only shiraz/cabernet, then onto the highly-collected black label Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by the most divine John Riddoch Cab Sauv, and finishing with an aged riesling (another cellar door exclusive). We left there a few dollars lighter, a few kilos heavier (in the boot of our 4WD) and a whole lot less sober! Woo hoo!

With 15 mins remaining, we entered Zema Estate, and 40 mins later emerged as per Wynns (see above). Zema is a small vineyard, owned and operated by the Zema family, who originate from Italy. Their wines are outstanding, with the Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon being excellent value-for-money (around $20 or so), while the premium versions of these varieties (which come under the 'Family Selection' label) are sublime and retail for around $40 each.

It was now time to take ourselves, and our new purchases, to our Coonawarra accommodation, Punters Retreat. And what accommodation! I think all of us had a serious 'wow' moment on arrival. We could not quite believe that we had scored this amazing place all to ourselves. A thoroughly luxurious and modern, architectural masterpiece of a place, Punters Retreat was just the place to rest wine-weary bodies for two nites. Everything you could ever wish for, they had thought of, including a seemingly endless array of stemware in which to consume those tasty cellar door purchases.

After a few discussions with locals in the following days, it became apparent that we had been very lucky to score this place, as it is apparently booked out almost all year round. And with the Coonawarra being situated over 400km from both Adelaide and Melbourne, its not the sort of place you can just take a day trip to. Accommodation is a must. For those of you thinking of heading to the Red Centre in the next 12 months - I strongly recommend this place: http://www.punterscorner.com.au/retreat.html Check it out!

To be continued....