Not another 95 point Halliday $20 bargain

I read today’s mailer from Bert Werden at Winestar with interest as I do most Tuesday mornings. I can’t remember a Tuesday when it didn’t start with a 95 point Halliday sub-$20 bargain, but today the mailer was headed 97 Point Tyrrells & Barossa GSM Vs Rhone.

It didn’t begin the usual way either, but with Bert talking about an email from a subscriber who was ‘critical of our wine choices in The WineStar Journal citing that we “always went for high pointed wines”. Tongue in cheek, I asked in reply if he preferred we promoted the low rated, overpriced and those performing poorly at our own tasting.’

‘The gentleman clarified that, while he disagreed with high ratings on some wines by some critics, he disagreed with low ratings on others. Indeed I totally agree. For every wine that is overrated, there is another that is underrated but we rarely hear about those …’

That’s our job: finding great wines you rarely hear about

Bert adds a strange twist before he dives into his usual sales spiel: ‘I could count on one hand the number of times this decade that I have rated a wine higher than mainstream wine commentators.’ I don’t recall ever seeing his ratings in his weekly mailer, but I think he’s saying most of the scores from the other guys are inflated yet he’s happy to use them to flog his grog.

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It’s like the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: you look into their eyes, and you realise it’s too late

Most of the smaller wineries out there are pretty easy to deal with. You call them up, speak to a friendly and sensible person, and a box of samples arrives a few days later. Some wineries have baulked at our name, saying they’d prefer not to be associated with a wine site that focuses on the lowest price. That leads to interesting conversations, like: ‘I’ll go and buy some samples and write about your wines anyway, and I’ll point to the source with the lowest price.’ Some of them still haven’t worked out that there’s nowhere to hide on the internet highway.

Right from our humble beginnings almost 2 years ago, I took a different approach from other wine review sites. We didn’t ask every wine company and distributor for samples, but only the ones who made wines that fit our quality/value criteria. It’s given us some fascinating insights into the way some of these outfits operate. Revenge is a dish best enjoyed cold, according to the Godfather, so here are our top trophies:

1. Trophy for the most obtuse wine company: Robert Oatley

It took Darren Jahn ages to respond to my phone messages and emails. When he finally did, he wrote that our website said we bought our own samples, so what did we want from him? I pointed out that we buy some samples and receive many others from selected wine companies. Could he please help with a few samples? He wrote me another obtuse email, again after much time had passed, so I asked him again, pretty directly: yes or no? He emailed back and said he’d send us some samples.

None have turned up to this day. I emailed Darren a few weeks later and asked what happened, and got no answer. I emailed him again but still no answer. I rang the company and asked if he had left. No he hadn’t, would I like to speak to him? Another message bank, another message that was never returned. I crossed Robert Oatley off my list. I don’t need to beg or grovel for samples, and there are lots of other wineries out there.

2. Trophy for the most opaque wine company: Treasury Wine Estates

I called head office in Melbourne and asked the lady at reception whom I should speak to about wine samples. She pointed me to a page on the TWE website and said I should record my request there, and the relevant people would get back to me. I did that and got an automated message that said: someone will be in touch with you real soon. I got the same automated message the next day, but no one ever got in touch. I mentioned the experience to a friend in the trade and asked him if he had a contact at TWE. He just burst out laughing, and he didn’t stop laughing for some time. I got the message.

3. Trophy for the meanest wine company out there: McWilliams

My initial requests for samples produced a box of wines under $10 from the Hanwood range and the  Evans & Tate Classics. Now McWilliams makes a whole lot of wines in our $5 – $25 price range, from Catching Thieves and the Evans & Tate Metricup range to Partisan wines and Mount Pleasant wines and Yarra Valley wines and more, so I asked young Danni to send me a few more samples.

Of late, she has complied with my request, one bottle at a time, so I wrote her  and the sales manager a note along these lines: I think I’m being generous with plenty of plugs for you guys on my website and in my weekly mailer, but you’re being pretty mean with samples … you make a lot of good wines between $10 and $25 street price, and I’d like to review more of them. What am I doing wrong? Is it something I said or wrote?

The answer was another single sample bottle and an email that ignored my question entirely. Clearly McWilliams set tight budgets for samples.

4. Trophy for the most recalcitrant wine merchant: Bert Werden at Winestar

I asked Bert to send us a few samples – of wines we couldn’t find anywhere else – since we give him a lot of links in our Mailer and Best Lists. He said No, even when I offered to buy samples at cost, as we do with a few smaller merchants. And he said No when I asked him to waive the unbroken dozen condition on some of his cheaper wines (so I could buy single bottle samples).

I asked him why he showed less flexibility than a government department, and he wrote back: ‘I was explaining why we are unable to waive the minimum purchase policy we have for low priced wines and in addition sell these to you at cost – let me know if I have misunderstood? I totally understand you have an arrangement with other merchants and it may preclude us from being mentioned on your site.’

As Rex Mossop would’ve said, I was flabberghasted. I never suggested that I’d stop giving Winestar plugs on BWU$20 if he didn’t do me favours. We don’t work that way, but I’m happy to give him this well-earned prize.

5. Trophy for the most ungrateful wine merchant out there: GLUG (David Farmer)

If you’ve got lots of miles on the clock as I do, you’ll remember Farmer Bros, the first national wine retail operation run by David and brother Richard out of Canberra. The dream run ended in the mid-nineties, and a few years later David popped up in the Barossa buying/blending and selling wine under his own labels. I’ve supported Farmer’s little GLUG operation, I’ve promoted his wines after buying some samples, I’ve shared coffee with him in the Barossa, I’ve sent him feedback from subscribers who rave about his wines, and I’ve asked him for some samples. I copied his staff and sent the email twice, but got no response from any of them. None. Zip. Zilch.

6. Trophy for the most unresponsive winery in Australia: Mountadam

Yes, I know. I keep raving about their wines, the Chardonnay most of all. I work harder for them than their PR agency. I’ve asked them for samples by email, I’ve left phone messages for them, but never heard a single peep out of them, digital or analogue. Mountadam is a mount that does not give up its secrets.

We pride ourselves on our independence at BWU$20. We have no affiliates and take no kickbacks, and it works the other way too: I’ll continue to recommend good value wines wherever they come from. Much better to hand out trophies than to hold a grudge.

Kim

The reason is simple: people drink it with the wrong foods

March 2015 update

I used to wonder why Aussie Riesling isn’t more popular, until I realised that it was the work of our wine and food writers. Yes, the same people who shake their heads and lament that Riesling isn’t more popular. The answer is dead simple: they match it up with the wrong foods.

I’m talking dry Aussie Rieslings here, typically 12 – 13%, fine-boned but flavoursome, packed with fruit but dry on the long fine acid finish. In this style, I reckon Australia makes among the best Rieslings in the world. NZ and Alsace are our main competitors, but their Rieslings tend to be dearer than ours. The better Rieslings from Germany and Austria come at a higher price again, but are made in a different style: more delicate, and off-dry.

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Young & Rashleigh distribute interesting wines, mostly to restaurants, and their trade tastings twice a year are a chance to get to know some not so well-known labels. One problem for us is that some of these wines can be very hard to find in retail outlets.

Astrolabe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 – $21 at Dan M’s (still stocking 2013). Astrolabe is a serious maker of Kiwi savvies, and the basic Marlborough SB is a great expression, with tangy gooseberries the dominant flavour. The 2014 is very crisp, dry and clean finishing. Top notch savvy.

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ALDI made headlines recently for scoring gold medals with affordable wines – Six of Aldi’s cheap wines judged among best at Sydney International Wine Competition. The driver behind ALDI’s success is Jason Bowyer who has spent most of his life in the wine trade. At ALDI, he’s been fortunate enough to embark on  what is the company’s first venture into online retail anywhere in the world.

ALDI’s formula is to deliver quality and value at prices that often make the competition wince, and Jason is following that principle with wines that made a few of us shake our heads last night as we tasted some current and future stars. Jason travels the world to find wine makers he can establish long term relationships with, and he’s done a remarkable job in a very short time. Here are a few of the gems:

One Road Eden Valley & Padthaway Chardonnay 2014 – $7 at ALDI. The perfect drinking chardy, rich and round and full of flavour, not too dry so will go down a treat with everybody. 89 points. BUY.

Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2013 $8 at ALDI. This has some genuine gooseberry character on the nose and a bit on the crisp palate, fades a little on the finish but no one’s going to grumble at this price. 88 points. BUY.

The Pond Pinot Grigio Chardonnay 2014 – $7 at ALDI. The website is on the last of the 2013 but Jason says the 2014 is now in stock in store. One quarter Chardonnay to give the Pinot Gris a bit more authority. It worked remarkably well – not much Pinot Gris character here but it’s a good drinking wine. 88 points. BUY.

Peter Mertes Gold Edition Mosel Riesling 2013 – $10 at ALDI. This wine made our Friday Fix a few weeks ago. Last night, it was  a perfect foil to the pork belly. The touch of sweetness was an asset, and flavour was surprising for a German Riesling.  90 Points. BUY.

A.C.Byrne & Co Le Premier Margaret River Chardonnay 2014 – $13 at ALDI. Jason brought along a Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay 2014. The two wines showed similar finesse and youthful acid, but most of us preferred the ALDI article. It just needs a year to settle down and full out. 91 points. BUY.

Neve South Island Pinot Noir 2013 – $8 at ALDI. The current vintage is 2011 and is $7. The 2013 we tasted won’t arrive until April. It’s clean, it’s drinkable and it’s vaguely recognisable as a Pinot Noir. Quite an achievement at this price point. 87 points.

Cote Du Rhone Village 2012/2013 – $9 at ALDI. Made from Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre and a pleasant enough light red with pizza or pasta. Jason brought along a Guigal Cote-du-Rhone 2011 as a reference point, and it was a much more convincing rendition of the theme. One of the few wines that didn’t convince me.

Tudor Central Victorian Shiraz 2013 – $13 at ALDI. I’ve raved about this gem before as well, and it really is a class act coolish climate Shiraz, full-flavoured with finesse, and a real bargain. 92+ points. BUY

Blackstone Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 – $20 at ALDI. This is a terrific Cabernet but it’s a great big huge red. Not my kind of Margaret River Cabernet but big red lovers will think this is heaven. 93 points, just to show I can push my personal preferences aside. BUY if you like them big.

Qiwilia Maule Valley Merlot 2013 (Chile) – $7 (arrives in (April). This worth looking out for. Much more refined than our Merlots, an elegant wine with notes of green leaves and tobacco supporting the cool fruit.

Piedra Negra Mendoza Reserve Malbec 2012 (Argentina) – $9 (May arrival). Another winner, one of the best Malbecs I’ve tasted. Interesting and multi-layered, not too much fruit and plenty of herbs too. Can’t wait to try a sample once the wine arrives.

Corte Carista Prosecco DOC – $10. A real crowd pleaser, light and fluffy but rich as well without too much sweetness. Should arrive by June, but some is available in stores.

Kim

If none of these 10 points matters to you, this website isn’t for you

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1. Trust. You want independent advice you can rely on. We take no kickbacks and have no affiliates. We tell it straight.
2. You know what you want. We don’t sell wine; we just show you where to find the best wines and the best buys.
3. Quality. You’re tired of mass-produced fare, and looking for more exciting wines. We find interesting wines of surprising quality for as low as $10.
4. Value. You expect value for your money when you buy wine. We select the wines we recommend for their high quality to price ratio, i.e. for their exceptional value.
5. Convenience. We publish shortlists of the best wines under $10, $15 and $20, plus the best sparkling wines, big reds etc., and we update them every month so you can enjoy good wine instead of hunting around for deals.
6. Homework. You don’t buy important things without doing your homework. We help you with that through our weekly mailer of great deals, our no-nonsense reviews and our shortlists of best wines.
7. Confidence. When you buy wines to share with friends and family, you want to make sure they’re going to go down a treat with them. We love finding wines people love.
8. Shopping online. You have better things to do than schlepping around cartons of wine. We provide links to retailers and wineries with the best prices who deliver to your front door (and many do so for free if you buy a certain quantity).
9. Choice. If you live outside the major city centres, your wine choice is probably limited. We show you how to increase your choice, how to buy at city prices in the country, and how to get free delivery too.
10. Real people. You like dealing with real people you can talk to. I live in Sydney, and you can call me when you need to.

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Kim Brebach

The $20 Wine Guy

Australian Politics has been the domaine of halfwits.

It’s time to breathe some wit into it

On our political stage, we see plenty of halfwits who would’ve been better off observing that old advice:  It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it. Most of them don’t read, I suspect, or don’t know how to. Australians are a weird mob, and Australian Politics are even weirder, so lets go through a few of the empties here and check the dregs.

At a recent very public competition, opinions were sharply divided over the Barry O’Farrell Shiraz. Some said it was an utterly forgettable wine, while others called it a decent, solid performer. Some even said the O’Farrell was a take-off on Grange, which the winemaker strenuously denied. He said he’d never even heard of Grange.

Tony Abbott 2014 reminds us of a young Hunter Semillon, lean, mean and edgy with a strong acid grip and a tough backbone, yet the label promises that the wine will improve dramatically if given a chance to breathe. It’s an old-fashioned style that pays no attention to current trends, and will take years before maturity is reached if ever. Lacks charm and finesse. Best drunk with hot dogs at boxing bouts or football matches.

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How on earth did we end up with thousand dollar bottles?

Not so long ago, even the best French wines were affordable. In the early eighties, you could buy third-growth Bordeaux like 1978 Chateau Montrose, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Pichon Longueville de Lalande for around $30. Good Burgundies cost a bit more, and great Sauternes & Barsacs a bit more again – about $60/70 for a full bottle of Rieussec. Expensive yes, but not ridiculous.

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Pauillac

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For this special day in our calendar, I’ve selected wines that are uniquely Australian because of their style or their history or their label. However, value for money was the first consideration as always. I’ve also suggested the kinds of foods these wines go with, assuming that people will partake in the usual Australia Day fare of barbecued beef, lamb, sausages and seafood.

Leo Buring Clare Valley Dry Riesling 2013 – $15 at Kemenys. The dry Aussie style of Riesling is unique in the world, and Leo Buring is one of the oldest makers. Limes and minerals here, plus ripe, concentrated flavour and a long, dry finish – brilliant match for roasted or barbecued chicken.

McWilliams Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon Cellar Release 2007 – $12 at OurCellar. Mount Pleasant in the Hunter Valley is another household name, and ‘Lizzie’ is an institution. This wine is eight years old, and be warned: you’ll smell honey and butter here but also wet straw and tennis shoes. It’s a perfect match for a platter of smelly cheeses. The price is not a misprint.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2009 – $15 at Dan Murphy’s. Another iconic Aussie with a long history. This little winery in the Goulburn Valley used to be called Chateau Tahbilk, and the Rhone variety Marsanne has thrived here for many decades. This example is 6 years old and showing some rich honeyed flavours, goes well with pork. It’s so cheap because no one knows about it.

Rosily Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2014 – $18 at Kemenys. The vineyard is named after Comte Francois de Rosily, a French navigator who in 1772 made the first chart of Flinders Bay. On the same voyage the captain of his ship claimed possession of the south west of Australia on behalf of France. Had that claim succeeded we would now be speaking French, not English, and our national drink would have been wine, not beer.

Winemaker Mick Scott is a dinky-di Aussie, a keen surfer, swimmer and marathon runner. Margaret River has made this style of wine its own, and it’s so much more interesting than the Sauvignon Blancs from across the Tasman. Real class here, and the wine will fill out and improve with time in bottle. Terrific with grilled seafood.

Charles Melton Rose Of Virginia 2014 – $20 at Summer Hill Wine Shop Australia’s most attractive Rosé, inside and out. Made from Grenache, Cabernet and a few other varieties, it shows perfect balance between fruit and acidity. Drink with anything or on its own, well chilled.

Kilikanoon Killermans Run Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 – $16 at Kemenys. This wine pays homage to our Irish heritage. The story goes that Killerman was a trapper who lived 100 years ago behind the Skillogalee winery (near Kilikanoon) and made his own wines in a galvanised iron lean-to. The 2012 Cabernet is a much more urbane customer, well-mannered, cool and smooth. Medium-bodied and great with a good steak.

Devil’s Lair Hidden Cave Cabernet Shiraz 2012 – $17 at Kemenys. The combination of Cabernet and Shiraz is uniquely Australian, and this polished performer shows why it’s such a smart blend. That you can buy a quality crowd pleaser like this for so little money suggests that we’re still the lucky country. Goes well with steak, hamburgers and sausages.

Bleasdale Second Innings Malbec 2012 – $15 at Different Drop. There’s going to be a lot of cricket played on Australia Day, and here’s the wine to drink at the BBQ that follows. If you like your reds soft, round and velvety, look no further. It’s juicy and spicy too, and makes you wonder why this variety has fallen out of favour down under. Great with all kinds of lamb.

Bundaleer Sparkling Shiraz NV – $17 at MyCellars. Sparkling Shiraz is another Aussie specialty, and this stylish example is our current favourite. It’s made by a tiny boutique in the Southern Flinders Ranges region of South Australia. Absolute bargain.

Campbells Rutherglen Topaque 375mL – $18 at Dan M’s. Rutherglen is near Glenrowan in Ned Kelly country. We used to call this wine Tokay until the Hungarians objected. Thankfully, only the label has changed and the wine remains a wonderful drink to have with a rich dessert or orange in dark chocolate or a platter of runny cheeses. A great place to finish our top ten.