AceHighWine

The latest addition to the Quaff ($19.95, Hardie Grant) collection on the bookshelf is as good as ever - and I’m not just saying that because I’m part of the tasting panel.

Once the lovechild of the vinous matrimony between Melbournite Max Allen and Perth boy Peter Forrestal (a bit of trivia - Forrie was the founding editor of Australian Gourmet Traveler WINE), the Scarborough wine writer has been granted sole custody of Quaff and has really taken to growing the annual guide to Australia’s best value drops, both in terms of the final product and weekly updates on the Quaff website.

While a handful of horrible growing seasons has led to the much-publicised wine and grape glut of yore starting to dry up, those hunting for value will still find plenty of options vying for their wine buying dollar. According to Forrie, of the 400 sub-$15 wines recommended in the book, 50 - one in eight - are “seriously good”.

Sadly, I missed the tasting where Quaff 2008’s wine of the year - the 2007 Peter Lehmann Eden Valley Riesling - was unearthed, but I can vouch for the objectivity of all the tastings: four seven-wine brackets, all served masked and organised by variety, and the democratic discussion of the tasting panel. It’s a real thrill to discover some of the gems studded throughout the crowded Australian wine market and their subsequent lowly asking prices - some of the value on offer in the fortified stakes (thanks must go largely to Seppelt and Morris) is just bewildering.

Regular Quaff-ers will also notice some other changes to the book including a top 20 round-up of outstanding wine bargains and a reshuffle of categories to reflect the changing industry trends. There’s also a selection of more than 100 recommended drops more than $15 to hunt for, all written in Forrie’s succinct and insightful style.

If you’re still smarting after the commercial success known as “The Festive Season”, Quaff could well be your knight in red and green shining armour - either as a gift for fellow winos or a cheat sheet to unearth some of the nation’s best value drops. www.quaff.com.au

When you get struck down by a head cold and the inability to use a keyboard properly, it makes it hard to write about wine, let alone taste it (here’s hoping there aren’t too many errors in tomorrow’s Community Newspapers across Perth) - but I returned to the tasting bench today and unearthed a few gems including some ripper Aussie shiraz including the ‘05 and ‘06 Amon-Ras which were both killer. But to start with, an awesome budget-priced chardonnay that I’d recommend to anyone.

A multi-regional blend consisting mainly of Riverina fruit with contributions from around the country, this budget drop is packed with the sort of complexity rarely seen at its price point. Initially, the vanilla oak overwhelms in the mouth but quickly fades away to reveal a creamy, complex mouthful of beautifully textured stonefruit and grapefruit flavours tempered by a squeeze of nice minerally acidity. The flavours finish juicy, succulent and long and practically loiter in the mouth. A real revelation. 18 www.mcwilliams.com.au

The history of Plantagenet has long been intertwined with that of the Great Southern and Mt Barker. And now that acclaimed Margaret River John Durham has taken over the pioneering winery’s reins, I suspect that the Plantagenet story will have many exciting new chapters written into it.

Whilst Plantagenet shiraz and riesling hold plenty of sway with connoisseurs, the general West Australian drinking public is likely to be more familar with the winery’s other labels, Omrah and Hazard Hill. Over the years, I’ve found the Omrah range to be representative of some great value and when coupled with good distribution, a name to keep in the back of the head when searching for approachable and gluggable West Australian cool climate goodness.

And so, bottles were opened for the department’s Friday afternoon drinks.

Plantegenet Omrah Shiraz 2005: Wow whee, this is good gear! Very heady aromas of strawberry jam, Redskin lolly and pepper tinged by some attractive vanillin oak. Long, medium-weight pepper and red berry flavours drive the wine, supported by subtle floral flourishes and streams of juicy acidity. According to the winemaker’s notes, the wine features a splash of viognier and spent some time in French oak but with the exception of those vanilla notes on the bouquet, these influences have been underplayed and don’t overpower the shiraz’s wonderful cool climate nuances. Exo complexity and drinkability for the money. 17.5.

The new Hazard Hill Sem Sav also fared well.

2007 Hazard Hill Sem Sav ($12): Typical grass-flecked tropical fruit aromas. The wine is driven by a core of powerful, cleansing acidity and crunchy tropical fruits with crisp apple and lemon edges. Clean, fresh, refreshing and full of vitality. A good summer thirst quencher at a handy price. 16. www.plantagenetwines.com

One night while we were in the Mornington Peninsula, I was put in charge of wine-buying for that night’s meal we were cooking up at home. Normally I like to try something new and local (preferably picked up during an afternoon of cellar door hopping) but with the local Liquorland the only bottle shop open at seven in the evening, the options were limited.

I decided the time was ripe for a Quaff experiment and grabbed three wines that had been recommended in the last edition of the book. The wine bill was just over $20 - usually not even enough to cover the cost of a single bottle of “boutique” wine - and for my money, I picked up a bottle of Yellow NV, Sacred Hill Cab Merlot and the ‘05 vintage of this. All were excellent and represented exceptional value for money and not a complaint was uttered by anyone at the dining table.

I’m happy to report that the ‘06 is even better than the ‘05!

Varietal pinot stink with exciting Meters-esque* funk that is lacking in wines with an asking price $10 greater than this wee ripper. Attractive grainy texture which is fleshed out by delicious juicy cherry and red berry flavours. Excellent structure and balance with bonus points for a touch of grip on the long, succulent and persistent finish. By most people’s standards, this is excellent varietally correct pinot noir, but coupled with the ludicrous price tag**, is a no-brainer for those nights when the lure of that roast duck hanging in the Chinese BBQ house’s window proves too tempting… 17.5 www.debortoli.com.au

* The Meters were a fantastic funk band who were heavily sampled and unwittingly played a major role in the development of hip-hop music.

** As an aside, this was tasted double-blind alongside a Margaret River pinot retailing at $50 a pop and while there was certainly tasting panel support for the more expensive drop, everyone’s preference was for this. Goes to show that you don’t need to spend a lot of money for varietal wine in Australia.

While the Zilzie brand might have slipped off my radar, two of its chardonnay drops caught my attention at a Quaff tasting last week. For those looking for value and quality outside the established names such as your Queen Adelaides and De Bortoli, the back end of the alphabet isn’t a bad place to start, particularly when it coems to drinks that are coloured white. www.zilziewines.com

Zilzie Selection 23 Chardonnay 2007 (< $10)
Pretty, apricot-driven nose with attractive citrus oak characters and floral notes. Sweet and persistent floral stone fruit flavours help this stand out from the sea of Australian chardonnay surrounding drinkers while. 16.5

Zilzie Chardonany 2006 (< $15)
My voice was the only one singing the praises of this wine, but I still stand behind my judgment. Granted, the caramelly oak on the nose is a bit overpowering to sniff, but in the mouth it lends a nice toasty edge to the juicy melon flavours. The palate is tight and balanced while the finish is long and succulent. Tastes much better than it smells. 17.

Before I rattle off today’s tasting note, I’d like to give some big fat props and a large “coooo-eeeeeeeeeeeeee!” across the Nullabor and all the way east to the generous-of-spirit Ric Einstein for the shout-out in his excellent TorbWINE. Inexplicably, his article covering Australian wine blogs found some space to mention my little 2005 planting among other much better websites including some of my personal faves, Winorama and Wino-sapien. Ric has been a supporter since the get-go and my first ventures online and I hope to one day share a glass of red with the man!

However, the next wine probably won’t get the seal of approval from the self-proclaimed red bigot, but I suspect it’ll do just fine with everyday drinkers with an eye for value. This was cracked open a few weeks back for Friday arvo drinks (sadly, I can’t find the snapshot I took of it) and knowing full well the office’s prejudice for whites, I was interested in their reaction. My note:

Grass, apple skins and a touch of greeness on the nose. Not shy in the flavour department as the palate gets hit with a burst of crunchy tropical fruit, juicy lemon and more of those vegetative characters alluded to on the nose. Finishes with a burst of lively acidity on both the back palate and the medium-length finish. 16/20 www.oxfordlanding.com

As is often the case with Yalumba-affiliated wines, Oxford Landing is punching above its price point and delivers in the value stakes. At just eight dollars, this is a steal and many of the girls in the office were quick to raise their eyebrows in delight after their initial sip.

“When it rains, it pours.”

Or so the old saying goes. At the moment, Perth is enjoying a healthy downpour of rain which is no doubt great news for the dams, both directly in terms of filling ‘em up and indirectly in terms of people turning off their sprinklers while Mother Nature puts her hose on the garden.

Wet weather is also great for hearty winter fare, say peppery medium-rare roast beef. With shiraz and cabernet. And friends. And is as customary when you’re entertaining, you need a nice sweet drop to sign off on the night…

Heady and intoxicating aromas of marmalade, apricot jam, passionfruit that also continue on to the palate. Luscious and rich but tempered by enough refreshing acidity to perish any thought of the word ‘cloying’. Succulent streamers of citrus unravel themselves through the super-long finish that moves slowly throughout the mouth. It’s a big call, but this is the best recent release sticky I can remember tasting under the d’Arenberg label - perhaps any Australian wine label. As an added bonus, this wine is sealed under screwcap, meaning you get the wine just as fresh as the Osborns intended. A great match with the strawberry and custard tart our friends Zoë and Kim brought around for dessert. Outrageous value considering the quality you’re getting for your dollar. 18.5/20