Yalumba, Galway vintage, Shiraz, 2022, Barossa Valley, Australia
The Barossa valley in Australia is known as a fantastic wine region and produces superior red wine. This dry red has strong tannins with depth and flavours of plum, blackcurrant, oak and hints of chocolate. It’s a good wine but nothing to make it stand out. At £15 a bottle I would like more subtle flavours and texture. Think of it as a Ford Focus car.
Watarra Ridge, Merlot, South East Australia, Australia
This reminds me of when Australian Merlot was cheap and cheerful, well this is cheap but not really cheerful. The aromas seem volatile, body is thin, some flavours of redcurrant but not a pleasant experience. At £5 a bottle it’s cheap, but avoid.
Crooked Mick, Shiraz, 2021, South Eastern Australia
Good quality Australian Shiraz is the best I can come up with for this Crooked Mick Shiraz. Its not bad, dry with reasonable amount of black fruit, spice and hints of leather and chocolate. At under £10 a bottle its a good wine at a good price. Think of a cheap Skoda car, solid.
Sainsburys, Taste the Difference, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021, Coonawarra, Australia
Sainsburys like all supermarkets has some great wines under their own labels and this Cabernet Sauvignon under their Taste the Difference range is rather good. Its not gold medal winning but its a solid dry red wine. Plenty of red and black fruit, hints of tobacco and spice sitting the back ground. Its like a well spec’d Ford Fiesta car, not your first choice but worth a try for a meal or two. At £7.50 a bottle its great value.
Aldi, Grapevine, Shiraz, Australia
Aldi do sell some excellent wine but this isn’t one of them. Sure at £4 is cheap but not much flavour or aroma, some length, mild tannins which isn’t necessarily bad. Another late at the party opening wine.
Aldi, Kooliburra, Shiraz Cabernet, 2022, South East Australia
At £4 from Aldi you can’t expect much and therefore you won’t be disappointed with this red wine. The main problem is the thinness of it. Sure there’s some blackcurrant and plum flavours but these are quite non-discript. It’s a party wine, to be opened at the end of the party. Sorry but to be avoided.
Berton vineyard, Coonawarra Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2019, Australia
There’s a lot of cheap Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia that is pretty poor and it show that it pays to go up a notch or 2 in price. At £15 a bootle it’s reasonable value. Dry, firm but well integrated tannins and decent flavours of blackcurrant, black plum, chocolate and tobacco hints and a pinch of eucalyptus coupled with decent length make this and enjoyable red.
Vasse Felix ‘Filius’ Cabernet-Merlot, 2020, Margaret River, Australia
Another Australian red wine at £10 a bottle, another average red, well no. This is a step or 2 above most in the under £15 bracket. Dry and pretty bold but not sledge hammer bold. Black and red fruits with a bit of spice and rounded but firm tannins. Great with red meat or pasta. Alternatively in front of the fire watch TV.
Robert Oatley, Cabernet Sauvignon, Signature Series, 2019, Margaret River, Australia
This Cabernet Sauvignon from Robert Oatley is a big red wine showing off the heat of Australia. Dry, solid tannins but pretty smooth. I think a few more years laying down would help to soften it a bit more. The flavours are intense with blackberry and hedgerow berries, leather, oak are in there but that intensity is a bit over the top.
A rich beef strew or bbq would pair with this wine very well. At £13 a bottle it’s reasonably price but not my first choice.
Brothers in Arms, Shiraz, 2019, South Australia
Another Australian heavy red wine yes but it’s rather good. Its bold and dry with decent tannins and plenty of fruit. There’s red and black fruit, oak, spice and hints of chocolate and leather.
It’s a red for food, a lump of red meat or a big red sauce pasta dish. At £12 a bottle it’s reasonable value.