Tag Archives: Australia

Brash, Chardonnay 2017, Margaret River, Australia

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Its a bolder Chardonnay than some people will like. There’s aromas of ripe tropical fruit, lemon and oak, its quite heady. There are flavours of stone fruit and a creaminess but its a heavy Chardonnay, eps with the oak notes. The finish is pretty long but that’s not a big positive.

In some ways this is an Australian Chardonnay that so many people expect. I would have liked more subtle flavours and lots less oak. Maybe if we had left it for a few more years it would have got better?

At £15 a bottle there are better out there.

Brash, Chardonnay 2017, Margaret River, Australia

Brash, Chardonnay 2017, Margaret River, Australia

 

McGuigan Cellar, Select Shiraz 2016, Australia

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McGuigan wines are known for cheap and readily available and that’s a fair comment.

That doesn’t mean that they are not any good, but be realistic. This cellar select Shiraz is no different, enjoy it for what its worth, a £7 Shiraz. Its a one dimensional red wine with lots of black fruit, medium dry tannins with reasonable length but nothing else. No complexity and no multiple flavours.

This is not a great wine but a supermarket £7 red that is inoffensive and easy.

McGuigan Cellar Select Shiraz 2016, Australia

McGuigan Cellar Select Shiraz 2016, Australia

Coward & Black, Chardonnay 2017, Margaret River, Australia

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Aromas of ripe citrus, esp pineapple with added oak on the taste buds and a little oiliness. This is a full textured wine, yet it has a light lemon colour making you think that its going to be light and friskie. This is a great example of what Chardonnay can be. It got a bronze at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2018 which I think was mean, for me silver, solid silver. Fantastic.

Coward & Black, Chardonnay 2017, Margaret River, Australia

Coward & Black, Chardonnay 2017, Margaret River, Australia

McGuigan, Reserve Shiraz and Chardonnay, Australia

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You get what you pay for! Yep.

McGuigan do some very nice wine but pay more than £10 otherwise you get this for about £7 and you are not doing your liver any good.

First the compliments, the Shiraz is red wine. Thats it. Flubby red fruit flavours, not much aromas, dry but quite light which helps when drinking this. The medals on the bottle, like the Chardonnay don’t come from what’s in the bottle but for the brand.

Chardonnay, citrus aromas which come through on the taste and is joined by grapefruit. Sharp and a but harsh. If you take this to a party, either don’t open it or open it last, pour it down the sink and claim everyone drank it and loved it.

Sorry McGuigan you  can do so much better

McGuigan Reserve Shiraz and Chardonnay, Australia

McGuigan Reserve Shiraz and Chardonnay, Australia

Three Pillars, Shiraz, Australia

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Previous vintages have received ‘commended’ at Decanter World Wine Awards. This is a typical mass production Australian Shiraz. It’s not bad, but not amazing, but very drinkable and at under £10 a bottle, reasonable value. There’s blackberry and vanilla on the nose which comes through in the flavour. It’s dry with medium acidity and tannins. I can’t talk this wine up nor down, it’s easy drinking Shiraz. So drink.

Three Pillars, Shiraz 2015, Australia

Three Pillars, Shiraz 2015, Australia