I’ve had a few columns recently that have pushed the boat out price-wise, so a visit to the "bread and butter" wine aisles at the supermarket seemed long overdue. I’m fortunate to have Raj as the wine manager at my local supermarket. He’s a top bloke and knows about what he stocks, which can be a rare thing at the supermarket. Raj is happy to offer suggestions from his own experience and customer feedback, which had an input into my selections. These are all wines which were on special at $12-$13. 2020 Taylors Promised Land Shiraz Price Promo $11.99 Rating Very good Perfume, cherry, oak scents, earthy touches. Bright, fresh, clean, there’s good flavour depth here focusing on red fruits and charry touches, raspberry evolving with time. An honest wine, ripely fruited with pleasingly zest acidity keeping this fresh and generous for its price. A little firmer with aeration, even better with food and good friends. www.taylorswines.com.au 2021 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz Price Promo $11.99 Rating Excellent Immediate richness evident, plum, licorice, fragrance, good fruit intensity too. Continues the journey on the palate with clear fruit depth in the plum and blackberry spectrum, picking up a little leafy, minty influence. A depth of flavour that punches above its weight, rising above its price point. Balance, depth, structure, nicely done and vfm. www.jacobscreek.com 2021 Yalumba Y Series Shiraz Viognier Price Promo $12.99 Rating Very good to excellent Fragrant nose, red fruits, a little dustiness, oak spices, sweetly fruited lift, vanilla with time. An engaging lightness of touch to this, certainly plenty of fruit depth yet liveliness too, enough chewiness to give it interest with earthy touches, growing spiciness and oak sweetness a foil to the fruit. Not trying to be a bruiser, but good flavour depth. www.yalumba.com 2022 Taylors Promised Land Pinot Noir Price Promo $11.99 Rating Good Notes of fruit lozenge, cherry and licorice, oak scents creep in with time. Quite sweet on the palate with candied fruits and confectionery to the fore. Lighter bodied befitting the grape variety, not particularly complex but clean and well made. It’s a little too sweet for my palate but an honest wine for the money. www.taylorswines.com.au 2021 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Price Promo $11.99 Rating Very good Interesting nose suggesting depth, graphite, tobacco, fruit neatly in the supporting role. Blackcurrant, darker fruited, rich and somewhat brooding, the palate quite chewy, grippy tannins framing the close. Less immediately generous but would be a good food choice, bbq meats a splendid foil to the tannins. Fleshes out nicely with aeration. www.jacobscreek.com 2021 Yalumba Y Series Tempranillo Price Promo $12.99 Rating Very good to excellent Some elegance to the nose, red-fruited, spices, lifted and fragrant, appealing. Attractively medium- weight, ripe yet dry, lead pencil and black tea notes lending a dry, chewy quality to the finish before the fruit sweeps in cosseting the tannins. Comes across as more serious rather than "cuddly" and grows very nicely with air-time. Nicely done for the money. www.yalumba.com
