Fruits of a long overdue visit to the bargain basement

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