Mortgage interest rates and cost of living hikes are impacting many people’s budgets so today’s selection of BBQ (or anytime) friendly reds from two trusted family-owned Aussie wineries offer honesty and generosity at wallet-friendly prices.
Note that promo pricing will make these even better value!
2020 Brown Brothers Origins Series Victoria Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating Very Good to Excellent
Chocolate & chestnut,
fruit pastilles, plum,
darker fruit notes,
fragrance. Ripe and
mouthfilling, summer
sun in a glass. Supple
and fruity, a touch of
chewiness adding to
the textural backbone.
Adds charry touches
on the finish. Evolves
nicely in the glass, the
lively acidity more
evident brings some
nice freshness to the
mix and a salivatory
aspect to the close.
2021 Taylors Estate Clare Valley/Limestone Coast Merlot
Rating Excellent
Spicy notes, savoury
nuances, dried herbs,
dark chocolate, red
berries, rather inviting.
Nice depth to this,
brimming with fruit
flavour, adding dark
cherry, pencil lead and
shavings. Good grip
on the palate will
marry well with food
too, fruit sweet yet
closes dry. The red
fruits move to a darker
register with aeration.
Lots to enjoy for the
$$.
2018 Brown Brothers Origins Series Heathcote Shiraz
Rating Very Good
Gravel dust, smoke,
chocolate, spices,
fruit in support.
Rounded in the
mouth, sweetly
fruited, a touch of
graphite while there’s
a hint of tangy
freshness bringing a
nice lift to this. You’re
not expecting a
revelatory experience
at this price point, but
this is an honest
wine, ripe and
supple, that will bring
a smile to your face.
2020 Brown Brothers Origins Series Heathcote Merlot
Rating Good to Very Good
A wild & funky
nuance leads,
evolving to charry
notes, wisps of
fragrance, fruit in the
wings. Oaky
characters lead the
palate, some leaf &
herbs, berryfruits, a
drier feel in the
mouth. Some grip
and chewiness here
while aeration brings
a bittersweet nutty
character into play.
Uncomplicated and
straightforward.
2020 Taylors Estate Limestone Coast/Clare Valley Shiraz
Rating Very Good to Excellent
Bursting with
berryfruits, hints of
florality, a smoky
nuance, oak scents
too, building with
time. Oak notes
evident on the palate,
a savoury quality,
berryfruits, bright
acidity adding lift
while there’s some
tannic grip also.
Nicely integrated and
together, good
flavour intensity, lots
to enjoy here, right in
the slot to open now.
2020 Taylors Estate Limestone Coast/Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Rating Excellent
An attractive leafiness
& herbal quality leaps
from the glass,
backed by a mix of
red fruits, cassis, and
light oak seasoning,
tea-leaf with time. The
palate has some real
grip & chew giving
structural backbone
and while the fruit is
ripe it doesn’t stray
into over-sweetness.
Lovely integration,
excellent length, nice
vibrancy, great bang
for your buck here.
