RETIREMENT & LIFESTYLE PLANNING      Baby boomers need to plan their transition into retirement for  Financial Security     Active Health Management  Emotional Wellbeing  Maximum Self Esteem ISSUE - 18 - SUMMER 2003

If life’s a party, good value quaffing wine must be the fuel. Here we highlight a handful of the top drops from the book The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2003/2004 written by Huon Hooke and Ralph Kyte-Powell

Huon and Ralph attack their wine tastings and recommendations with great gusto, and equal objectivity. All wines included in their annual wine guide are tasted masked and they are more than delighted when a new star appears on the wine-making horizon.

If they add their expertise together, they have been tasting and appreciating Australian wines for more than 50 years. Both emphasise the need for strong ethics and high principles in the role of wine tasters. The reason they work so well together lies in the strong agreement on what constitutes a quality wine and their sense of fun in using words to share their discoveries.

And what, exactly, is a quality wine?

It takes Ralph a little while to formulate a response.

“It’s intangible, but the wine must deliver a positive answer to the questions – Is this a good example of what it is supposed to be, be it pinot, shiraz, or chardonnay? Does it fairly represent the region? How well does it compare to others of its type?”

Can tasters who are continually exposed to the most expensive and finest wines still appreciate an inexpensive drop?

“Definitely,” enthuses Ralph, “a steady diet of big, big wines can become overwhelming, and enjoying a light budget white with the appropriate food can be just the solution.”

Which brings us back to their hopes for their annual guide? “To provide a service to readers, and not an ego trip for us. And, ultimately, to point the wine lover in new directions.”

Who can ask for more?

Extract from the book The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2003/2004, by Huon Hooke and Ralph Kyte-Powell, Penguin RRP © Huon Hooke & Ralph Kyte-Powell 2003.

REDS

	Bloodwood Big Men in Tights (Rose) $14.00 Orange, NSW CURRENT RELEASE 2002 Nice body! Did we say that? Ahem: this is a fuller bodied style of rose as you might deduce from the title. The colour is medium-full pink with purple tinges. This fresh, clean appearance is reflected in the strawberry tutti-frutti aromas and taste, which is enhanced by a trace of sweetness. Nicely balanced and would go with heartier rose foods, such as quail.
	Plantagenet Hazard Hill Shiraz Grenache $11.00. Various, WA CURRENT RELEASE 2001 If there’s a better $11 red out there at present, we’d like to see it! This is an absolute ripper. The colour is a youthful deep red-purple and it has a clean and inviting aroma of blackberry, plum, chocolate and toast barrels. It has remarkable concentration for its price: a big, ripe, fruit-sweet palate, plus nice balance and structure. Far from being a simplistic cheapie, it has plenty of character too. Enjoy with rare roast beef.
	Lindemans Reserve Shiraz $14.00. Various, SA CURRENT RELEASE 2001 This is simply one of the best value reds we’ve seen for ages. A lovely spicy, elegant, very drinkable wine, it has black cherry and plum aromas, a hint of herbal character, and oak is tucked neatly in the background. The palate is concentrated with a taut, firm, linear profile, and good fleshy extract. Mixed spices and peppercorns to close. It’s lively but smooth: a delicious drink right now, with aged Parmesan cheese.
	Zilzie Buloke Reserve Sangiovese $10.00. Murray Valley, Vic CURRENT RELEASE 2002 Clean, fresh, ripe red-cherry, black pepper and dried-herb aromas abound in this trimmer of a wine. There’s a touch of bay leaf and the palate is lean and linear with real elegance and style, not obvious oak, but good length and balance, ending with firm, drying tannins. This is unnervingly Italianate! Use it to trick your friends, and enjoy it with Osso Buco.

WHITES

	Miranda High Country Chardonnay $13.50. King & Ovens Valley, Vic CURRENT RELEASE 2002 Amazing value. Here’s a wine that has been transformed in recent years into a much fresher, more delicate style. The colour is pale and it has fine grapefruit and lightly peachy fruit, smooth and well harmonised with subtle oak into a lovely, lightly creamy wine of good length and freshness. A classy addition to yabbies and beurre blanc.
	Deen De Bortoli Vat 2 Sauvignon Blanc $10.00. Riverina, NSW CURRENT RELEASE 2002 Most unusual to find such good value in Aussie sauvignon blanc! The colour is very light yellow and the nose is melony, peachy and not at all green. The taste is soft, fruity (but not sweet) and lemony, with some richness and warmth. A very quaffable young savvy at a bargain-basement price. Take it to a vegetarian restaurant.
	Jane Brook Plain Jane $12.00. Swan Valley, WA CURRENT RELEASE 2002 This reminds us of walking into a sweetshop: it has a confectionery aroma which may be due to a kiss of sweet American oak, plus a passionfruit, tea-leafy and slightly sweaty fruit character. It has some freshness and life, and while a light light-on, it finishes with a dash of sweetness. It should appeal to smart Alecs and handsome Harrys. Serve with spring rolls.
	Peter Lehmann Semillon $12.00. Barossa Valley, SA CURRENT RELEASE 2002 Selling for as little as $8.99, makes it an unbelievable bargain! This fresh, vibrant, deliciously clean, fragrant young Semillon smells of lemon and various citrus fruits, almost as perfumy as Riesling, and tastes smoothly seamless, intensely fruity, crisp and tangy. Its intensity of fruit and fine balance, finishing pleasantly dry, make it a superb food wine or a refreshing drink on its own. Great with oysters.

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