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Displaying results 0 - 10 of 25

(2023) This unoaked Tempranillo from South Australia bursts with glossy, dark and plump berry fruit on the nose. There's a real punch of summer berry compote moving into olive and herbal piquancy that lifts the picture. In the mouth very smooth and ripe, the weight and richness of fruit and velvety tannins give this luxurious depth, acid gentle too, to create a very easy-drinking wine of style and good quality.
(2022) A label of the Hill-Smith Family, who are also behind Yalumba and Pewsey Vale among other brands, I enjoyed the previous vintage of this in its forthright style. This follows on very successfully. Rioja's great grape interpreted without oak influence and fermented with wild yeasts indigenous to the vineyards, it has a touch of coal dust and Indian ink on the nose, over cranberry, cinnamon and black cherry. In the mouth there's good balance between the fruit, grippy tannins and acidity for a fine barbecue staple at £8 in Tesco, £9 in the Co-op at time of review. Watch the video for more information and food-matching ideas.
(2022) Yalumba's Y Series is a supermarket-level brand in their portfolio, and the sort of wines that will regularly be 'on promotion'. This is down to £6 for Clubcard holders at Tesco at time of review, but note that deal finishes on 18th April 2022. Others will be along. Wild fermented from South Australian fruit, I think this sees a bit of oak expsosure, which adds a certain spiciness to the otherwise plummy and ripe fruit flavour, densely packed into this chunky, crowd-pleasing wine. Cherryish acidity and bit of tannic structure add balance. If you are lining up the barbie for this summer, it could be the ideal match for burgers and steaks. Watch the video for more information and food-matching ideas.
(2021) Barrossa-grown Tempranillo is fermented with wild yeasts and aged in oak for this red wine from the Hill-Smith family, who own Yalumba and Jansz among other brands. Though it weighs in with 14% alcohol, the colour is medium to pale, suggesting a lighter touch on the winemaking, and the nose has cherry cola aromas, a touch of wild strawberry and spice. In the mouth the fruit is super sweet, a creamy fruit coulis style, with barely perceptible tannins and ripe, generous acidity barely ruffling the flow. Easy-drinking with a captial Easy.
(2021) Crimson with a distinctly pink hue, this has a buouyant nose, lifted with confiture raspberry and plenty of floral and herbal nuances. It's 12.5% alcohol ensures it is light and energetic on the palate, and although there is plenty of ripeness and sweetness to the red and black berry fruits, a stripe of drying tannin and cherry-pit acidity gives savouriness to the finish.
(2021) Vibrant crimson in colour, there's a lightly vegetal character to cherry fruit, maybe a hint of tobacco in there. Sweet fruited on the palate, it is medium bodied and has good freshness thanks to the slightly prominent acidity and that little vegetal/herbal character. Straighforward, finishing with a chalky dryness and a typically Italiante bitter twist.
(2021) Family-owned Yalumba are big on sustainability, and now have a small range of organically certified wines, including this Bordeaux blend. Very deep in colour, some mint and eucalypt, some of the Cabernet leafiness is there, but also a strawberry and plum softness of fruit from the Merlot. In the mouth it tastes relatively sweet, but there is depth of flavour, cassis and cream, and creaminess of texture too, the tannins very soft and the acidity quite cherry-like to give an easy-drinking picture. It's a bit of a barbecue banker this with it's attractive charm but a bit of intensity. Watch the video for more information.
(2020) With a bright, primary character, the subtle use of oak here just adds a smoothing character, letting the firm black plum and blackberry do its stuff. There is a nice little lift of violet and black pepper, the combination of Limestone Coast and Barossa fruit seeming to give this depth and a bit of brightness. Fruity, dry, with some spice on the palate, look out for deals on this as a reduction to £8 finished recently.
(2019) A Coonawarra Cabernet, so an absolutely classic combination of site and variety for South Australia, this is arguably the star of the selection tasted here, from its intense youthful colour to its expressive aromatic lift of green pepper, blackcurrant and spice. On the palate it has a rich black fruit character, lots of cassis-like sweet brightness, a rasp of plummy acidity and some smooth tannins gives a bit of tension, and whilst there's evidence of a slightly dilute character, the fruit giving way to lip-tingly spice in the finish, it is very good at the price and authentic.
(2018) A robust and chunky Shiraz from the vineyards of Willunga winery in McLaren Vale, just outside Adelaide. A proportion was aged in French oak and that gives a nice touch of cedar and smokiness on the nose, but it's more about bold, confident black fruit and a wisp of freshly-cracked pepper. In the mouth there's a big, rumbling layer of tannin on which sits some of that pleasing oak-toast quality and good fruit, sweet and ripe but with a savoury edge. It's the sort of straightforward, big-hearted red that makes a good burger or barbecue go down rather nicely.
Displaying results 0 - 10 of 25