Sub 10ners - QWine Reviews

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Sub 10ners

The monthly get together for our local wine crew was on Friday night. These nights are generally themed to a particular variety or region which is a great opportunity to see what's going around and what people are keen to share. Friday's theme was slightly different however. The challenge thrown out there was to bring your best wine for under $10!


Many labels crossed my mind when I was considering my contribution. Would I be crafty and buy a dozen of something from the myriad of online auction sites for a mere nine bucks? Perhaps I could be the life of the party with a cask. No chance! I even cast my mind back about 12 months when I dug a Wyndham Estate  Bin 444 1998 out of my cellar. How this wine escaped me for that long I don't know, however, I even recall picking it up for a neat $9.99. Plenty of sunsets have passed since that day but two things that haven't changed are the price and quality. I still recall the nose on this wine blowing me away and the colour and texture were superb - all this for a sub 10ner!

Back to Friday.....here are a few of the better wines we had a look at:
Tyrrell's Old Winery Verdelho 2010. Hunter Valley fruit. Lovely tropical fruit on the nose. Colour was light golden. Palate refreshing with touch of spice and honey, pineapple notes. Finish was crisp but hard due to acid.





Rosemount Show Reserve Shiraz 2005. This was heavily discounted last year by Dan Murphy's and one of the crew pounced! He loves this wine and it's not hard to see why. This is a great representation of McLaren Vale for a smidge of the price. Dark fruit and palate length superb. Plums, chocolate. Juicy tannins. A great representation of the Vale and a ripper for the money. Bang for buck!



Angove Long Row Shiraz 2008. This was an absolute belter! A beauty! Not a complex wine by any stretch, but it's simplicity is the clincher. Good colour with black fruits, pleasant touch of spice, pepper and a hint of toasty oak. Tannins are simple and smooth. 15% abv but you wouldn't know. This ticks all the boxes and appeared to be the favoured wine on the night. A comment was passed that you'd pay double and still be happy. Well I paid $8 and I can't tell you to give it a crack yourself, I just insist!

Wyndham Estate 555 2009. This is a well balanced wine and man, you wouldn't think it would be $9. Blackcurrants, smooth, dusty like tannins. The fruit on the palate was more dense than the Angove Shiraz, but it had a rustic elegance to it. Always a reliable label and an easy go-to wine. Yum!