At our October Wine Tasting Club meeting, we continued our global search for reasonably priced, tasty wines that we would be happy to enjoy at home or with guests. Our journey took us Down Under. We found that the majority of wines in the Australian wine section at the LCBO were primarily red but half of our wine tasters, who prefer white wine, diligently found white wines that they thoroughly enjoyed. We hope that you enjoy our review of a Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz. If you would like further information on Australian wines, please click the link below:
At our next meeting in November, we will explore the wines of New Zealand (a favourite). Since we cannot meet in person, we are inviting members on the wait list to our monthly Zoom meetings. If you would like to join our club or visit to see what it is all about, please contact Pat and Murray Wood at pmwood@ican.net.
The Yearling Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Reviewed by: Mary Mulligan
The Yearling is a racy Coonawarra Sauvignon Blanc. Made from estate-grown fruit, this crisp and appealing wine is absolutely perfect to enjoy now. It is described as “Fresh, crisp… nice steely acid.” This wine from Southern Australia is reasonably priced at $12.70 per bottle with an alcohol content of 13%.
COLOUR
Pale straw with light green hues. Aroma Lifted and vibrant guava, balanced by bright aromas of fresh cut lime, and hints of spring herbs.
PALATE
A refreshing and vibrant palate with lashings of lime, ruby grapefruit and tropical fruits. These flavours meld together beautifully with herbaceous and flinty notes which continue right through to the lengthy and fresh finish.
FOOD MATCHING
Perfect with grilled fish, fresh salad or just with friends in the sun.
WINEMAKERS
Shannon Sutherland and Lewis White
ABOUT THE RYMILL
Building on the Rymill family’s history of pioneering within the Coonawarra region, this modern winemaking team has taken up the challenge to handcraft the very best expression of what the unique terra rossa soil and cool climate of Coonawarra can deliver.
The Rymill Coonawarra philosophy is to make wines of finesse, power and balance. Proudly certified as sustainable, the staff work daily in the winery and vineyard to minimize the impact on the environment.
Monterra Shiraz 2018, McLaren Vale, Australia
Reviewed by: Tim Sulisz
I really enjoyed this red extra-dry wine from the Monterra Vineyards in South Australia and would definitely buy it again. It is a medium body red wine that I found that was smooth, with subtle tannins and a fruity flavour. It goes down much too easily given its 14.5% alcohol content. It is $19.95 at the LCBO.
The LCBO released this wine to the Vintages section on Oct. 2, 2021 and the summary description of the wine states that it is full-bodied and smooth. It is further described by the LCBO as “offering gorgeous fruit purity and intensity, the bouquet shows lifted notes of mulberry and blackberry with nuances of tar, cocoa and cedar. It’s concentrated and expansive on the palate, delivering velvety texture and chalky tannins, making it generous and flavoursome, while remaining firm and structured. At its best: now to 2030. Score – 94. (Sam Kim, wineorbit.co.nz, March 2020).”
Natalie MacLean quotes one of her Community Wine Reviews as saying “Monterra 2018 Shiraz is brilliant and intense on the palate with ripe dark cherry, mulberry, cocoa and cracked pepper spice flavours. This vintage was produced from estate grapes from the old subregion of Tatachilla within the McLaren Vale wine region.“
Other wine reviewers did not rate this wine quite as highly, probably as it does not have the same complexity of layer flavours and a different aftertaste that you might get with a very sophisticated wine. However, I didn’t have a problem supporting its rating because I enjoyed its flavour so much. It may not be complex, but the wine is really delicious.
The food pairing with this wine is beef, Lasagna, of other red meats. Monterra states that it would be an excellent companion to a charred rib-eyed steak served with roasted potatoes and a pepper sauce.
Probus Club of Kingsway-Islington 