Out Of The Bottle
With David Ellis 2010 Margan Hunter Valley Verdelho & Blackjack Major’s Line 2009 Shiraz
Andrew
Margan won’t be the least offended if you don’t even think of the word
‘cellar’ when buying a bottle of his 2010 Margan Hunter Valley Verdelho.
Because
this is a more-ish wine that once you’ve enjoyed the first bottle
you’ll be looking for quick reason to go out and buy one or three more
– Andrew didn’t make this one to buy and put away, he made it to buy
and enjoy now.
Coming off the Margan Cornerstone Vineyard
whose low-bearing vines are rich with history as some of the oldest
Verdelho in Australia, the resultant 2010 wine has lively citrus fruit
flavours coupled with ripe tropical fruit overtones to give beautiful
richness on the palate.
And although 2010 was one of the
more difficult vintages in the Hunter, Andrew Margan has created a
great wine by picking in two batches: the first being slightly less
ripe with that citrus and some green apple characters, the second
coming later with the riper tropical fruit input. Pay $18 and enjoy
with your favourite pastas and creamy sauces. One For Lunch
Owners
and winemakers at Bendigo’s Blackjack Vineyards, Ian McKenzie and Ken
Pollock sum up the 2008 vintage in one line: “Our vintage from hell and
the most difficult in our 20-plus years history.”
The problem
for them and others in southern Australia was an exceptionally hot
beginning to the year, forcing them to pick fruit for 13-days straight
rather than their more leisurely spread of five or six or more
weekends. And they had to beg or borrow as many unused fermenters they
could find to boost their own as fruit sugar levels went almost
ballistic, or fruit threatened to shrivel and die.
But they came
out of it with a very grand Blackjack Major’s Line 2009 Shiraz that’s
all about red berries, creamy oak, balanced acid and fine tannins. Grab
a bottle at $25 and enjoy with lamb shanks and a parsnip mash.
Need a drink?
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