Help me :) A different request from an AFF wine lover......

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juddles

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Hi all,

was pondering in which thread to post this, but decided it didn't really fit, and may be nonsensical, so easiest to create another thread, even if just to outweigh the pandemic of Corona things....

This is complicated - let me explain:

I drink a lot of wine. Really, lots. (This is evidenced in many of my late night postings over many threads....) And I really love the stuff. Besides that, I am also doing a personal thing of stepping out of my usual habits, and attempting to try as many brands and varietals as I can at the moment - a mammoth task due to the sheer variety of offering these days.

Due to a combination of factors (being a zero-income writer, an avid cook, and the ever-increasing experimentation in more expensive tipples), I have, as a sideline to my varied sampling, been looking for a couple of solid "house wines" - ie cheap stuff that is palatable enough for me but is essentially a negligible cost. (Also something that I can sanely enjoy, cost/benefit wise, as my third bottle of the evening) Something that is not unpleasant to drink, but also something I do not feel bad about if I go to sleep without finishing it. (I am extremely sensitive to opened wines - cannot stomach things that have been opended for 24 hrs no matter if they are screw caps or whatever - do not know the technical term for the change - but it is there and I dislike it)

I am NOT a wine snob - in that I struggle with the ability as of yet to really express things. And I also believe that wine enjoyment is an extremely personal thing - so there is never a global "correct" perception of any wine. But saying that, some wines universally suck :)

Anyway, as I try to get to the point, I have recently decided to explore Pinot Noir. Haven't yet started, due to some other pressures, BUT....

Given my eternal search for a background "house" wine to buy in bulk to use in those moments I am not exploring, a cheapie just caught my notice the other day at Dans. It is the Frontera pinot noir - down from ten bucks to seven. Due to a couple of horrific experiences with Dans "cleanskins", I have sworn off those. I also refuse to try those cheap wines with the corny labels and el cheapo bottles - I have a bottom limit in what I want in a house wine. So I got some Frontera pinot noir. I thought that if anything, it would give me a starting point in pinot noir from which I could blossom into much more pleasant future experiences.

It is important to understand the above - which in summary is that (a) I know zero about pinot noir (b) This purchase was for that cheap house wine role, and (c) my expectation of a pinot noir, especially a cheapie, was that it would be a wishy-washy light red with no real satisfaction.

The Frontera destroyed my already feeble confidence in wine knowledge. I found it (at the price) a delicious and versatile red - perfect for my house wine role. Much fuller bodied than I had expected. Very easy drinking.

I am so confused with it. Is it even really a pure pinot noir? I have some knowledge of Concha y Toro, the huge Chilean wine conglomerate of which Frontera is one of their cheap lines. I am also aware that carmenere vines in Chile were marketed as merlot for decades until someone did some serious genetic investigation...

But anyway, I have an "ask" - a favour - of anyone on AFF keen to help me. Can you please go and buy a bottle of this stuff and give me your impressions! At $7 a bottle at the moment, it will hardly break the bank,

Please do not compare it to immaculate $50+ bottles of pinot noir heaven. I just want to know if others see it as I am - as a great house wine. And is it typical of a pinot noir????
 
Wine taste is how you feel it when drinking. I am often happy with a few glasses of Wolf Blass Red Label Shiraz or Cab Sav. generally available at said $7.

As for third bottle of the evening, that is a distant past for me - half a bottle, no more, otherwise I am likely less then 100% the next day.
 
But anyway, I have an "ask" - a favour - of anyone on AFF keen to help me. Can you please go and buy a bottle of this stuff and give me your impressions! At $7 a bottle at the moment, it will hardly break the bank,
Another aspect I have experienced (over decades) at such price points is that the same bottle with the same label purchased 4 months later can be completely different.
 
Another aspect I have experienced (over decades) at such price points is that the same bottle with the same label purchased 4 months later can be completely different.

This is an aspect that I have pondered - to me the Frontera punches way above the its weight at that price point - hence my suspicion that the contents are not what they are marketed to be... Hopefully, if this is an error, I have time to grab a few more
 
time to grab a few more
Enjoy/Hoard while it lasts ;)

A perfect example from this century is the "Gossips" range. When first introduced most varieties punched above their price point; not so six months later - these day's I do not look at it as an option.
 
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Enjoy/Hoard while it lasts ;)

A perfect example from within the last decade is the "Gossips" range. When first introduced most varieties punched above their price point; not so six months later - these day's I do not look at it as an option.

Agree re Gossips. Have never tasted the stuff, but I am amongst those that the pleasure of the whole experience is not just down to the liquid. And Gossips has possibly the cheapest bottling on the aussie scene....
 
Well chaps you've hit upon an interesting conundrum especially if your palate is educated enough to "know what you like" but haven't got the budget to quaff $50 wines every night of the week (despite appreciating their undoubtable quality), fascinating stuff!

Waaay back when (before internet wine purchasing and also being on a very tight household income) it was cask red during the week, De Bortoli or Morris dry pressings and the like, and for dinner parties or weekend-relaxing something half-decent in a bottle.

I like to think that I know what the "good stuff" is but even now I baulk at buying something more pricey than perhaps $15, the game changer has been online wine buying which has enabled me to snap up too many bargains to mention here.

I'm well aware that I'm preaching to the converted in that you are both well acquainted with this concept, the sting in the tail is being able to procure really good wine for as little as $8 a bottle without having a constant stream of dud drops landing on your doorstep.

This forum has been wonderful and was a chance discovery whilst googling for info on a particular wine and then stumbling into a den of like-minded wine enthusiasts. The difference though, between my fellow-imbibers and myself is that my budget is pitched lower and I don't drink french champagne in industrial quantities.

To cut to the chase, I really like Oz shiraz, I don't want to buy at more than $10 a bottle if at all possible AND I want to drink a really decent wine for as little as 1/3 to 1/2 RRP. Totally achievable, the only downside is that you really have to do your due diligence (and that takes time) and just as importantly only deal with businesses that offer rock-solid return policies and in particular free return freight, I got caught out early on in my online forays and had to work out what to do with a dozen bottles of wine that was nothing like the description on the site and I found undrinkable.

I'm an equal opportunity drinker and will buy from anyone including GWD, Wine Market, DM, CM, VM (obviously) ad infinitum and have recently been sticking my nose into auction buying through Grays and Langtons. The auction offerings require quite a bit of detective work and a fair measure of good luck but I have picked up some very decent drops including both Pirramimma Katunga and Vineyard Select Shiraz (I've never had a bad Piramimma red), The Wildling Reserve Red Blend Cleanskin 2013 ($8 a bottle for $50 wine), and the latest purchase Haan Wine 'Classic' Merlot Cabernet Franc 2015 which was admittedly $14 all up but worth every cent.

Anyhoo just my two bob's worth as usual but I would be happy to share some more red hot, dead cert bets if you're interested....
 
$13 marked down to $10 at my local BWS, picked one up on the way past today and will try tonight.
it is an ‘18, what vintage are Dans selling?
 
@Steady , the ones I have got from Dans are the 2018. Looking forward to hearing your opinion! :)

@JohnM ,very interested in your opinion too. But please, lets keep in mind this is a $7 bottle - not one of those immaculate mega-wines that you so casually scoff in far away picture-perfect places, being served by scantily clad women whilst you also dine on fresh octopus on the Amalfi coast.... :)
 
For cheap pinot. I quite like the Elephant in the Room SA wine (often about $13 at BWS in a 2 for)

I'd also recommend investment in a VacuVin Wine Saver which keeps wine drinkable for a few days.

(Obviously not as good as an argon system but pretty cheap, basically an air pump and closure). Gets used for my 1st bottle of the night, not the 3rd :)
 
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For cheap pinot. I quite like the Elephant in the Room SA wine (often about $13 at BWS in a 2 for)

I'd also recommend investment in a VacuVin Wine Saver which keeps wine drinkable for a few days.

(Obviously not as good as an argon system but pretty cheap, basically an air pump and closure). Gets used for my 1st bottle of the night, not the 3rd :)

Thanks for those tips moa! I have seen the various Elephant wines in Dans but have never tried. I just checked and their Pinot Noir is listed as $8.99 - or $8.55 in a six. (seems all the other varietals are at $13.99 a bottle - so unsure if the price of the pinot noir is normal?)

As per @Whining&dining , one specific demand I have of a "house wine" is a sub-$10 cost.

EDIT: amateur mistake the 8.99 was for the half-size bottle :(
 
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Oh @juddles - why do you do this to yourself...?
Have a look at deBortoli's Sacred Hill range. Their Cab/Merlot for about $7 still get 92 points from Halliday. He loves it, I reckon it's pretty good for an arm's length quaffer while cooking i.e. it is within arm's length so you can keep topping up your glass due to excessive evaporation while cooking.
Aldi's $10 red range is also worth looking at, particularly their Chilean malbecs and Chiantis
 
@Steady , the ones I have got from Dans are the 2018. Looking forward to hearing your opinion! :)

@JohnM ,very interested in your opinion too. But please, lets keep in mind this is a $7 bottle - not one of those immaculate mega-wines that you so casually scoff in far away picture-perfect places, being served by scantily clad women whilst you also dine on fresh octopus on the Amalfi coast.... :)
I’ve seen no evidence of anyone being scantily clad 🤔

drinking now and my initial thoughts are it doesn’t resemble any Pinot Noir ive had before, it has some elements, but it has a sweetness that is a bit too much for me. It’s definitely drinkable, but not what I would normally choose to drink.

In the end you like it and that’s what matters, buy in bulk I say

Have you tried a White label or stripe Wynns, or Metala white label? Also the koonunga hill 76 cab Shiraz- or maybe work through the cask wine, if you find one you like you’ve hit the house wine jackpot
 
Oh @juddles - why do you do this to yourself...?
Have a look at deBortoli's Sacred Hill range. Their Cab/Merlot for about $7 still get 92 points from Halliday. He loves it, I reckon it's pretty good for an arm's length quaffer while cooking i.e. it is within arm's length so you can keep topping up your glass due to excessive evaporation while cooking.
Aldi's $10 red range is also worth looking at, particularly their Chilean malbecs and Chiantis

Will try the Sacred Hill range - thanks for the suggestion!

But the Aldi sugegstion is very hurtful - I live in that enlightened state of Qld where Aldi cannot sell alcohol :(
 
I’ve seen no evidence of anyone being scantily clad 🤔
.......my initial thoughts are it doesn’t resemble any Pinot Noir ive had before......it has a sweetness that is a bit too much for me. It’s definitely drinkable, but not what I would normally choose to drink.
........

Have you tried a White label or stripe Wynns, or Metala white label? Also the koonunga hill 76 cab Shiraz- or maybe work through the cask wine, if you find one you like you’ve hit the house wine jackpot

Re scantily clad women, I think that johnm is a bit coy about some of his travels - I have no doubt that he is a master of flirting just as he is with wine and other things :)

RE the Frontera, I am glad someone also feels that this is not a usual pinot noir. I get your bit about the sweetness - again something I did not expect, but at the moment do not mind too much.

Being relatively new back to dear old Australia, it is taking some time to try everything, even at my rate! With the Wynns, do you mean something like their "The Siding" cab sav ($10.90 at Dans)? The only Metala I see start at $14,25, so out of the range for my house wine :)
 
Re scantily clad women, I think that johnm is a bit coy about some of his travels - I have no doubt that he is a master of flirting just as he is with wine and other things :)

RE the Frontera, I am glad someone also feels that this is not a usual pinot noir. I get your bit about the sweetness - again something I did not expect, but at the moment do not mind too much.

Being relatively new back to dear old Australia, it is taking some time to try everything, even at my rate! With the Wynns, do you mean something like their "The Siding" cab sav ($10.90 at Dans)? The only Metala I see start at $14,25, so out of the range for my house wine :)
I think the siding is a step above the white label and the stripe but only a 50c step up by the look of it......

 
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same in SA :(

I do love Aldi - for a couple of products. Yesterday I went to no fewer than four in my local region trying to get one of their best products - the Colombian coffee beans - unfortunately out. And their tuna is by far the best canned tuna product in Australia. I just wish that here in Qld we could get their grog...
 
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I have to say that since Mrs GPH and I had a month sojourn in Burgundy a wee while back, I have been firmly convinced that Pinot Noir is my perfect tipple.
I am particularly fond of the good quality French pinots. I like some of the cool climate Pinot from NZ, my problem is that I can’t recall finding anything under $20.00 worth drinking. I may just have to redouble my efforts and keep looking for that elusive, reasonable quality $10.00 Pinot.
 
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