Time for a cheapie and it's been a long time since I have tried anything from the McWilliams Hanwood Estate range. It was once our favourite, back in the days when we thought Australian Lambrusco was the ultimate red wine :)
(not knocking it at all, but my palate has developed somewhat in recent years)
Times have changed and it was for the nostalgia that I thought I would try this shiraz tonight. That said, it wasn't too bad and at $8 a bottle I would definitely choose this as a quaffer over some others I have tried lately.
It's definitey smooth and not unpleasant at all, but has no real substance to it. To me, it tastes like a good cask wine. No particular stand out characteristics, though I have to admit there is a faint candy/vanilla essence to it, but it's not strong enough to diguise the price tag.
I'm not being a snob, but at this price range, a good cask wine is probably better value, if not better quality. I think that of the Hanwood Estate range, the shiraz is probably the weakest and it was the Merlot that we drank a lot of. I will have to give that or the Cab Sav a go next time...
Drinkability 85
Value 86
Price $8.00 (Dan Murphys Chermside)
