EASY TO IMPRESS WITH THESE $10 TEMPTERS

Wc28Feb11

A GREAT $10 match with Hoisin sauce-basted barbecued pork chops and salads.

David Ellis

WE’re never averse to dabbling with $10 and under wines, particularly with a large tribe of grown-ups who like to drop around for weekend barbecues – and Deakin Estate had us dabbling marvellously a couple of weekends back with their just-released 2010 Chardonnay and 2010 Pinot Noir.

These wines are amongst six $10 releases from the 2010 vintage (the others are a Moscato, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Rosé) that winemaker Phil Spillman crafted from a perfect season on the Murray River – aiming all the while for exceptional quality, value for money wines for those watching the budget.

The Chardonnay was quite a stand-out and significantly different to the “peachiness” we’ve been used to with Deakin Estate Chardonnays in the past: this one has loads of citrus, pineapple, pear and apple flavours with nice acidity and is quite sweet for a Chardonnay. And it proved a perfect match with the Hoisin sauce-basted barbecued pork chops and salad.

YOU can’t but enjoy this one with a Sunday lamb roast.

The Pinot Noir blended from Coonawarra and Murray Darling fruit certainly didn’t disappoint either at $10, with nice strawberry, cherry and vanilla overtones that well-satisfied the red drinkers who weren’t quite sure how it would go with the pork and salad. The answer: wonderfully.

ONE FOR LUNCH: LOGAN Estate’s Peter Logan well remembers the 2008 vintage at Orange on the NSW’s Central Tablelands, in particular for one of his favourite tipples, Cabernet Merlot. Rain in February when sunshine was more important brought on botrytis in many early-ripening varieties, but fortunately winds and good sunny and mild weather later dried the vineyards and his Cabernet and Merlot both then ripened slowly – and beautifully.

The result is a 2008 Logan Cabernet Merlot of quite dark broodiness with bright berry-fruit flavours and savoury herbal notes. Really good buying at $25 to make that Sunday lamb roast all the better.

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