Vine of the Times

Robert Parker and Australian Wines

The rumour mill has been at it again, and it seems that after the next issue of 'The Wine Advocate' Robert Parker will be handing over the responsiblity of Australia to one of his colleagues: Hmm! This is going to cause problems for certain people.

Parker's 96 - 100 points on many of the top Australian wines has not only driven up their prices to unacceptable levels, but spawned a rash of wines which to us are overextracted, super rich and alcoholic monsters, ideal accompaniment for curried hyena. Is the lack of Parker points going to shaft this market? We think so, look out for developments.

Peter Ballantyne

Abbey Rock Pinot: An Aussie Revelation

We have been a little disenchanted with Australian wines of late. Producers nowadays seem to courting the big supermarkets and the wines are all starting to taste the same, with increasing levels of sweetness (a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, as they say) and slot into the obligatory BOGOF offer or similar. However, the new Pinot Noir from Abbey Rock has relit our interest.

Back in September, Michael Parkinson, partner in Abbey Rock Vineyards, did a tasting in our Cardiff shop of his new and current vintages including his newly released 2003 Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir. What is so attractive about this wine is its elegance and freshness, and winemaker Les Sampson is not seeking to cram too much into the wine. Instead the natural aromatics and balance come to the fore. Needless to say, the wine was a big hit with all tasters on the night and we gave Michael an order on the spot.

This is an extraordinary wine for its £9.99 price: Pinots of this quality usually retail for £15 upwards. Snap it up!

Abbey Rock Wines: A Tasting of the Full Range In Our Cardiff Store

Abbey Rock is our newest range of Australian wines and we will be showing their five wines sourced from their own vineyards in Coonawarra and Clare Valley. Riesling, Semillon/Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Cab/Merlot and Grenache/Shiraz. The tasting will take place in our Cardiff store on Wednesday 20th September from 7pm - 9pm. If you wish to attend, please contact Richard. Hope to see you there.