Tag Archives: Verdelho

Tyrrell's Fordwich Verdelho 2007

Posted on by
Reply

Hunter Valley Verdelho. Perhaps not the most awe-inspiringly fashionable phrase. However, sometimes, one wants to relax with a straightforward, giving sort of wine. I’d argue that Verdelho can be such a wine, ideal for mid-week quaffing or those mythical “afternoons lying by the pool.” Pass the 30+…


Served straight from the fridge, this wine shows exotic, attractive tropical fruit aromas with a hint of herbal astringence. Entry has good impact and delivers flavour very quickly to the tongue. The middle palate is a gush of more tropical fruit, along with the first wave of more astringent bitterness that becomes the primary feature of the after palate. It’s cleansing and fresh, perhaps lacking the textural interest of the Tulloch example tasted recently, but still tasty. Acidity is relatively soft but present enough to provide direction to the palate, and some freshness in mouthfeel. Medium bodied and generous. The finish is quite persistent, reverting to sweet tropical fruit as it fades slowly away.

Tyrrell’s suggests one serve this wine only slightly chilled, but I beg to differ. As the wine warmed, it lost a bit of focus, the fruit flavour becoming a tad broad for my taste. The more bitter flavour notes also jar in the context of a softer wine. I have one other bottle of this wine, and will certainly drink it nice and cool.

Price: $A15
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: January 2008

Tulloch Verdelho 2006

Posted on by
Reply

The things that make a successful quaffing wine can be quite different from those that make a wine rewarding to sip contemplatively. This wine is a case in point. We cracked it open last night to share amongst a group of people who just wanted some wine to go with food.


On the nose, there are aromas of tropical-ish fruit (perhaps some banana too) and a more astringent, herbal edge. It has impact (in that the flavours register easily upon sniffing) but is not a wine that dominates the moment. The palate is quite generous, surprisingly full in body, and shows a similar spectrum of fruit flavours as the nose, along with exceptionally well judged phenolics that contribute texture, freshness and the impression of astringent fresh herbs. It’s not a refined wine, but the very coarseness of each element is what makes this wine so easy to drink. It’s not a wine you have to work hard at, it gives what it has easily, and it’s balanced to encourage another sip, then another…

To return to my starting point, a good quaffer will often fly slightly “under the radar” insofar as it doesn’t stand out in any particular way, but that’s what makes one so good to drink. This wine is generous and tasty, whilst completely avoiding all the pitfalls of cheap wine — cloyingly simple flavours, lack of intensity, strange flavours, unbalanced structure (lack of or too much), etc. Great BBQ wine.

Price: $A14
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: December 2007

Houghton White Classic (nee Burgundy) 2006

Posted on by
Reply

The first thing that strikes one about this wine is not the colour or aroma but the back label, most of which is devoted to explaining why the name has changed from White Burgundy to White Classic (it’s all because of “international trade agreements”, apparently). In any case, this is the same venerable dry white blend that has been a budget priced staple for many years. I’ve never been entirely sure of the blend of grapes that goes into this wine, and at the risk of inflating this entry’s tags beyond reasonableness, have determined that it contains Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Verdelho and Sauvignon Blanc. Phew.Surprisingly complex aromas that also show what appears to be a bit of honeyed bottle age. A mix of this sweet honey and powdery florals, slightly thick smelling and overlaying more reticent honeydew-like fruit. It actually smells a bit like cheap perfume. The entry is slippery but without immediate flavour, and it’s only towards the end of the middle palate that fruit flavour begins to build. Flavours are again in the light melon and perhaps apple spectrum, quite tasty, but lacking what I would call “integrity” in its flavour profile. Some wines present flavours that somehow add up to a satisfying whole — this wine seems more scatterbrained. Flavour continues to build towards the after palate, and the wine finishes with subtle, bitter phenolics. There’s also relatively lively acidity running the length of the palate, which is refreshing and helps the flavours gain some impact.I’m not sure what to make of this wine. Clearly, it’s exceptional value for money, and it’s quite different from your run of the mill Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon or Chardonnay. That in itself worth something. But when it comes time to assess what’s in the glass, I’m having a hard time getting particularly excited. It does the job. That’s about it. I believe this wine ages well (although I’ve never tried an older example). Perhaps, like our beloved Hunter Semillon, this may turn into something unexpectedly interesting with time.HoughtonPrice: $A8Closure: Cork (!)Date tasted: December 2007