Yarra Valley 13.5% Screwcap $18
Winemaker Gary Mills certainly doesn’t dumb down his “entry level” Harem Series and I must say I strongly admire that. Mind you, if you have to make sweet, generic crap that sells at the cellar door to support your real vinous endeavours then I can understand that too. Feel free to ignore my idealistic tendencies…
Generic this is not. Honeycomb, white peaches and flowers, roast poultry and sourdough on the nose along with a few vanilla caramels. It’s leesy and cheesy (in a funky way) with buttery malo characters in the mouth. The palate lacks a bit of definition but includes apricots, mashed banana flesh and plenty of ginger spice on a nutty finish.
A drink now style with a fair amount of body. The pieces don’t all fit together neatly….but I was intrigued by the discordance. You don’t get this sort of interest in a Chardonnay below $20 very often. Even I get a touch bored of grapefruit, citrus and white peach sometimes. When that happens I’d be very happy to reach for this. Only 125 cases produced.
Winery website- www.jamsheed.com.au/