A blend of 65% Grenache, 27% Mataro, 5% Shiraz and 3% Carignan. Uncomplicated. Simple pleasures. Much as the name suggests.
Jubey red fruits and plums. Verging on confected with a bit of counter play via hints of earth, some aniseed and brown spice. It doesn’t bear scrutiny nor does it ask to be scrutinised. 86
Region: Barossa Valley
Alcohol: 14.0%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $20
Tasted: December 2013
Maybe could have called it ‘simple pleasures’ and left off the obscure French term only a tiny number of Australian drinkers will understand? Or go with the more Australian ‘thirst-crusher’ if Solo hasn’t locked that up.
Bit of a toss up as to which of vin de soif/vin de garde or masculine/feminine I find the most useless and lazy binaries in wine.
Paul makes a worthwhile point. I’m impatient with the number of non-english terms used to market and write about wine in Australia, especially when there are perfectly good equivalents in the native tongue. It increasingly strikes me as wilfully obscurantist and more than a bit pretentious. Mind you, this from the hypocrite who has used the word “batonnage” more times than he cares to admit on his own site…
Nice. I wanted to use the word ‘obscurantist’ in my comment, but thought it a bit…
Well, I already called myself a hypocrite
I’m on the road at the moment but I believe you both have this covered
FWIW, a very talented winemaker brought this issue up with me just last week. He also pleaded guilty to past transgressions. He was concerned with how we construct meaning when it comes to Australian wine. Of course, it’s a widely discussed issue among those who are interested in ideas that extend beyond wine descriptors and scores – and despite the constant ridicule, I believe there are a significant number of us.
I was really happy when Oakridge dropped the ‘Lieu-dit’ tag in favour of the “Local Vineyard Series” moniker – which was then panned as being an excessively long name for a wine by a writer I respect. ‘European wines’ are allowed to have long and extravagantly coded titles but apparently using LVS in stead of Lieu-dit is ridiculous if it is followed by the name of the vineyard in question. Some winemakers must think they just can’t win.
I trust you are both enjoying the new ‘Villages’ De Bortoli label? Good wines, great value IMO but what’s up with that name? Are De Bortoli consciously trying to emulate Burgundy in the Yarra Valley? I doubt it. Maybe it’s all just vacuous marketing spin designed to sell bottles?
Of course, I have referred to an Australian Chardonnay as “the Chablis of the Margaret River” so who am I to talk? It’s an epidemic…
I’m relaxed about a non-English & non-Indigenous word being used to name a wine, accompanied by enough other language so as to make the product sensible for an Australian or other market. But lifting descriptive phrases from French and slapping them on a label seems to me, in an older parlance, a bit ‘piss elegant’.
Gentlemen- I must respectfully disagree. It was not that long ago that the Australian wine industry was primarily producing fortified wines for export back to “the mother country”. Dry table wines have only been a relatively new innovation in this country when compared with the likes of France and Italy, whom have been producing them for hundreds and hundreds of years. In winemaking terms, we are the equivalent of an adolescent scratching at his crotch- still a little unsure, at times self doubting but showing great promise.
Is it not reasonable to believe that we are still going to be a little awe struck by the old world? They say imitation is the best form of flattery. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for establishing our own identity, and this will come, but perhaps the influx of new varieties over recent times (more than I’ve ever seen) suggests that we’re not there yet?
As a small winemaker these wines are going to be very close to their hearts. They’re the ones planting, nurturing, making, bottling, selling. No fancy marketing department here. They are the ones whom have to sell their product and make a living off it.
No one was hurt in the naming if this wine, Poland was not invaded, etc, etc. Therefore can we then not afford them a little grace in the naming of their wines…? Can we not take a break form our arm chair criticism for just a brief moment. I would like to think so- lest we get stuck in our adolescence for too long…..
Matt – I take your point and it was careless of me if I suggested that these sorts of naming issues are always marketing spin…although sometimes they are.
I’m not sure I agree with your assessment of Australian wine – “an adolescent scratching at his crotch”. I think a lot of Australian regions have moved well beyond that point. The Yarra Valley is coming off a cracking vintage (2012) and they are at pains to explain that they have no desire to copy the ‘Old World’ when it comes to making their wines. Especially Burgundy.
I believe that it’s probably the right time to start having this discussion. It’s certainly not personal and I don’t think any offence is meant to any particular producer. It’s just a dialogue that I consider worthwhile…and I know many Australian winemakers are engaged in it at the moment.
But that’s the great thing about dialogues. Every one can chime in and respectfully disagree. So long as it’s not personal I can’t help but feel that it is helpful for the industry moving forward…although its may have varying degrees of relevance from region to region and producer to producer.
Jeremy- yes perhaps the adolescent comment was a bridge a bit too far. We’re producing much better wine than that. Perhaps a young adult starting to fulfil that promise is a better analogy.
However my point remains the same. I think we (not pointing the finger at anyone in particular) should stop throwing stones at the small produce every time they do something we don’t agree with- but rather celebrate them. We’re not always going to agree with everything they do- they’re charmingly imperfect but they’re the reason why I believe the Australian wine landscape is currently so full of colour and interest. What a great time to be drinking wine in Oz!
I agree it’s the right time to start having this discussion but only if we, the wine consumers, can unclench our sphincters for twelve seconds and not berate the small producer for having a go. I would hate to live in a country where people aren’t free to express themselves- even in something so simple as naming a wine…..
I think freedom of expression cuts both ways. Any producer, big or small, has every right to name their wine whatever the hell they like. Consumers and media then have just as much of a right to express an opinion on that naming.
Whether the producer is big or small has no relevance to me in this regard, nor should it. The moment I start applying two sets of rules coincides with the moment I display a degree of prejudice indicative of a need to give this whole gig away.
All of this is said with a remarkably relaxed sphincter.
Touché