As with most of these Cooks Lot reds, this is a rather insubstantial wine. The wet and cool vintage conditions may have a had a lot do with that, although the 2013 Pinot was much the same. Cool climate regions are no excuse for this, just as warm climates shouldn’t be used a crutch for bourbon soaked, spirity efforts.
There’s enough to like at the price point. Light-bodied, gluggable, refreshing and clean. Raspberry and blackberry fruit with a good shake of pepper and a hint of cola. Grippy, stalky feeling tannin and nippy acidity. Not much length. Look, it’s fine but I’m not in the habit of awarding bronze medals to a wine on account of it being sound. It curtails any differentiation of quality amongst a large bracket of drinkable but ultimately forgettable vinous endeavours. So bear in mind that my score isn’t a slight. I’m banking on an erudite and informed public growing tired of the meaninglessness and endless parade of scores in the 90s awarded to anything you can swallow without holding your nose. 86
Region: Orange
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $20
Tasted: January 2014
Not a comment about this particular wine, just the Orange region in general. I went to a tasting last weekend entitled “Wines of The West” which mainly encompassed wines from Orange although there were a few from around Mudgee. As as whole, I’d have to say I left the event feeling a bit flat. I would have liked one or two of the more notable wineries to have been in attendance – perhaps they would have given me a reason to buy something but otherwise it was all a bit ho hum. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood.
I’m not sure who was showing their wares Bob but it would be great for Orange to have the likes of Philip Shaw, Printhie, Bloodwood, Swinging Bridge, Ross Hill and a couple of others at any such event. That’s not to say certain small producers aren’t doing a good job but those with who have put runs on the board consistently are very important to the region. Mind you, that’s in an ideal world. Even the Tasmania Unbottled tour usually has disappointing absences in some cities each year. I gather these events are difficult to organise – although that’s an area I know little about.
I think the other points worth factoring in are the run of challenging vintages and the fact that by and large Orange is a young region. I believe it has a lot of potential but it will take time for that potential to be realised, especially in a broader sense – ie not just a few producers.
Nail on the head here. No matter what the circumstances, a region that’s very “together” in partnership with events rather than a less organised or fractured one will always enjoy a huge advantage.
The regions that cry out the most that they don’t get all the accolades or talking space they deserve are most often those that don’t engage well or coordinate things together. Even world class booze won’t necessarily rise above this shortcoming.