Hardys Pemberton/Yarra Valley HRB|D643 Chardonnay 2008

Quote the label: “…continues the tradition of Hardys rich blending heritage” I think you are reading from the wrong manifest Jenkins!

The Hardys Pemberton/Yarra Valley HRB|D643 Chardonnay 2008 – maybe the license plate of the B-double that ferried the juice over the Nullarbor – barely scrapes in as a Jack Dyer wine and is unfortunately headed to the near-sub 80 category. On first glance the wine in the glass has all the hallmarks of a chardonnay; its bone/straw colour and tight and closed nose right away makes me think I have got a bargain from Uncle Dan’s at $28. Oh the fleeting glimpse of joy, with the palate displaying full, heavy and rich and chockers of all that was chardonnay back in 1994 – big and flabby; nuts and creaminess dominate the palate with the notable absence of lemon that is clearly printed on the label. Oh well, never thee mind.

Drink with fondue
Drink now or at a ‘Melrose Place’ party (thats a reference to the early 90’s if you didn’t pick it up)
Near-sub 80
Screwcap 13.5%v/v $28 Dan Murphy’s Coburg

For Nick - Scorpo Mornington Peninsula Noirien Pinot Noir 2010

In my last post I had a request for more dirty laundry and sub 80 wine scores. The dirty laundry bit I guess is something that needn't be aired; I'm trying to build a wine business, not torpedo it. The sub 80 wines; for me it’s, "if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all." But what I can do Nick is 'near sub 80' scores. And with that we have another tag line. Hooray!

So Nick, you’re in luck. In going through my ‘wine photos’ file this morning I have come across quite a few wines that fit in to the 'near sub 80', and here is where we kick it off. The Scorpo Mornington Peninsula Noirien Pinot Noir 2010. I reckon I have bypassed this wine at Dan’s a good dozen times; don’t know why, just never reached out for it I guess. So on the occasion I do grab it the realisation of why I didn’t grab it is there in spades.

In the glass the wine is almost rosé in appearance and the nose has an instant hit of strawberry. And that’s it. The palate mimics the nose with primary strawberry and what I believe is a relatively high residual sugar dose – very sweet. Once again I look at the wine and ask myself whether it’s supposed to be a rosé; dunno is all I’ve got.

There you have it Nick, one for you.

Drink with minute steak
Drink now
near sub 80
Screwcap (I think) 13.5%v/v $25 Dan Murphy’s Coburg