Today (15/10/03) on the Dublin Life show on News Talk 106 FM, after the 3pm
news, Martin will be talking about Jacob's Creek and the launch of their
reserve range in Ireland.
"Oh, but you're a master of wine, why would you drink Jacob's
Creek?" is the reaction I get when I tell people that I'm happy to
drink Jacob's Creek.
Well I find that there's nothing wrong with the basic sem/chard and shiraz/cab and the
riesling has just won a gold medal at the Rutherglen show that I helped
judge recently.
I have long regarded Jacob's Creek as the entry level
brand with what might be termed the best 'wine credentials'. Where as many
inexpensive everyday brands rely on sugar to make poor wine palatable
Australia's top drop doesn't. It actually sells palatable wine - a radical
concept that some would do well to mimic. At a dinner to launch their
reserve range last night I asked chief winemaker Phil Laffer about
residual sugar levels and he said that the red had none and the whites
about 3-4g/l which is almost nothing as less than 2g/l is considered bone
dry, since this amount is generally unfermentable.
The reserve range, retailing in Ireland for €12.95
includes a good riesling "00 vintage 88/100 available from late
December), a chardonnay 2002, 86/100, that was a little on the clumsy side
of oaky for me and shiraz that Wolf Blass would have been proud of with
its mix of vanilla oak and rich fruit. Let's hope that they don't fall
between two stools as there's a danger that current JC drinkers won't want
to spend extra and that those who do spend 12.95 regularly on a bottle
won't want JC. That would be a shame as the wines are good.
This week's wines of the week then are Jacob's
Creek Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir 86/100, €12.95 and Jacob's
Creek Reserve Shiraz 2000 87/100, €12.95.
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So
this puddle is what they named it after. Amazing.
