Past Issues:
Bargain Wine dec03/jan04 --
Rothbury Estate
In this regular feature,
we spotlight those wines that offer great
bang for the buck -- under $15 bucks, to
be exact. Here you'll find our everyday
wines, house pours, and occasionally a great
new find. Have a favorite Bargain Wine?
Tell us about it at editor@wineskinny.com!
 Australia's
Rothbury Estate is part of the Beringer
Blass Wine Estates group, and it offers
an Estate line that is our Bargain Wine
pick for this issue.
Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet
Sauvignon and Shiraz make up the Estate
Line, and each bottle is priced at a remarkable
$7. We say "remarkable" not simply
because of the low price, but because of
the solid quality that each wine offers.
(After all, a "bargain" is not
simply inexpensive. Rather, it's getting
a good value for a great price!)
Rothbury Estate was established
in the late 1960s in what is now one of
Australia's best known wine regions, the
Hunter Valley. Current head winemaker Neil
McGuigan has a long history in the region,
including stints at Wyndham Estate and Briar
Ridge Vineyards, and as a cofounder of McGuigan
Brothers winery in 1992.
Here are our tasting notes
on the wines:
($7). Good structure for a value-priced
wine, with zesty pear and ripe melon balanced
with touches of spice and light vanilla
oak, finishing with a touch of citrus. Read
to drink now.
($7). Light- to medium-bodied, with soft
red cherry and plum fruit laced with sweet
smoke and light herbal notes. Ready to drink
now.
($7). Smooth red cherry
and blackberry pie flavors, with respectable
concentration, minty accents, and a long
finish. Ready to drink now.
($7).
Schlurpy yummy, with ripe black cherry,
warm spices and toasty oak. Pairs nicely
with sharp Cheddar. Ready to drink now.
This now-fabulously-named column used to
be called Easy To Find One Figure Wines,
for reasons that we cannot currently remember
but were surely enthusiastic about at the
time. Anyhoo, check out our Past
Issue Index for more great value-priced
wine selections!
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