Australia
Hanwood Estate, 2006
$7.99
McWilliam’s Australian Riesling is dry, crisp and refreshing and an excellent buy at $7.99.
The McWilliams have been making wine since 1877 in Australia, and the winery is one of the country’s oldest family-owned businesses. The 2006 Riesling is from their line of inexpensive wines, and it has been winning international acclaim and awards.
Australia, the world’s sixth largest wine producer, is noted for winemakers who use the latest technology and innovative methods.
A few years ago, out of necessity, Australian winemakers started another trend. They had been reducing the amount of sulfur dioxide they used because of perceived health concerns. As a result, white wines (and some reds) unfortunately started developing cork taint and discoloration. The solution turned out to be screw caps. Now, more than 50 percent of Australia’s premium and fine wines have screw caps. Coincidently, the McWilliam’s Riesling also has a screw cap.
The McWilliam’s Riesling comes from its Hanwood Estate in New South Wales along the Murrumbidgee River in the Riverina region. The grapes come from the region’s high and dry Clare and Eden valleys, which are known for top-quality Rieslings, the company’s Web site says.
Sixth-generation winemaker Scott McWilliam says the Riesling has aromas of jasmine, passion fruit and freshly cut lime with crisp and clean tastes. He recommends it with shellfish, ham, mild cheeses and Asian cuisine.
I don’t know about all those tastes and smells, but the wine is pretty good on a warm summer night with a shrimp pasta salad. At least it was when we had it.
McWilliam’s Riesling is widely available. I found it for $6.99, with a listed price of $7.99. It’s a terrific summer wine for the money.
$9.24
Check out the McWilliam’s Hanwood Estates 2004 Shiraz. It’s dark, rich, smooth and lovely to drink, and it frequently goes on sale at the major food stores for $7.99 a bottle. The wine has a lot of plum and a hint of chocolate. The winemaker recommends meats and barbecue. I liked it with a Spanish fish stew.
The McWilliam family has been making wine in South Eastern Australia since 1877. They seem to know how to do it. The 2004 Shiraz has been winning awards and high ratings from the wine magazines. It deserves them.
On the other hand, don’t drink the McWilliam’s 2005 Hanwood Estates Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s clearly a wine before its time. The wine’s tannins are so astringent that it is hard to drink. There does seem to be a very strong fruit hiding behind the bitterness, so it could be good wine to put back for a couple of years. If I’m right, the result should be very rewarding.
I also tried the McWilliam’s 2004 Merlot. It was better than the Cab, not as good as the Shiraz and probably would be great in another year. I’m going to store both the Cab and the Merlot and see if they improve. I suspect they will.