I know, the prices are getting higher, as I bought the wine for £20 at Oddbins but realised they ripped me off as you can get this wine for under £10. For my “normal” wine consumption, I usually buy around £7-£10 at Waitrose and Tesco. However, for more special occasions, I buy wines for around £20, sometimes more. But this time Oddbins really managed to charge me double the amount other shops do.
The Chalk Hill, McLaren Vale, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 was just about £18 at Oddbins. Our Oddbins in Beckenham has a selection that is getting worse every time I go but still manage to pick up a few nice bottles like this one. If you are looking closer you can pick this wine up for less than £10 at Playford Ross. It just shows how expensive Oddbins has become.
As you would expect from a Cabernet Sauvignon this wine is very fruity: blackcurrant, cassis and mulberry. It matured for 14 months in French oak but does not taste strong of oak. However, its complexity and tight tannin structure makes it a good wine to drink. Hints of spice, anise and cedar can be found. It is very good to have on its own after a hard day’s work.
With 14.5% alcohol this wine is rather on the high side of alcohol but does not come across too strong. You can see the wine “sticking to the glass”, almost oil like.
The McLaren Vale, just on the South West Coast of Australia, is part of the Fleurieu Zone. It is one of the few regions where you can find wine over 100 years old in Australia. Around Blewitt Springs, deep sandy soils over clay can yield particularly good Grenache – my wine atlas says. There is a long warm growing seasons, good air drainage to prevents frosts, and one fifths of the vineyards survive without the irrigation of water.
Enjoy this fantastic wine, but make sure not to buy it from Oddbins!
Related posts:
#1 by Roddy Graham on 15/07/2009 - 11:51
I just looked at the Playford Ros website, and if you buy a single bottle and collect it yourself it will cost you £16.36, versus £17.99 at Oddbins. If you buy a mixed case of twelve bottles it will still cost you £16.36, whereas at Oddbins the price drops by 20% to £14.39. So it’s not as clear cut as you suggest.
As you might guess, I work for Oddbins. Our prices, when you buy by the case, are pretty much in line with industry averages.
#2 by Volker on 15/07/2009 - 12:01
Hello Rod,
Thanks for pointing this out. It would imply that I need to buy a case though
When is Oddbins (at least the one in Beckenham) improving their selection on wines? I am used to a better choice but have been disappointed the last few visits over the last 3 months.
Cheers,
Volker