Hardys Cabernet-Shiraz.
In January 1830, the infant Thomas Hardy first saw the light of day in Devon, in
the West of England. Twenty years later, he travelled to South Australia. In
those days, the journey took a staggering twelve weeks. Another twenty three
years later, he founded The Hardy Wine Company in Adelaide and the business soon
became South Australia’s largest winemaker. Hardys (without an apostrophe, for
some reason) has grown into a massive organisation. It never seems to stop.
Hardys is now part of Constellation Wines, which is the largest wine company in
the world. The company produces a very wide range of wines and the Nottage Hill
selection first appeared in 1967. The Nottage Hill range consists of a dozen
interesting varietals which are all crafted for consistency. This means that
regardless of the year, each varietal will taste pretty much the same.
Hardys Nottage Hill Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz 2009 (red),
Australia. (Foodland and Best Bt. 699)
This wine is rather lovely to look at in the glass, with
thick legs appearing when you swirl the wine around. At one time, it was thought
that these “legs” were a sign of quality. Without writing a paragraph on
advanced physics, which would be a challenge for both of us, let me just say
that they are caused by surface tension and known as The Marangoni Effect.
It could make a good name for a science-fiction movie.
The wine is a deep crimson colour and has a rich fruity aroma
of plums, dark berries and rhubarb. There’s also the tiniest hint of crushed
black pepper. It has a soft, almost sumptuous mouth-feel, really warm and
beguiling with ripe plums, berry fruits and barely a hint of tannin. There’s a
delicate touch of tannin on the finish.
It’s medium dry with an attractive hint of sweetness and a
touch of spicy oak. It’s a very well-crafted wine - no doubt about that. But
it’s also rather commercial in style. The wine has a distinctive Australian feel
to it and you couldn’t possibly confuse it with a wine from Bordeaux. At just
13.5% alcohol this is a pleasing easy-drinker, but if you prefer your wine with
food I think it would partner most red meat dishes successfully, but it’s a bit
too smooth for pizza and pasta. I always think pasta needs a wine with a bit of
sharpness to contrast with the sauce which is why wines like Chianti and
Valpolicella work so well.
Hardys Nottage Hill Chardonnay 2010 (white), Australia.
(Foodland and Best Bt. 699)
If you hold your glass against a plain white background,
you’ll see the attractive greenish-gold colour of this wine. Swirl it around and
those long “legs” will appear. And what’s the effect called? (No cheating,
please).
There’s an almost creamy Chardonnay aroma. I know the
expression “tropical fruits” is a bit of a clich้ but honestly, that’s what
springs to mind. If you want me to be more specific, then I will. (Of course,
you’ll understand that there is a small charge for this additional service, for
expertise doesn’t come cheap.) Well then, pineapple comes out first with white
peaches and melon in the background. There’s just a hint of citrus and a
suggestion of oak and honey. There’s also a hint of cucumber which I know is not
a tropical fruit, but you did ask for more details. Right, that’s fifty baht
please.
This full-bodied wine has a lovely silky-soft mouth-feel with
plenty of fruit up front. However, it’s pretty dry with a dash of acidity and
there’s a rather elegant long finish with a faint mineral flavour in the
background.
Like the Cabernet-Shiraz, this is a commercial style of wine,
but it sells by the truck-load so obviously a lot of people enjoy it. At just
over 13.5% alcohol, the wine is easy to drink and undemanding, so it would be
pleasing to drink its own. It would work well with seafood or chicken dishes and
some milder Thai dishes too. Serve it quite cold but not freezing, otherwise the
aromas won’t come through. And don’t forget the fifty baht.
