Best-selling wines: Riposte sauvignon blanc, Dalfarras pinot grigio, Plantagenet cabernet merlot, Mountadam shiraz
The wine club’s biggest-selling wines are classically simple: trusted varietals and a red blend that has stood the test of time.
After completing his 60th consecutive vintage, celebrated Adelaide Hills winemaker Tim Knappstein reckons the world of wine is getting crazier and crazier.
The veteran’s message to his wine industry colleagues is to keep things simple. “All we really need to convey to most consumers is that wine is a beverage made from grapes and it’s good if it tastes good,’’ he says. “It can’t be that hard, can it?’’
With Knappstein’s comments in mind, our wine club this week presents four of its biggest-selling wines. It should come as no surprise that three of them are classic varietal wines while the other is a traditional blend that has stood the test of time. Keeping it simple can be very popular.
Knappstein has seen it all since working on his first vintage as a 16-year-old in Clare Valley: from over-oaked chardonnays and the American-driven fad for high-alcohol Aussie shiraz in the 1990s to today’s obsession with whole-bunch fermentation.
“The swings in fashions and trends in wine seem more dramatic today than they were 10 and 20 years ago,’’ he recently wrote in an article for Wine Business Monthly.
“The industry has fallen into the trap of making it all too complex – and the crazy thing is the people who are hung up about all the nerdy complexities are only 5 per cent of all wine drinkers anyway. We need to speak to the 95-percenters.”
The 75-year-old now produces classic cool-climate wines under his Riposte label with son Nick.
Apart from the classic simplicity of the wines presented today, they also have another thing in common: they are each made by highly respected producers who rate quality and value far higher than the latest wine fad. Let’s drink to that – and the great Tim Knappstein’s 60th vintage. (By the way, he reckons the 2021 crop is a stand out!)
Riposte The Foil Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Tim Knappstein has seen his wines awarded with more than 120 gold medals during his illustrious career. After learning his craft in Clare, Knappstein fell under the spell of pinot noir and other cool-climate varietals, planting his first vineyard at Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills in 1981. His savvy is always regarded as one of the best in the Hills, showing off signature aromatics of snow pea and passionfruit. The Foil also features a lovely texture, combining complexity with pure refreshment. 12% alc
CLUB SPECIAL $16.99 in any dozen
From Victoria’s historic Tahbilk winery comes this zesty white, packed with nashi fruit, Granny Smith apple, melon and pear flavours, supported by savoury undertones and a mineral edge. While some pinot grigios can lack flavour, the Dalfarras presents a multi-layered taste profile worthy of wines sold at higher price points. 12.5% alc
Plantagenet Three Lions Great Southern Cabernet Merlot 2017
Classic bordeaux blend that West Australian winemakers have adopted with much success over the years. Plantagenet, Great Southern’s oldest established winery, delivers a wine bursting with ripe berry aromas, leading to black cherry, savoury olives and cassis flavours. Club president James Halliday handed out 92 points, while writing: “This blend at this price often gets lost; here’s one that shouldn’t.’’ Many club members agree. 14% alc
CLUB SPECIAL: $21.25 in any dozen
Mountadam Vineyards Eden
Valley Shiraz 2018
Mountadam’s High Eden vineyard in the Barossa sits at 550m altitude, growing cool-climate shiraz that expresses elegant flavours of red fruits and pepper, set against a backdrop of dark chocolate. This is seamlessly integrated shiraz, aged for 18 months in 40 per cent new French oak, punching way above its price. 92 points from Team Halliday. 14.5% alc.
CLUB SPECIAL $19.99 in any dozen
$16.49 a bottle for three of each wine
Order online or telephone 1300 765 359 Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm AEST.
The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaite’s Wine People
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