One of the less important effects of rising prices for everything on planet earth is just how much imported wine now costs in Australia, poor old us. All made worse by how our stupid WET tax system encourages industrial amounts of mostly anodyne and health threatening ethanol instead of a glass of something made with individual passion for place and time and human conviviality. Add a bit of extra tax through duty and artisanal imports are now a luxury, even for us superannuated boomers. All of which makes spending a lot of time on my iPad trawling an auction website worthwhile, and most times rewarding. Mencia from north west Spain can be good value if you’re craving the sweetly savoury joy of something like a cool, neat Syrah from more famous places. And the Veronica Ortega’s version has good reports, including this dodgy blog’s earlier words on the 2016. Once more, this grape from Spain echoes the smoke, leather and violet fragrance of the northern Rhône. Really thought some stalks and all in the making but not so. There’s a balsamic whoosh of blackberry and spice swept aside by a slate licking finish of some edginess. Like a couple recent Mencias, perhaps fruitier and pleasurable younger? This was a lot better with something to eat which makes for drinking well and maybe with less liver damage? As the young seem to be sensibly drinking less, the binge drunkenness involving a bag in a box wine and a washing line that may have had its day. About time our tax regime grew up too.
13% alcohol. Cork. $22 at auction.
92 points.
