The value end of the retail wine spectrum is a busy if not duopolistic space, but if you can look past the “specials” promoted by the Coles and Woolworths operations, there are some Australian made wines punching well above their weight. Like the De Bortoli Sacred Hill Chardonnay 2015.
It’s a product of the Riverina region near Griffith in New South Wales where the warm dry climate is well suited to growing high volumes of white wines like Semillon and Chardonnay. Such is its suitability to viticulture that the Riverina is, in fact, now the second biggest wine producing area in Australia!
Unlike many of its competitors at the quaffing price point, the Sacred Hill does not give the impression of being a mass produced product best stored in cardboard! It shows lively fruit throughout yet possesses great poise and balance. The nose is somewhat unyielding but reveals its French oak exposure from the outset with perhaps just a slight hint of nectarine. Once on the palate, voluptuous pear, stone fruit and honeydew melon characters embrace gentle acids and drive their way to a long crisp finale.
It’s a remarkable wine given its $5 price tag and well suited as a quaffer or when catering for the crowds.
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