Taylors Jaraman Range
No one wants to pay more than they need to but the bitterness of poor quality lingers well after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
In these troubled economic times, most of us are constantly on the hunt for value; that Goldilocks balance that’s “just right” in the tension between quality and price. After all, it’s always possible to find a terrific wine when you’re spending $100 a bottle, but the task becomes much more challenging at the lower end of the market. If you’re spending $5 – $10 a bottle then, generally speaking, it’s a drink now style that might be perfectly palatable but is unlikely to earn accolades and plaudits from wine critics and judges around the world.
When it comes to wine, I’m often asked for buying tips and about my favourites; but also about value. No-one wants to pay more than they need to in order to find a bottle of the varietal they most enjoy, but on the other hand (as my mum always said), the bitterness of poor quality lingers well after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. So, how do we get the quality we’re looking for without paying more than we need to?
First of all, we need to remember that palates are unique and the best wine for a consumer, is the one they most enjoy. If you don’t like the style, there’s no value at all in an aged bottle of an iconic wine, no matter what the judges think!
Why would you open the wallet to buy a Giaconda Chardonnay if you really prefer a white wine with a high residual sugar content?
But on the other hand, what’s the point of buying a cheap sparkling white if you only like the yeasty undertones of French bubbles from Epernay?
A few days ago, I found myself cooking Balmain Bugs with spaghetti, Roma tomatoes, garlic and basil. I needed a white wine to add to the sauté so I grabbed a bottle of the Taylors Jaraman Chardonnay 2018 that was sitting on a rack in the fridge. One for the pot and one for the wife and suddenly she had a new fave – and a wine that sells at only $20 – $22 a bottle! I had tried to give her an Adelaide Hills number that sold at more than twice the price, but it didn’t cut the mustard. Who’d have thunk?!
And it got me thinking, maybe the Jaraman range punches above its weight? I hastily twisted the stelvin off the neck of a bottle of the Jaraman Shiraz and wow, my taste buds danced! Hard to believe that I was drinking a bottle in the sub $25 price range.
But the big winner was the Taylors Jaraman Grenache 2018. It’s slightly more expensive at just over the $30 barrier, but has juicy bold red fruits with abundant strawberry, raspberry and a spicy cinnamon jubiness. Such is the forwardness of the fruit that you hardly notice the fine tannins on the finish. It’s graceful, stylish and offers terrific value at the price point.
Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so too is value judged by the palate of the individual consumer. But for this buyer of Aussie wines, the Jaraman range is up there with some of the best value for money offerings going around.