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 If you are looking for a red wine for a party or banquets where your guests like soft and fruity wine and you don’t want to spend too much money-or perhaps want to stay generally within the Indian wine price range, Hardys Stamp Cabernet Merlot 2012 or 2013 is a perfect answer. With a reduced MRP of Rs. 820 a bottle in Delhi, one cannot find a better offer.
At a wine appreciation evening I had organised with Nick Pringle, the London-based former cricketer and the Commercial Director of the parent Accolades Wines at the Delhi Golf Club a few months ago, we had selected two red wines in the quaffable Stamps range of wines being imported from Sula Selection. Although my personal preference was Shiraz Cabernet, a majority preferred this wine due to the softer impression on the palate-both priced same.
At that time the price was Rs. 1230 and I could not justify recommending it. But with the shaving of a third of the previous price, it has become a great value, even though the drop may reflect some marketing strategy of the two companies; Shiraz Cabernet has been reduced only marginally by about 14% to Rs. 1080. Earlier the Cab Merlot at Rs. 1230 used to be less competitive in comparison with the ubiquitous Jacobs Creek selling then at Rs. 960. At Rs. 820 now it appears a lot more palatable especially since in the international market Jacobs Creek is priced lower at US $8+ as compared to the $9+ as the average price without taxes for this wine, according to www.winesearcher.com.
It is a medium bodied wine with deep ruby colour. The aromas have blackberry notes that continue into the flavour which is fruity, soft and easy to drink. Due to the soft tannins, it works as a good condiment for snacks that include even the vegetarian ones that the novices may also savour. Preferably not to be served to connoisseurs, though.
Hardys is Australia’s most powerful wine brand. It’s a part of the Accolades group which touched the number of countries importing the brand to one hundred last year. It sells around 9 million cases yearly throughout the world. However, the number is still less than Yellow Tail brand of John Casella, owner of the family-owned Casella wines that sells around 12 million cases globally with around 9.5 million in the USA alone.
As reported by delWine in another article in this issue, the wine prices of volume-based wines have seen the prices plummeting in Australia with unbranded wines available as low as US $.81. Hardys appears to have a clear field ahead till the competitors like Lindeman’s, Wolf Blass or the Yellow Tails bring down their prices.
Subhash Arora |