I tried all retro wines including Echo Falls & Hardys – winner was classy drop that’s great value & goes with everything
IT used to be a best-seller among wine drinkers, but affordable Jacob’s Creek bottles have almost vanished from supermarket shelves nationwide.
And this month it was announced that its Paris-based parent company, Pernod Ricard, is to ditch the once beloved tipple due to a dramatic nine per cent drop in sales, as consumers continue to turn away from the mass-market offering.
So have the other classic wine brands stood the test of time, or do they have a retro reputation?
Drinks expert Helena Nicklin gives her verdict.
Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel matured shiraz red
£10 on offer at Asda
FOR millions, a bottle of Jacob’s Creek was the top low-cost plonk pick from Down Under for decades.
But as the brand has fallen out of favour in the UK it has become hard to source on our supermarket shelves.
Straight up. Red Jacob’s Creek is almost impossible to find here these days, even though it is a brand that helped to put Aussie wines on the map on these shores.
This barrel-matured version is in Asda though.
It’s a step up in quality from the ubiquitous Jacob’s Creek bottles but more in line with modern English palates.
Think spicy, bramble fruit with a texture from extra time in wood. A fab foodie wine that loves a beef stew.
RATING: 3 / 5
Hardys Stamp, cabernet sauvignon
£5.25, Sainsbury’s
HARDYS is another Aussie vineyard with mass-market appeal offering low-cost wines that, for many, are an accessible or entry-level way to sip the product.
This particular red version is close to my heart, being the first bottle I ever remember choosing for its flavour profile, which is all about minty blackcurrants.
For the rock-bottom price, only a smidge over £5 in supermarkets, it still over-delivers for the money with cab’s classic notes and a pleasing dab of eucalyptus.
It may be a touch synthetic and sulphurous at first, but that eventually goes when decanted and enjoyed with steak.
This is an absolute winner for a meaty dinner.
RATING: 3 / 5
Gallo Family Vineyards merlot
£7, Tesco
REVISITING this widely available Californian wine label was the biggest surprise – and only in a good way.
Its reputation might not be the most trendy, but a bottle of this well-known American plonk is still a top, well-priced pick for many drinkers when choosing a familiar-looking bottle off the shelf in the supermarket to open for the evening.
Luckily, the sickly sweet Californian merlot style of old is gone and instead what’s in the bottle is elegant and dry, with notes of fresh, red berries and a characteristic leafiness.
Fans of red Bordeaux will also enjoy this crowd-pleasing, claret-a-like and not only that, it will also make a perfect pairing with a lovely roast lamb or beef.
RATING: 4 / 5
Mateus The Original rosé
£6,25, Asda
FAMOUS for its oval bottle that your mum or granny may have made into a lamp back in the day, Mateus rosé is actually a classy drop from a brand that’s also cracking value for money.
In a sea of pale dry, saline pinks, this Portuguese sipper has stood its ground, offering a slightly spritzy, darker pink drink with spiced, wild strawberry flavours – and it’s still only just over £6 a bottle.
Incredibly versatile, Mateus loves meat, chicken and fish, but its best pairings are smoked salmon and seafood.
Embrace the retro and give this a try instead of your typical summer pale pinks.
This is a terrifically timeless tipple for all.
RATING: 5 / 5
Yellow Tail shiraz
£7.75, Tesco
YELLOW Tail is a wine that has prevailed for a reason.
It’s unapologetically bold and concentrated, with lashings of liquorice, spice and plush, peppery plum jam.
It’s also less sugary than it used to be, which is a very good thing, making it an excellent benchmark example of classic Aussie shiraz.
Paired with burgers and a BBQ, it’s a dream as those smoky grilled meat notes are softened by the fruit.
Don’t be put off by the mass-market look and feel of this one and honestly do give it a try.
Not only is the label, with its yellow branding bouncing kangaroo, great fun and one which draws you to it on the shelf, the contents inside are also delish.
RATING: 4 / 5
Lindeman’s Bin 65 chardonnay
£8, Morrisons
A GLASS of nineties favourite white glugger chardonnay will always split the judges, and this one is very much in the original style of inexpensive Aussie Chards so loved back in that decade.
The flavour profile of the offering from this popular label pours and drinks with a viscous body along with some confected notes of peach and melon.
There is oak in there too, but not a lot of it.
This variety is generally all about soft vanilla, rather than toasty barrels.
But if this really is your bag, it’s a reliable brand and once chilled and drunk very cool it will sing alongside nutty cheese and salted crisps.
A real taste of classic British pub wine fare.
RATING: 2 / 5
Blossom Hill red
£5.75, Sainsbury’s
OF all the retro vino out there in the world, Blossom Hill has changed the most.
And sadly I have to say, not in the right direction.
Once a lush, Californian classic, it is now a slightly scratchy Spanish sipper.
If you can get over the massive provenance change and cope with travelling from America to Spain both on your label and in your glass, what’s left is a rustic wine with hints of leather and baked blackberries.
On the plus side, it’s still incredibly affordable though, and when it’s allowed to breathe with a bit of air and sipped alongside some salty protein from snacks such as dried ham and hard cheese, it becomes respectable.
RATING: 1 / 5
Echo Falls white zinfandel rose wine
£6.50, Morrisons
WHITE zin, which ironically is always pink, will always be “of a style”, which is sweet and very simple.
Chilled right down, however, its charm for a certain audience is clear; off-dry and juicy with fragrant notes of strawberry bon bons and cherry drops, it is summer pudding in a glass.
The easy-drinking sweetness also makes a rather brilliant foil to salty charcuterie and cheese.
Falls is another booze brand that provides a plonk that its audience just wants to sip, and a bottle of the stuff is admittedly very keenly priced too.
This means that if you don’t like your wine on the dry side and want a uncomplicated pour, this may be for you.
RATING: 2 / 5