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 YOUR SAY - WINE
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Review:
My wife and I recently lobbed into Cruickshank’s Callatoota vineyard in the Hunter Valley. We sampled the latest vintages and I have to say I have never met a Cruickshank wine I didn’t like:-).
Plus we have never had a headache from a Cruickshank wine! I asked “why no headaches?” and apparently the secret is keeping the level of sulfur in the wine (that 220 code on the label) very low.
Even with a clear head, the hard part was deciding what to buy, but we left with a mixed 3 dozen that will be enjoyed for some time to come. The decision to get three dozen was the easy part - the winery is moving to a new location in the same area and John Cruickshank is keen to reduce the amount of stock that needs to be transported.
I told John that he sells his fine wines way too cheap but he won’t listen, plus he ships all over Australia at minimal cost. Not sure about international orders but if you are overseas you could ask, and with the Oz dollar value down you would get double the bargain.
So if you are keen on really good Australian wines for a song, check out their website. Read the Tasting Notes and don’t be fooled by the low prices on the order form - you are getting premium, often medal winning, wines that are up to 8 years old and you will not be disappointed. Plus when you order you can get on the Callatoota Club mailing list and John will email you the newsletter and club specials once every 3 months.
The Cruickshank family interest in wine goes back to 1950 when John, as President of the Students Union at the University of Tasmania, helped entertain a famous Spaniard, Don Salvador de Madariaga, Professor of Spanish History at Oxford, who was on a lecture tour of Australia. Among other things, he advocated that Australians should drink wine instead of beer for the good of their health.
John was taken by this, for those days, radical proposal. His interest in wine grew quickly and he soon became one of the pioneers of the movement to include wine in one’s daily life. He established the Canberra Wine and Food Club in 1953, and by 1957 it had its own licensed club house, probably the only wine and food club in the world with such a facility at the time.
In 1973 John purchased the Callatoota Estate, which started life as an exclusively Cabernet Sauvignon producer and now produces about 10% of the Cabernet Sauvignon fruit grown in the Hunter Valley. But in recent years they have diversified into Shiraz, Cabernet Franc and even Chardonnay and Verdelho.
New specialties include a classy dry Cabernet Rose, unique Velvet Cabernet and a Sparkling Shiraz. All great easy-drinking red wines that we enjoy served chilled in the summer - with no headaches...
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Cruickshank Wines
Average User rating:
3 Exceptional, 2 Great, 1 Good
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