Olssens of Watervale 2006 The Second Six

They don't make 'em like that any more. They can't get the wood, y'know.

Or, I suspect, in this case the Carmenère.

I've written elsewhere about the circumstances that brought us to the Olssens of Watervale cellar door, but it's worth reiterating that the drive is the sort of thing that's likely to deter any but the most determined traveller.

The continued absence of a website seems almost inexplicable in the twenty-first century and it took a while for an order to go in, but given the fact that a consultation with Mr Halliday's tome revealed a range that largely sat in the $20-$30 bracket and was consistently rated in the 93-94 range I was always going to get there eventually.

The highlight of the visit to the cellar door was my encounter with The Olssen Six, one of the few examples of a Bordeaux blend to feature all six of the classic Bordeaux varieties. There are others that go close - the Cullen Diana Madeline being one notable example - but four out of six or five out of six ain't six out of six. You're not going to get that perfect six unless you can lay your hands on some Carmenère, and it seems, from what I can gather, that there are a mere half-dozen or so vineyards in Australia where the variety is grown.

I've still got five bottles of The Six lurking in the cellar fridge with the next rendezvous with one pencilled in for some time around 2014. My note from the bottle we sampled in October 2010 reads:

Olssens of Watervale 2006 The Olssen Six (5/5 $60) Possibly unique blend of  Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Carmenère and Petit Verdot. From the first whiff there's a considerable Wow! factor. Intense, focussed, layered and elegant, a wine to savour at length and leisure.

At around $30 cheaper, its little brother doesn't have quite the same depth but there's plenty on offer here as well.

Olssens of Watervale 2006 The Second Six (4.5/5 $28) Deeply red in the glass, with complex notes across the nose and an acrobatic balance of red and black fruits across the palate this doesn't pack quite the same punch as its sibling but comes across as well weighted with a pleasing depth of flavour and a lengthy finish which, again, encourages the drinker to take some time over the end of the bottle.

Lerida Estate 2008 Merlot Cabernet Franc

They say you should never look a gift horse in the mouth, but there are times in this wine drinking game when you have to do something very close to it.

An email in the in tray a week ago advised that, having entered my details on the Lerida Estate mailing list I was this month's lucky winner of a complimentary bottle of wine.

Nice, I thought at the time. That'll help me sport out the order when it goes in.

Given the size of the operation (5000 cases according to Halliday) a range of five whites, the same number of reds and three in the Rose style is going to be a bit tricky to fit into a mixed dozen, assuming, of course, that you're looking at one of each.

Having sampled the 2008 Merlot Cabernet Franc has simplified matters.

Lerida Estate 2008 Merlot Cabernet Franc (4* $29.50) The 80% Merlot definitely comes through on the nose, and there's nicely integrated oak and fine tannins across the palate, combining to produce a wine that'seasy to drink and extremely food friendly with savoury notes and a lengthy finish. As a reorder prospect, however, the price tag (at least for my money) doesn't match what's on offer in the glass.

Tahbilk 2009 Cabernet Franc (Relocated)

Anyone looking for a source of everyday drinking wines that aren't the offspring of industrial scale production by multinational concerns could do a lot worse than Tahbilk, which offers freight free delivery along th eastern seaboard (handy when you live where I do) that's remarkably quick (I've had a Monday morning order delivered lunchtime Thursday). Whether the mixed dozen I ordered last night gets through as quickly in the current circumstances is, of course, problematic, but I wanted to get my hands on another bottle of this one, along with its cousin=brothers....

Tahbilk 2009 Cabernet Franc (4* $14.45) Predictably, given the genetic relation to Cab Sauv there are the regulation aromatic Cab notes on the nose. Across the palate it isn't an overly elegant wine, but at this price point elegance usually isn't an option. Still, there's a hint of it lurking there. Aromatic and spicy with  varietal character it's got a certain raffish earthy charm. A pleasant little number that I'll be happy to revisit in the appropriate mixed dozen.