A Winning Strategy?

 We all like to acquire an excellent wine at a low price. Is there a systematic way of doing this? One approach is to buy a second or third level wine from a leading winemaking team. Well, this can work to some extent, but there is a reason why these wines are second or third tier. I have now come across another approach. It is terroir related. The first wine is from Lusatia Park, Yarra Valley. This vineyard has delivered fruit to Giant Steps, Oakridge, Phi and others. Since 2015, the site is owned by De Bortoli. Interestingly, this name is not found on the label of their 2022 Riorret Lusatia Park Pinot Noir.

The wine comes across as quite fruity, in a typical strawberry, red cherry blend. It is a lively wine, and some savoury backbone starts to develop on the mid-palate. The wine is medium weight, with a balanced mouthfeel. The tannins are mild and the finish medium. This is a good quality all-rounder, but it lacks the sophistication of a top Yarra Pinot Noir.

Score: 93/++

So, has this approach been successful? I guess to a degree, but not completely.

The second wine is the 2022 Terra Sancta Mysterious Diggings Pinot Noir.

This wine is from Central Otago. In fact, the vineyard is right next to the original Felton Road vineyard. It sits at 300m altitude and consists of sandy soils.

This is a more intense wine than the first wine, with red and black cherry fruit, raspberry, black truffle, and forest floor. There is good complexity in this energetic wine. It is also fruit dominant and delivers a silky mouthfeel. Other elements fall in the mid range: body weight, tannins, and finish.

Again, the wine is good quality, a bit darker and bigger than the first wine.

Score: 93/++

So, is this strategy working? The wines did not disappoint, and they deliver very good value for money, in particular the Mysterious Diggings. But is it a major revelation or an absolute steal? Probably not. The wine market is quite efficient.