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HI everyone,I had the opportunity to buy these 4 bottles of Wolf-Blass 1995 shiraz at about US$16 each. On the label were the terms "Basket Pressed" and "Show Reserve". Can anyone enlighted me as to what they mean? Is $16 a reasonable price for this wine?
Thanks very much
Jon
Follow Ups:
Hi Jon-
I'm not sure exactly how Wolf Blass categorizes their "Show Reserve" line but with most Australian wineries, it indicates that this is the wine that they are entered into the manor Aussie wine shows. These are wine contests that are judged by a group of critics and winemakers who follow strict guidelines as to what is good or bad in a wine. They look for regional and varietal typicity and they look for flaws. Medals are awarded to the wines the judges feel deserve them. IMO, a lot of the things that I like about wine are considered flaws so I don't place much stake in the show system when it comes to my wine buying habits. Selling these wines is a different story.Much of the old style Australian wine market depends on how many medals (and in which shows) a particular wine receives so a show reserve wine can be kind of a big deal with many of the larger producers. As for the basket press designation, Kay was correct (she usually is). The basket press is an old-fashioned device that's time and labor consuming but is more gentle than the other crushing devices. Grapes crushed in a basket press tend to yield more flavorful wines than those crushed by other method (except for feet, but that's even more labor-intensive than the basket press).
Cheers-
DF
Welcome to the Wine Asylum the best place on the internet to talk about wine, and other stuff too!As far as I know a "basket press" is just that, a grape press that's kind of a basket with small spaces between the wooden slats. When the grapes are pressed the juice seeps out through the spaces. It's an older technology (I think bladder presses are the thing these days) and maybe that's why they make a point of mentioning it on the label.
I can't help with "Show Reserve" though.
Best,
Kay
Usually she cleans up the apartment on Mondays. Has she been coming in my absence. That Munich Book Fair was really something by the way!
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