RICHARD CALVER marks his tenth anniversary as wine columnist with CityNews by treating the editor (other columnists please note) to a taste of very nice and expensive red wine. Like his fine writing, it was appreciated.

I looked up what gift was appropriate after 10 years of marriage as I have been writing about wine for this publication for that period and I seem wedded to the task.

Apparently, the traditional 10‑year anniversary gift is made from tin or aluminium.

But in an effort to upsell and get more consumer bucks, the site I looked at said: “The modern gift is diamond jewellery.” 

Yeah but no: what’s the easiest way to cut a diamond’s value in half? Buy it. 

Tin/aluminium is said to represent flexibility and resilience. I’m glad the editor didn’t wrap himself in aluminium foil as my gift or give me a tin of beans. Instead, we decided on lunch with two others, good mates.

I provided my own equivalent of a diamond in the quality of the wine that we drank. I had been lucky enough to be sent for review a bottle of Tahbilk 2018 1860 Vines shiraz. This is a wine that sells for $360 a bottle, so I was very grateful for this bounty.

At lunch, I didn’t at first (thirst?) mention the price. Resonating from 10 years ago, one of the pieces I wrote in 2016 was about a study that showed that with an increase in the price of a bottle of wine, the objectively measured pleasure experience of drinking that wine is enhanced (“The rising price of pleasure“, CN August 11, 2016). The more you pay the greater the pleasure. I didn’t want this effect to bias the taste test the wine underwent. 

The wine was a deep red in colour and offered a bouquet of berries mixed with a herbal note.

The first taste showed the wine needed air to come to its best and after a short period it opened up well delivering a textual feel and finishing with light spice after filling the mouth with dark berry flavours.

It went okay with the gnocchi I ordered, but I think it would have gone better with a juicy steak where the fine tannins would have meshed with red-meat flavours. 

After the initial glass, I held up the bottle and told the editor and our friends the price. The editor didn’t believe that the wine was at that price and invited his telephone AI assistant, Penny, to comment on the price. In a female voice came the confirmation of a range of $350-$380, but no genuflection in my direction followed.

This was a special bottle of wine partly because the grapes are from un-grafted, pre-phylloxera shiraz plantings that are amongst the oldest in the world.

In addition, the 2018 growing season in Nagambie, where the Tahbilk property is located, was dry and warm and perfect for growing premium wine grapes. 

The notes sent to me by the winemaker say: “The vines loved the favourable weather, growing large, healthy canopies and setting good bunch numbers – ideal for optimal yields. 

“Vineyard operations focused on trimming to maintain a balanced canopy, and irrigation to ensure the vines had adequate water and nutrients. 

“Vintage started early February and progressed very smoothly and although it remained warm, cooler nights kept a lid on sugar accumulation so that ripening progression was close to perfect.”

Consumption of this wine was a great way to celebrate a milestone.

“We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness – and call it love – true love.” –Robert Fulghum

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