I Bought 12 Bottles After One Sip of This $28 Wine

<p>What if your new favourite Australian wine came from a region you have never heard of and cost less than $30?</p><p><br></p><p>Angus O’Loughlin and Master Sommelier Carlos Santos are joined by winemaker Andrew Dawson from Yeah Wine to explore Blackwood Valley, one of Western Australia’s most exciting and overlooked wine regions.</p><p>Nestled inland from Margaret River, Blackwood Valley is home to family-run vineyards, rolling hills and a distinctive continental climate that produces beautifully expressive Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, without the premium price tag.</p><p>The conversation begins with a 2023 Whimwood Estate Chardonnay so good Angus ordered 12 bottles. Hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed and fermented in French oak, this impressive Blackwood Valley wine is crafted using techniques commonly associated with much more expensive Chardonnay.</p><p>From there, the trio tastes Beulah Wines’ 2023 Shiraz, a bright, medium-bodied expression grown by the Nield family, before discovering Andrew’s Yeah Wine 2023 “Bringing Sexy Back” Merlot, made using fruit grown by Mick Hester in Blackwood Valley.</p><p><br></p><p>A big thank you to our friends at Blackwood Valley Wines and to Andrew Dawson from Yeah Wine for helping us discover the remarkable people, vineyards and wines behind this special Western Australian region.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Wines featured in this episode</strong></p><ul><li>2023 Whimwood Estate Chardonnay: View and purchase the Chardonnay</li><li>2023 Beulah Wines Shiraz: View Beulah Wines’ range</li><li>2023 Yeah Wine “Bringing Sexy Back” Merlot: View and purchase the Merlot</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Discover Blackwood Valley Wines</strong>Website: https://blackwoodvalleywine.com.au/Instagram: @blackwoodvalleywine</p><p><strong>Discover Whimwood Estate Wines</strong>Website: https://www.whimwoodestatewines.com.au/Instagram: @whimwoodestatewines</p><p><strong>Discover Andrew Dawson and Yeah Wine</strong>Website: https://www.yeahwine.com.au/Instagram: @yeah_wine</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Chapters</strong></p><p>00:00 The $28 Chardonnay worth talking about</p><p>00:42 Meet Yeah Wine’s Andrew Dawson</p><p>02:16 Discovering Blackwood Valley</p><p>03:17 Blackwood Valley vs Margaret River</p><p>04:40 Tasting Whimwood Estate Chardonnay</p><p>08:06 Finding exceptional wine without the premium price</p><p>08:30 Blackwood Valley’s climate, hills and vineyards</p><p>10:41 The families behind Blackwood Valley wine</p><p>12