Australia Day with Hardys Wines

Sunday was Australia Day for my dear friends in the antipodes. I was going to post something on Sunday morning, but by that point it was already Monday down there, so I figured a delay of a few more days wouldn't hurt. In honor of the holiday that celebrates the arrival of the first British fleet to reach the continent, I've got 70 prior posts about Australian wines for your reading pleasure.

Today we'll be looking at Hardys Wines, still run by the descendants of Thomas Hardy who bottled his first South Australia wine in 1857. The Chardonnay is named after William Hardy, a fifth-generation winemaker. Both of these wines are affordable bargains that are enclosed with convenient screwcaps.

2012 William Hardy Chardonnay
South Australia (57.2% Padthaway, 30.1% Riverland, 7.5% Wrattonbully, 3.8% McLaren Vale, 1% Langhorn Creek, .4% Other)
100% Chardonnay
$17, 13.5% abv.

Peach and floral aromas with deep white fruit flavors, clean and bright with medium acidity and a soft finish. I found it to go well with fried chicken and cole slaw.

2012 Hardys Nottage Hill Shiraz
South Eastern Australia
100% Shiraz
$13, 13.5% abv.

Deep scents of black currant and pepper, with dark plum on the palate and a cherry pie finish. Tart raspberry acidity. I enjoyed this one with an assortment of cheeses, nuts, dried fruits... Just a casual snack on a rainy weekend afternoon. Perfect sipper for curling up with a book for a few hours.

Note: These wines were provided as samples for review.