Vasse Felix

In 1801 the good ship 'Naturaliste' (French, naturellement) which was on a voyage to map the coast of New Holland ran into a spot of inclement weather, during which her assistant helmsman, Thomas Timothee Vasse, was washed overboard and assumed lost. Stories emerged to say that he had survived and had been washed ashore in what we now know as Western Australia. There are no definitive answers, but his name lives on in the brand of one of the first vineyards and wineries established in Margaret River, in the coastal region a couple of hours south of Perth.

So, this week V is for Vasse and we have:

Week V (2021) Vasse Felix Classic Shiraz, 2019. £12 Tesco.

The winery was established by Dr Tom Cullity, a cardiologist, and that gives me reassurance that wine is good for the heart. There seem to be several physicians who have made the transition from fixing bodies to nurturing souls by making wine and this has to be a good sign.

Not only did the good doctor have the foresight to become a pioneer of Western Australian wine, but he also demonstrated that he must have had something of a sunny disposition. Choosing not to call his winery "Cullity" or some equally egotistically inspired name, he indulged his interest in history by choosing to honour our man Thomas, above, and to append an optimistic second name of Felix meaning, as it does, lucky or happy and so I assume Dr Tom liked to think Sailor Tom did indeed survive.

I have mentioned in these pages that I like Vasse Felix wines, especially the Cabernet Sauvignon from their 'Filius' range.  That range sits below both 'Icon' and 'Premier', both of which are sold at over or above my usual price bracket, but delivers good value.

This week's wine is from the 'Classic' range which is the lowest tier of their output, so it will be interesting to taste the difference (no reference to Sainsbury intended). It will also be the first time, that I can recall, that I will have tasted their Shiraz, as the Cabernet Sauvignon is an known quantity and, therefore, my usual preference.

First impressions are of its colour, which is an attractive ruby with touches of purple. This is followed by the first sip which is very smooth, underpinned with ripe tannin and led by some light blackberry & plum flavours. Lingering finish and very moreish.

It is mostly Shiraz, but also contains 2% Malbec. I have enjoyed a couple of Malbecs recently and they are generally very approachable and enjoyable, but also quite fruit-forward and tending ever so slightly towards being a bit jammy. I doubt that my senses are keen enough to detect the presence of anything that is just 2% of the whole, but I admire the skill of a winemaker who can decide that such a small contribution to a blend will make the difference s/he is want to achieve. I can't say whether it does or not, but the end product is good enough to convince me that it isn't done only for marketing reasons.

I have never been sure what the logo at the top of the Vasse Felix label represented. It turns out that it is a Peregrine falcon. In the early days of the winery, established in 1967 and producing their first vintage in 1971, there was a struggle to protect the grapes from, amongst other things, bird damage. A Peregrine falcon was brought in to deal with the birds but, according to the producer's website, on first release promptly flew off into local woodlands never to be seen again. It seems rather generous of the winery to honour the bird in this way and I rather like that.

Oh, buy again? Definitely.