Columnist RICHARD CALVER is infrequently sent wine by generous winemakers. When he is, they are subject to rigorous appraisal, often over the dinner table.

Two wines that were sent to me, one late last year and one quite recently, were tasted by me and my two adult children at dinners a few weeks apart.

At the first dinner it was just the three of us, but at the second there were two friends present as well. 

The first wine, which was served with a spicy chicken dish, was a prize-winning 2022 Devil’s Corner Mt Baudin chardonnay. This Tasmanian wine won a gold medal at the 2023 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards.

The wine is named after one of the peaks in the Hazards Mountains that serve as a backdrop to the vineyard. It sells for $75 a bottle. 

I didn’t tell my adult children what the varietal was and was pleased when my daughter, who works in hospitality, could boldly say: “It’s a cold-climate chardonnay. It has that stone fruit flavour that is distinctive of, I reckon, Tassie.”

“Yes,” I said, “the citrusy finish in particular shows it’s made in the new style of chardonnay rather than the buttery, oaky chardies of the past, albeit that the oak comes through in what is a textural wine, one to put away as it will only get better for at least the next five years.” 

My son just said: ”Nah, sorry, I still don’t like chardonnay.” 

The second wine was a Freeman Sangiovese 2023, which costs $40 and is also available from the winery direct at www.freemanvineyards.com.au. 

The Freeman vineyard is located in the Hilltops region not far from Canberra. 

We had the wine with a mild, sweetish chicken curry. The covering letter from Brian Freeman, the winemaker, mentioned that the sangiovese on the Altura estate vineyard had been grafted on to 40-year-old shiraz vines in 2010. 

The vines are now producing grapes with concentrated flavour. This was evident from the richness of the dark-cherry flavour profile. Everyone thought this wine was well made, although my daughter thought the tannin line could have been more pronounced, giving a cleaner finish.

One of the dinner guests, on tasting the pinot noir that followed the serving of the sangiovese, said: “Oh, I preferred the Freeman wine, this is like drinking water in comparison.”

Bravo to both wineries for the opportunity and their generosity, which reminds me of a story:

A man was stopped in the street by a homeless beggar who asked for money for food. The man replied: “I’ll tell you what I can do, seeing as I’m on my way to the pub, how about I buy you a drink?”

The beggar says no and, “I don’t drink, I’m just looking for money to get something to eat.”

“Well how about I give you a couple of good cigars that I sometimes smoke.”

The homeless man replies: “Sir, thank you but I do not smoke, I only want something to eat.”

“How about we head to the TAB and I’ll place a bet on some horses, I received a tip on, and you and I can split the winnings?”

The homeless man again protests: “I really appreciate your generosity but I do not gamble, I’m just looking for something to eat.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you what we are going to do, come back home with me and my wife will make us some dinner. I would really like her to meet you.”

The homeless man is flabbergasted and says: “Do you think she would mind a homeless man sitting at your table for dinner?”

“Mate, doesn’t matter. She needs to know what happens to someone who doesn’t drink, smoke or gamble.”