Racers & Rascals come to Cooden Cellars!

No, I'm sorry, Dick Darstadly, Peter Perfect and Penelope Pitstop haven't joined us, and neither has Leslie Phillips (I say, rather!), but even better, I am very excited to report that we have back in stock a lovely Pinot Noir from a small production estate; Killara Park Estate in the Yarra Valley, Australia.

The Yarra Valley region is renowned for producing premium cool climate wines of great flavour and complexity, and Killara Park Estate in particular has a long history of producing these top quality wines.

So, what has all this got to do with racing and rascals I hear you ask? Well, you see, the estate have called this particular wine of theirs 'Racers and Rascals'.

For me as a classic car enthusiast it was the name that first caught my attention. However we do not stock wines simply because they have a catchy name or pretty label! The wine has to be of good quality, and my word, this is lovely!

James Halliday (one of the most respected authorities on Aussie wines) says "Unpretentious Pinot - does have the authentic varietal expression and kicks on to the finish. 89/100."

There are £20 wines and over that don't score 89 or more so at £9.99 this really is an excellent value Pinot Noir.

A quick history behind the name:

Racers and Rascals is a book which encapsulates the history of the Vintage Sports Car Club of Victoria. It faithfully records the wide range of vehicles and events which took place since the Clubs beginnings in the late 1940's.

The first reference in the book to the Killara Park property details the cars and drivers for the second event to be run by the VSCC. That event took place on March 17th 1946 and was held on the Killara Park property. Killara Park features throughout the early stages of the Clubs history with the details of quarter mile acceleration trials in March and November of 1947.

As the Killara property is now home 200 acres of grape vines, it seemed fitting that the Racers and Rascals title was chosen for a range of wines produced on that property.

They are wines designed for fun casual drinking and would seem to fit into the legacy of the Racers and Rascals who enjoyed the hospitality of Killara Park way back in the 1940's.

So, whether you're a racer, a rascal, or both (!) this wine complements perfectly the fun, humour, skill, quality and determination that both characters need to succeed.

Find the wine here.

Blog written by: John Martin