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Boccaccio e-newsletter 1st July

ANGUS THE BULL CAB SAUV 07

FREE WAITERS FRIEND ON 6 BOTTLES:

IT’S TIME TO GRAB THE BULL BY THE HORNS

Hi everyone,

Sometimes winery owners and marketing people come up with some truly wacky ideas. Most often than not, these ideas never get off the ground, or if they do, fail dismally. One such idea concocted by Hamish MacGowan many years ago has not only worked, but thrived in such a tough marketplace. Smart man I reckon.

Angas the Bull is a wine that most people love: it is thick and rich and full of masses of dark fruits. Perfect to snuggle up to a good piece of meat and if you’re a meat eater, that sounds like a match made in heaven. To top it off this week, we are offering a waiters friend free (valued at $15) on every six bottles of Angas the Bull purchased (not that you will need it for this wine, it is sealed under stelvin!!).

Also on offer this week, is the new released and very highly awaited Cullen Cabernet Merlot 2007 plus some great wines from Toolangi and Te Mata and a couple of back vintage Rieslings’

Take your time and enjoy this week’s e-newsletter.

Cheers,

Anthony D'Anna


THIS WEEKS FEATURE RELEASE:

FREE WAITERS FRIEND (VALUED AT $15) WITH EVERY SIX BOTTLES OF ANGAS THE BULL PURCHASED

Angas The Bull Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

This is one of the succes stories of Aussie red wine over recent years, both here and, especially overseas. It's a great red to drink with steak.

This is the sixth release of Angus and we reckon it's the best yet. It tastes dusty and blackcurranty - there's a lot of flavour here - but it's tannic and dry as it leaves your mouth. It's sturdy and satisfying, the way Cabernet should be. Drink now-2013 92 points, Campbell Mattinson & Gary Walsh, The Big Red Wine Book 2009/10

Dark Purple in colour, this is a wine meant to be drunk with a good piece of red meat. Masses of Dark black fruits, liquorice, anise, dark chocolate and spice. Whilst this is lovely to drink now, a few years in the cellar wouldn’t hurt it either. 93 points Anthony D’Anna

Hamish MacGowan's cabernet is an interesting creation. The concept was to produce a varietal wine specifically geared to accompany prime beef and the origins of the grape material were always to be flexible. As such, the Bull is a multi regional blend of Victorian and SA fruit, each parcel carefully selected and processed to serve the end result in the winemaker's mind. I reckon the project works well and the wine shows typical black berry flavour with traces of dark chocolate and charry wood. Unlike many young cabernet, ready to drink tonight. 4 1/2 STARS Paddy Kendler Herald Sun

 

It took just five vintages for Angus the Bull to make its mark as the wine of choice of many a red-blooded Aussie carnivore. And the release of the sixth vintage is sure to get more doing so, even though 2007 was a horror year for many makers with drought cutting fruit supplies to people like Hamish MacGowan – winemaker and founder of Angus the Bull – by over twenty per cent. To make up for it Hamish had to go "looking further afield," and ended up drawing on supplies from Victoria's and South Australia's premium Cabernet Sauvignon wine regions. The result is the 2007 Angus, a gutsy red with intense dark fruit, chocolate and vanillin flavours and gorgeous savoury oak – a wine to take by the horns. Wine with David Ellis, 8 Dec 2008

 

Big Red. Looking for a terrific wine to enjoy with a steak or a hamburger? The perfect partner for a barbeque? Look no further. This is a deliciously slurpable red with plenty of flavour. It's rich and powerful without being over the top. Great value for under $20. Wine with Winsor Dobson, 5 Dec 2008

 

Regions                 Strathbogie Ranges 25% / Barossa Valley 21% / McLaren Vale 20% /

Goulburn Valley 20% / Swan Hill 10% / Other 4%

Winemaking

 

The philosophy behind Angus The Bull is to create a unique and innovative wine that provides an ideal accompaniment to prime beef. Each year the most promising parcels are hand selected and blended from premium Cabernet Sauvignon grapes sourced from a number of outstanding wine regions across Victoria and South Australia. The flexibility of this multi-regional blending approach provides for great consistency from vintage to vintage and allows for the best attributes of individual regions to be combined for exceptional results.

 

Intense colour with bright purple hues. Ripe black fruits with rich dark chocolate and vanillin smoky oak aromas. Medium to full bodied palate weight, characterised by firm tannins and a bold savoury masculine finish. An ideal accompaniment to red meat and premium cuts of prime beef. Will continue to improve over the next 3-4 years.

"The philosophy behind Angus The Bull is to create a unique and innovative wine that provides an ideal accompaniment to prime beef. Each year the most promising parcels are hand selected and blended from premium Cabernet Sauvignon grapes sourced from a number of outstanding wine regions across Victoria and South Australia. The flexibility of this multi-regional blending approach allows for the best attributes of individual regions to be captured and combined for exceptional results." Hamish MacGowan - Winemaker

ANGUS THE BULL CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007 (S) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $13.99 A BOTTLE AND WITH EVERY SIX BOTTLES PURCHASED, YOU RECIEVE ONE FREE WAITERS FRIEND.


OTHER WINES ON OFFER:

BENCHMARK YARRA VALLEY SHIRAZ

Toolangi Reserve Yarra Valley Shiraz 2005

An elegant, medium-bodied wine, winning by subtle persuasion rather than brute force; silky tannins and fine cherry/plum fruit; fully priced. Rating: 93. To: 2015. James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion, 2009 Edition

 

Toolangi may well be the benchmark Yarra Valley label. Wine quality is excellent, the product of outstanding grapes and inspired winemaking. Reserve Shiraz '05 is complex with smoky, gamey, cherry and plum-like fruit, with a whisper of mint. The silky palate is beautifully sustained, with superb balancing fine tannins. Ageing? drink over six years. 5 out of 5 stars Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age Epicure Wine Style, Summer 2007

 

Incy-wincy yields (1.5 tonne to 0.4 of a hectare) bring lots of concentration to this wine. It has a gorgeous perfume, is plump and silky textured with feather-light tannins. Made at Shadowfax. Jeni Port, The Age Epicure, 14 August 2007

 

This has a medium-bodied yet intense palate, with red berries rather than black fruit, a dusting of warm spices - cinnamon and star-anise - and a gentle layer of toasty oak. It is no blockbuster but all the better for that; a vibrant wine with some Rhone-like complexity. Gourmet Traveller Wine, Qantas Inflight Guide to Wine, 2nd Edition

 

This wine was made from hand picked fruit taken from a select site on our Dixon's Creek vineyard, where the cropping level was adjusted to 1.5 tonnes per acre. Made at Shadowfax by Matt Harrop, this wine was aged in French oak barriques for 15 months.

 

The most intense of the three 2005 shiraz. Black and blue fruit aromatics together with balanced oak and a slight liquered nuance. It has a palate of dark fruits and savoury elements. Strong Rhone elements in this wine make it one of the more interesting shiraz from the Yarra Valley.

Deep red with purple hues. Complex aromas of spice, licorice, red berries and a hint of pepper. These flavours follow onto the palate, where they are wrapped in fine tannins and minerally acidity. A wonderfully complex wine with vibrance and balance which will age gracefully for many years. - Matt Harrop, May 2007

TOOLANGI RESERVE YARRA VALLEY SHIRAZ 2005 (C) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $35.99 A BOTTLE.

STUNNING 2007 VINTAGE RELEASES

FROM CULLEN

Cullen Margaret River Cabernet Merlot 2007

4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot and just for a change here’s a double take that’s only available to subscribers :)

 

Walsh: I didn’t take many notes on this wine, and if I did then I’m not exactly sure where they are right now, but I remember it perfectly well and don’t feel the need to go long on the fruit salad descriptors because this wine is all about structure and length. It’s tight and fine, only medium bodied really, with a bright mulberry and blackcurrant sort of fruit character, a slight but pleasant leafiness that’s both Cabernet and regional and tasteful cedar/vanilla oak in support. Pretty too. The thing that struck me though, was just how long and controlled it was through the mouth. I tasted other wines next to it and they looked distinctly clumsy and abbreviated. Perhaps not the most exciting of wines at present, more subdued and classy, but it’s going to be magic in the long term. Drink 2019-2030+ 95+ points. Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

 

Mattinson: Ah yes I see what you mean. Though it took me a while to come around to this - biodynamically-grown wines are renowned for their ‘brightness’, but the first day I tried this it seemed dull. Perhaps ’subdued’ is a better word. Day two it tasted better but I still wasn’t entirely convinced. Day three it was at its best, its quality clear. Good sign I know though you’d be doing your dough if you were looking to drink it soon-ish. One of the interesting things about 2007 Margaret River cabernet is that the wines generally aren’t thick or ballsy or robust, but they are beautifully ripe and balanced. This wine sure is. It has a lightness of touch, a natural sense of acidity, and strides long and sure out through its finish. I’m with Walsh - it’s a wine characterised by its structure and length. Good news for its future. 94 points. Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

 

Just to fully impose her dominance over Australian fine winemaking, Vanya Cullen doubles her whammy with this astonishing bio-D blend of cabernet sauvignon (84 per cent), merlot (8 per cent); cabernet franc (4 per cent) and petit verdot (4 per cent). It bought to me a vision of a hot gothic! Sultry-musky Mananne, Faithfull sitting with a knife and fork to devour a quivering gelatinous block of arterial blood, blood orange, soot, coffee, ancient oolong tea, and trainline gravel, dusted with gunpowder and the pollen of forests and fields of meadow blooms. It’s an extreme, profoundly beautiful thing. Thirty years in the cellar. Philip White, The Independent Weekly, 19 June 2009

 

This is one of the greatest Diana Madeline’s. The outstanding quality of this wine reflects a combination of the excellent conditions that existed for all red grape varieties during the lead up to the 2007 vintage and the benefits of employing the best biodynamic practices.

 

The vines at the end of winter in 2006 were in exceptionally good health and thus able to capitalise fully on the stimulus provided by an unusually warm spring. The more rapid than usual growth of the vines in the spring resulted in the grapes of the early varieties being ready for harvesting before the end of January, which led to the earliest start to vintage ever recorded at Cullen Wines. Although spring and early summer temperatures were as much as 2.5°C above average, they never became excessive and the vines received the benefit of two good bursts of rainfall at the peak of their growing season.

 

The outstanding quality of the fruit that was produced, particularly the red varieties, during the warm vintage in 2007 provides good evidence that the vines on the Cullen Vineyards are able to adapt very successfully to increases in temperature during the lead up to vintage. This adaptability is attributed to the benefits of employing a well established biodynamic approach to viticulture. From the encouraging experience gained in 2007, the Cullens consider that the effects of global warming on their vines are likely to be limited, which is a huge relief. Cullen Wines

 

The 2007 Diana Madeline was made from 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.

 

The fruit was picked at Baumés ranging from 12.0 to 13.8° and fermentation employed natural yeasts. The wine was matured for 14 months in high quality French oak barriques.

‘An estate-grown wine of the highest quality; since 1990 has been the best Margaret River Cabernet Merlot blend. Up to 1995 both a varietal and a Reserve version were made, but as from that vintage the decision was taken to only release one wine. Consistently outstanding. A blend of 75 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 per cent Merlot and 5 per cent Cabernet Franc. James Halliday

CULLEN DIANA MADELAINE MARGARET RIVER CABERNET MERLOT 2007 (S) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $94.99 A BOTTLE.

Cullen Margaret River Chardonnay 2007

This is the best Australian chardonnay I’ve had. Numbers nuts might like to know its vital statistics are pH 3; natural acid 10g./I; harvested on a full moon fruit day and fermented dry as the Valley of Bones at 13.5 per cent. It is unlike any chardonnay I’ve tasted before. Pepper, ginger, lemon and wet coffee-rock aromas sort of slice at you from the glass. It’s as rapier stiff as any riesling, with an authority and weight that are a formidable, confronting delight. Grown and made biodynamically by Vanya Cullen, it manages both force and finesse in transfixing harmony. And it will live for many years. Philip White, The Independent Weekly, 19 June 2009

 

Kevin Cullen was a passionate believer in the quality of Margaret River as a wine region and particularly of its potential to become one of the great areas for both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. He thus created the Cullen Wines International Chardonnay Tasting, now in its twenty third year, to enable the wines from Margaret River to be compared with the great Chardonnays produced in other prime locations elsewhere in the world. Kevin felt that the lessons learnt from these comparisons would help Cullen Wines optimise the quality of the excellent Chardonnay fruit that was grown on their vineyards. Cullen Wines have decided to recognise Kevin’s pioneering contribution to the elevation of its Chardonnay to prime status by naming this wine the "Kevin John" and thereby form a formidable twin with the Diana Madeline, the Cabernet Sauvignon blend named in honour of his wife.

 

The Chardonnay in 2007 was picked at ideal physiological ripeness, with sugar levels ranging from 12.0 to 13.2° Baumé. The acid levels were outstanding, with the pH being only 3 and the acid at 10g per litre, and thus no acid adjustment was required. The fruit was harvested around a full moon on fruit days in accordance with the best biodynamic practices and then was whole bunch pressed. The juice was transferred directly into French oak barrels, where the wine was matured for 10 months. The quality of this wine demonstrates that 2007 was a very good vintage for white wines as well as for red wines at Cullen.

Complexity and texture are hallmarks of the Cullen Chardonnay. The fruit for this wine is harvested at varying degrees throughout vintage to contribute a range of flavours. The wine is fermented with natural yeasts and maturated in French oak for seven to ten months. In order to preserve flavour and texture the wine has, if any at all, a light fining and filtration just prior to bottling. Cullen Chardonnay will cellar well for up to ten years.

CULLEN MARGARET RIVER CABERNET MERLOT 2007 (S) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $59.99 A BOTTLE.

BABY COLERAINE DELIVERS THE GOODS

Te Mata Awatea Cabernet Merlot 2007

Te Mata Estate Coleraine is arguably New Zealand’s greatest red wine. Certainly, it’s been produced for a long time, 26 vintages, and has been at or near the totem most of that time. These days it could be argued that pinot noir is NZ’s most successful red variety. But Te Mata Estate Coleraine was the fi rst Kiwi cabernet blend to rock the world, which it did from its fi rst vintage, 1982. It was based on a single vineyard surrounding owner John Buck’s house in the Hawkes Bay region.

I will never forget tasting the ’82, at a Sydney shop The Oak Barrel, when it was released in the early ‘80s. I’d never tasted a half-decent Kiwi red wine till then (pinot noir being a good decade away), and I was gobsmacked.

Te Mata’s second-string red is called Awatea. Both are blends of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. The price of both has escalated, although Awatea is still aff ordable at $42 to $45 (Coleraine is $81 to $88). The 2007 vintages of both wines are superb. Coleraine is more heavily oaked and more tannic: deeper, tighter and built to age longer. A great wine without doubt, although you need to cellar it at least fi ve years, preferably 10 to 15, to get your full pay-off .

You expect a mind-bending wine with Coleraine. But the ’07 Awatea is the more startling, because it’s probably the best Awatea yet – certainly the best I can recall. It is more accessible, less tannic, more fruit driven and full of charm, especially if you give it some air. Very good concentration, soft tannins, moderate oak and, like Coleraine, superbly ripe fruit fl avours in the dark-berry spectrum, without any herbaceousness. I’d expect it to also cellar 15years. Huon Hooke, The Sydney Morning Herald, Good Weekend Saturday 20th June 2009

Te Mata Estate’s 2007 reds are indeed intensely concentrated yet still demonstrate restraint in their power and style. Te Mata Estate’s top tier reds, Bullnose Syrah, Awatea and Coleraine, all exhibit superbly ripe fruit notes together with perfect harmony and balance. They are lovely to taste now but will cellar for many years developing spectacular complexity. SAM KIM YOUR WEEKEND Magazine, Dominion Post, 28 March 2009

Awatea takes its name from the legendary ship SS Awatea (a Maori word meaning "Eye of the Dawn") that sailed the Auckland – Sydney – Wellington route in the late 1930’s. The Awatea was requisitioned as a troop transport in WWII and was sunk off Algeria in 1942.

The vineyard is named Awatea as it is owned by the Austen-Smith family who had connections to both the Union Shipping Company and the NZ Shipping Company. An earlier branch of the family had purchased various fittings that were stripped from the Awatea when it was requisitioned as a troop carrier in WW2. The following generation named the vineyard Awatea to maintain the family connection to the ship; Te Mata Estate and the Austen-Smith family asked the Union Shipping Company permission to use the ships name and image on the wine in recognition of this link between the wine, the vineyard, the family and their connection to the SS Awatea.

First made in 1982, and originally a single vineyard wine, Awatea is now produced from over thirty separate cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot wines made from Te Mata Estate's nine Hawke's Bay vineyards. When Awatea is well cellared it develops and intensifies in bottle for 8-12 years from harvest.

TE MATA AWATEA CABERNET MERLOT 2007 (C) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $37.99 A BOTTLE.

LAST STOCKS OF LANGI 2005...

Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz 2005

Awards:

Trophy - National Wine Show of Australia 2006 Best Dry Red Table Wine - 2005 Vintage

Trophy - National Wine Show of Australia 2007 Best Dry Red Table Wine - 2005 Vintage

Deep, dark purple on colour. Ripe and plush on the nose, with dark brambly red fruits, spice and hints of white pepper. A beautifully layered and textured palate with dark red fruits, plum, anice and blackberry all leading to a firm but fine finish. Awesome wine. Cellar 2008-2018 95 points Anthony D'Anna

'Previously a Pinot Noir winemaker, Buckle has a Burgundian mentality. He uses open fermenters and small parcels of fruit to reflect terroir and selects fruit for optimal aromatic elements. This gives the wines an elegant floral quality while retaining the ripe black fruit juiciness which Australia can achieve so well. TheCliff Edge 2004also displays some judicious cedar elements and an attractively firm tannin structure as well as black pepper. Their flagship Langi 2005 is a super-charged version that is savoury, refined, highly perfumed, a pronounced fruit syrup with spicebox and blackberry notes and a long, elegant finish.' Jancis Robinson

Ghiran’s releases this year are like an entire Album of greatest hits and the Blue Label is the title track. Controlled, spicy and red fruited, this is probably the most compact yet expressive wines in our list this year, and it’s the finest wine ever made in Mount Ararat! Taste 2008, Matthew Jukes & Tyson Stelzer

MOUNT LANGI GHIRAN SHIRAZ 2005 (S) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $49.99 A BOTTLE.

At Boccaccio, we keep a massive collection of back vintage wine that has been stored by us since the day it was released. We don’t buy from auction, rather guarantee the providence of all out aged wines. This week we go back to the classic Riesling vintage of 2002 and showcase two beauties. Anthony D’Anna

2002 VINTAGE RIESLING: A CLASSIC YEAR

Leasingham Bin 7 Clare Valley Riesling 2002

A classic wine from a classic region made in a classic vintage - sounds like pure hyperbole, but it happens to be true. A clean and crisp bouquet of light citrus, spice and mineral flows into an impeccably balanced palate with all the components to guarantee (and repay) extended cellaring.

Rating 94 Drink 2015 Date Tasted Oct 02  James Halliday

 

 Austere and lemony, with a sizzling crimp of tangy, fruity acid on the extended finish and a fair flair of blossomy flavours throughout. Pale and fresh. Back in top form after a disappointing 2001.

Rated : 93 Points Drink : 2006-2017 Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

The wine has a rich history; the vineyards were planted in the 1940s against contemporary thinking in the 1960s when a newly graduated Tim Knappstein arrived at Leasingham, and proceeded to make Bin 7 one of Australia's most highly rated white wines. Thirty years later, the 50-year-old vines have been reworked with a new trellis and vertical spur positioning to produce even better grapes. James Halliday

LEASINGHAM BIN 7 CLARE VALLEY RIESLING 2002 (S) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $24.99 A BOTTLE.

AND AN AGED LEO BURING LEONAY AT IT’S BEST

Leo Buring DW F18 Leonay Watervale Riesling 2002

This just start starting to come through it's awkard period and it is still in great shape. It is nicely balanced with primary and secondary flavour's all having a say. Prominent lemon juice, fennel, minerals, honey dew and white nectarine are all there with enough acidity in the tank to keep it alive for many years to come. 93 points Anthony D'Anna

 

Light green-yellow; an intense yet superfine bouquet with ripe lime/citrus aromatics. The long and fine palate has great balance and excellent mouthfeel, intense, but not heavy. A touch of CO2 is not overly distracting. Rating 94 Drink 2014 Date Tasted Jul 02 James Halliday

 

Over the years, Leo Buring has established a reputation as Australia's foremost maker of Riesling – the flagship being Leo Buring Leonay. They combine intense fruit flavours with great elegance. The wines age gracefully and acquire a great depth of toasty flavour while still retaining great freshness, and avoiding the kerosene -like character that hampers other aged Rieslings.

'Firm, steely, minerally, flinty; shy but deep; long term potential. 2007-2022.' - Huon Hook's Top 20 Rieslings.

LEO BURING DW F18 LEONAY WATERVALE RIESLING 2002 (S) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $44.99 A BOTTLE.


HIGHLIGHTS FROM PREVIOUS WEEKS:

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2006

The composition varies little from vintage to vintage, drawing on the Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, Padthaway, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, the Clare Valley and Bordertown. Great colour, it is an intense and complex wine of great breed, with many layers of chocolate and black fruits, the powerful tannins in balance; American oak likewise. Screwcap; 14.5% alc; to 2036 Rating: 96 James Halliday

 

Bin 389 legend continues. Say what you will about Penfolds and/or Foster’s … Bin 389 has soared on regardless. This year it’s a blend of cabernet (52 per cent) with shiraz (48 per cent), matured in only twenty-two per cent new oak. Fantastic attack of flavour, grip through the finish, balance and harmony. Complete Australian red wine. Bold but restrained, herbal and vanillin but full of powerful, ripe, assertively dark fruit. The finish is long and satisfying and cabernet’s rugged control keeps the wine’s sense of ‘flow’ strict and focussed. Drink : 2012 - 2024 95 points Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

PENFOLDS BIN 389 CABERNET SHIRAZ 2006 (S) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $42.99 A BOTTLE.

Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Mattinson: I often like Bin 407 but even so, I don’t have an affection for it. It was one of the first wines to ‘burn’ me - one of the first wines that I bought in volume on the back of a review, but then didn’t end up liking, even given some time in the cellar. I’ve approached it sceptically ever since. Over the past few years I’ve come to like it increasingly more though, and while I don’t think this 2006 is either a great wine or great value, I do think the quality is very good.

 

It’s medium-weight, olivey, fleshed with blackcurrant and spicy, cedary French oak. It has chalky, violetty, herbal influences but the thing I really like is that it’s pure cabernet made unashamedly for cabernet lovers – it’s not a shiraz wannabe. It tastes of nothing other than cabernet. There’s a sticky-date sweetness through the aftertaste and gorgeous, velvety texture. Real length too, and real potential. 93 points for me. Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

 

Walsh: I’m a big fan of both the ‘96 and ‘04 vintages of this wine and good bottles of the ‘96 are only just starting to sing. I love the balance this strikes between strong blackcurrant/Cassis fruit and subtle dusty bay leaf characters - oak a minor player. It’s rich but distinctly Cabernet - full firm chalky tannins, savoury earthy flavours mingling with sweet ripe fruit - actually reminds me of a Margaret River wine in many respects. Length and depth all bang on. Fabulous wine. Emphatic approval. 94 points. Drink: 2010-2030 Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

Launched in 1993 with the 1990 vintage, Penfolds Bin 407 was developed by Penfolds Chief Winemaker, John Duval, in response to the increasing availability of high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. Inspired by Penfolds Bin 707, Bin 407 offers varietal definition and attention to detail, at a more affordable price point. A textbook Cabernet, Bin 407 is true to Penfolds' multi-region, multi-vineyard blending policy, showing a core of ripe fruit supported by French and American oak.

PENFOLDS BIN 407 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006 (S) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $35.99 A BOTTLE.

ONE OF THE GREATEST LEHMAN WINES?

Peter Lehmann Stonewell Barossa Valley Shiraz 2004

A perfect wine (I didn’t flinch in giving it 20/20) and in my opinion this is the greatest Stonewell ever. The 2004 is a life changing experience in every respect and you must still remind yourself that it is mind-blowing value for money, given that it costs around the same as a half decent bottle of NV Champagne. I cannot stress to you just how incredible this wine is. So beg, borrow or steal to get an allocation... and I will see you in the queue. MATTHEW JUKES, 100 Best Australian Wines 2009

 

Stonewell is made from the very best of the superlative Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz vineyards. The grapes are drawn only from low-yielding vineyards in the drier western areas of the Barossa Valley. These vineyards, some planted well over 100 years ago, produce sparse bunches with tiny berries – small black jewels – the secret of Stonewell Shiraz.

The wine is made solely from low-yielding old vineyards of the Stonewell, Ebenezer and Moppa subdistricts of the Barossa Valley. The fermentation is finished in 85 per cent new American oak and 15 per cent French oak in which it is then matured for two years prior to bottling. It is then given three years bottle-age before release. The wine has a supremely illustrious show record, with many major trophies to its credit. James Halliday

PETER LEHMANN STONEWELL BAROSSA VALLEY SHIRAZ 2004 (C) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $74.99 A BOTTLE.

07 LECONFIELD COONAWARRA CAB SAUV

Leconfield Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Impressive Cabernet: dark purple in the glass; the nose is a deep and intense with cigar box, cassis, cedar and spice. This wine really powers through the palate with rich dark fruits, hints of oak in the background and a lovely lifted finish. 92 points Anthony D’Anna

 

Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon has been the flagship of Leconfield since the first release in 1977. Our philosophy is to produce a Cabernet Sauvignon displaying both depth and elegance where oak complexes and enhances the fruit but is not allowed to dominate. Most of the components that have made up this wine have been allowed to complete fermentation in predominantly French oak and were blended with a small percentage that had extended contact with grape skins for several weeks. Harvest was on the 10 and 11th of April. Oak maturation was in predominantly new hogsheads which had several workings to soften the tannins and fill-out the flavour. The wine received a light egg fining and gentle filtration before bottling on the 27th February 2009.

Leconfield's winemakers Paul Gordon and Tim Bailey continue to impress judges with their high winemaking standards.

LECONFIELD COONAWARRA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007 (S) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $26.99 A BOTTLE.

GREAT VALUE SUB $20 WINTER DRINKING

Guigal Cote du Rhone Rouge 2005

A blend of 50% Syrah and 50% Grenache, the 2005 Cotes du Rhone is a real head turner. Full-bodied, with a deep ruby/purple color and sweet notes of berry fruit, a hint of road tar, and some pepper, the wine is dense, chewy, ripe, and a surprisingly big mouthful of juicy, velvety-textured wine to drink over the next 3-4 years. Drink 2007 - 2011 89 points Robert Parker Wine Advocate # 173 Oct 2007

The Rhone Valley’s most successful producer continues to ratchet up the level of quality of his Cotes du Rhone cuvees, of which he produces hundreds of thousands of cases. Both Marcel Guigal and his son Philippe realize how important quality is and demonstrate that commitment in these lower level wines. They just get better and better, which is incredibly admirable. Robert Parker Wine Advocate

GUIGAL COTE DU RHONE ROUGE 2005 (C) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $17.99 A BOTTLE.

A MUST FOR ANY PINOT NOIR LOVER

Bass Phillip Estate Pinot Noir 2007

Typical Bass Phillip in all regards. I think this is a very good Bass Phillip with being one of the great Bass Phillips. Will I be putting this in my cellar? Yep definately. Quite murky in colour; strawberries, forest floor; rhubarb and cherries on the nose. The palate is quite delicate and feminine but with plenty of acidty and structure. 93 points Anthony D'Anna

 

Bass Phillip is located in prime dairy country near Leongatha in South Gippsland in an area widely known for its regular rainfall pattern. The vineyards have a north-easterly aspect and are planted on deep silty loams with a high iron content, a factor that gives tremendous colour to the fruit.

 

Rigorous triaging of fruit, together with an almost insane passion and attention to detail, has resulted in the most exquisite of Australian Pinot Noirs. The wines have beautiful, black cherry, floral and gamey aromas, supple, velvety tannins, underlying smoky oak and plenty of length. In recent years, he has developed new vineyards to become commercially more comfortable without compromising quality. The market is already embracing the Old Cellar Pinot Noir and Crown Prince Pinot Noir, off relatively young vines. The Reserve Pinot Noir is almost impossible to get, but is arguably the greatest Pinot Noir produced in Australia. These wines are on the fringe of the cult scene and can perform spectacularly well. Andrew Caillard, MW

Phillip Jones has retired from the Melbourne rat-race to handcraft tiny quantities of superlative Pinot Noir which, at its best, has no equal in Australia. Painstaking site selection, ultra-close vine spacing and the very, very cool climate of South Gippsland are the keys to the magic of Bass Phillip and its eerily Burgundian Pinots. James Halliday

BASS PHILLIP ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2007 (C) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $69.99 A BOTTLE.

WITH WINTER HERE – IT IS TIME TO CRACK OPEN THE SEPPELT MUSCAT AND TOKAY

Seppeltsfield Grand Rutherglen Muscat 500ml

Deep, tawny brown with a olive green hue. The nose is rich and expressive with raisined fruit, rose petal and floral aromatics combining seamlessly, with delicate spirit and integrated small oak complexity. An excellent example of the Rutherglen style - a smooth and rich palate, luscious viscosity and impressive length. Rainsined fruit, caramel and spicy, plum pudding flavours combine before a long, lingering finish.

Deep mahogany brown, with a mix of gold and green on the rim. Rich, raisined, spicy plum pudding aromas are lifted by perfectly balanced and integrated spirit. The powerful, complex and rich palate - plum pudding and Christmas cake - has a very long, lingering finish. 96/100 James Halliday

SEPPELTSFIELD GRAND RUTHERGLEN MUSCAT 500ML IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $28.99 A BOTTLE.

Seppeltsfield Grand Rutherglen Tokay 500ml

No other winemaker in Australia can boast such a collection of fine old fortified wine stocks dating back to last century. At present, Seppeltsfield has more than 9 million litres of fortifieds maturing in specially built cellars, some dating back to 1878

 

The Seppelt DP 57 Grand Rutherglen Tokay is sourced from premium parcels of fruit and aged in small oak casks to produce a wine with luscious toffee-honey flavours, rich aged complexity and lingering length. The essence of Rutherglen Tokay is an ideal accompaniment to chocolate-based desserts.

Mahogany gold; complex, sweet and rich tea-leaf, raisin and plum pudding aromas are followed by an equally complex, multi-flavoured palate which leaves the mouth fresh thanks to its perfect balance. 94/100 James Halliday

SEPPELTSFIELD GRAND RUTHERGLEN TOKAY 500ML IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $28.99 A BOTTLE.

& THE PERFECT DRINK WITH WINTER SOUP

Delgado Zuleta 'La Goya' Manzanilla 375ml

I’ve been drinking this wine frequently, as I knew I would when I gave up the struggle and bought it. Spanish Manzanilla, screwcapped and rushed to Australia within weeks of being bottled, is utterly addictive. It’s bone dry, tangy and perfectly balanced; all the descriptors relate to its inimitable texture and structure. Baskets of fruit are not what this wine is about: indeed, its very neutrality is its greatest strength, for it will match any food of any description you care to throw against it. Then again, it is equally at home as an aperitif, which is where I start each night. It comes in 375 ml bottles, and must be served chilled, kept in the fridge once opened, and the remaining wine consumed within days. Given its alcohol level of only 15% alc/vol, this is not an imperative that presents any problem for me. Its price of around $22 (375 ml) means the addiction comes cheap. James Halliday

 

ELGADO ZULETA is the oldest family owned winery in the Jerez-Xèréz-Sherry & Manzanilla district currently maturing and commercialising Manzanilla,Sherry and "Tierra de Cádiz" still white wine.It is located in Sanlucar de Barrameda, a small coastal town at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River, facing the Atlantic Ocean and the Doñana Natural Park. DELGADO ZULETA was established in 1744 by Francisco Gil de Ledesma, Knight of the Order of Calatrava and Sanlucar Honorary Mayor. The current name honours Mr José María Delgado Zuleta, a navy officer and skilful business man that ran the company after marrying a direct descendant of its founder. That was a time of great growth and notorietyas the company became official suppliers of the Spanish Royal Court.

 

The history: In 1918, a famous flamenco dancer and well known Cuple singer, Aurora Jauffre, allowed the winery to use her artistic name "La Goya" for their very best Manzanilla.

Since then "La Goya" has been a reference of quality in the most important Manzanilla markets. These include Sanlucar de Barrameda, Manzanilla origin, where today the brand maintains its leading position. In 1930 their majestics King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia, grandparents of the present King of Spain, honoured our Botas by placing their signature. The vineyards that have been in the family for over 200 years are located between the famous pagos of Miraflores and Pastranilla. Their special Albariza soils makes them part of the "Jerez Superior" area. THE CELLARS are strategically situated in the most humid areas of Sanlucar de Barrameda to get the ideal conditions for the formation of the "flor", which is essential to mature Manzanilla. The buildings are divided between the Old Town or "Barrio Alto" and the Dehesilla zone.

DELGADO ZULETA ‘LA GOYA’ MANZANILLA 375ML (S) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $14.99 A BOTTLE.

AN UNLABELLED CLARE-COONAWARRA CABERNET SAUVIGNON THAT DRINKS WELL ABOVE IT’S WEIGHT

Unlabelled Clare Valley/Coonawarra 'The Twin' Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

From two different vineyard blocks, one in the heart of the Clare Valley, the other in Coonawarra, we present our Unlabelled Clare Valley 'The Twin' Cabernet Sauvignon 2006.

 

You must always expect the unexpected because life is full of surprises.

 

This wine has a history and pedigree that we have all come to expect from the Clare Valley. We see this wine as the forgotten 'twin' to our 'Against At Odd's' that we so famously adopted.

 

At $8.00 use it as your pizza wine but please don't forget that it is a serious wine from a very good producer that will benefit with some bottle age.

UNLABELLED CLARE VALLEY/COONAWARRA ‘THE TWIN’ CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2006 (S) IS AVAILABLE WHILST STOCKS LAST FOR $8.00 A BOTTLE.


 PLEASE NOTE: (S) SCREWCAP, (C) CORK


 

F A M I L Y   O W N E D  F I N E  W I N E  M E R C H A N T S  S I N C E  1 9 6 3

 

Riesling offers

Unlabelled Clare Valley 'The Greatest' Riesling 2008 is available for $8.00 a bottle.

Jim Barry Watervale Valley Riesling 2008 is available for $12.99 a bottle

Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling 2008 is available for $24.99 a bottle.

 

Chardonnay offers

Williams Crossing Chardonnay 2007 is available until stocks last for $20.99 a bottle.

Wickhams Road Gippsland Chardonnay 2007 is available until stocks last for $14.99 a bottle.

Hoddles Creek Unoaked Chardonnay 2006 is available for $17.99 a bottle..

 

Semillon offers

McWilliams Elizabeth Semillon 2004 is available for $13.99 a bottle.

Peter Lehmann Semillon 2006 is available for $9.99 a bottle.

Tyrrells Vat 1 Hunter Valley Semillon 2002 is available for $35.99 a bottle.

 

Shiraz offers

Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz 2006 is available for $13.99 a bottle.

White Box Heathcote Shiraz 2006 is available for $15.99 a bottle.

McWilliams Mount Pleasant Phillip Shiraz 2005 is available for $13.99 a bottle.

 

Cabernet Sauvignon offers

Wirra Wirra Church Block Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2007 is available for $16.99 a bottle.

Balnaves Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 is available for $29.99 a bottle.

Barwang Hilltops Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 is available for $14.99 a bottle.

 

Pinot Noir

Curly Flat Macedon Pinot Noir 2006 is available for $44.99 a bottle.

Stoniers Pinot Noir 2007 is available for $23.99 a bottle

 

Sauvignon Blanc offers

Villa Maria Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008 is available for $19.99 a bottle.

Lawsons Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2008 is available for $17.99 a bottle.

Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008 is available until stocks last for $16.99 a bottle.

 

Sparkling offers

Chandon Vintage 2005 is available for $29.99 a bottle.

Moet Chandon Non Vintage is available for $59.99 a bottle.

 

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