Thursday, March 17, 2011

Trevor Jones 2009 Sticky Boots [375ml]


It's near impossible to get botrytis in the Barossa Valley. The fruit for this was from cordon cut Semillon, grown on the valley floor, from the Dorrien area, west of the Barossa Valley Highway half way between Tanunda and Nuriootpa. Which helps explain why I couldn't detect botrytis but was amazed by an extraordinary complexity that was far more than you could hope for from a simple late picked grape. It's not Noble One but it's a superb dessert wine at a ridiculous bargain basement clearance price.

Our Price: $10 per bottle by the dozen
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Tyrrell's 2010 Lost Block Semillon

This is the Hunter Semillon style that can be enjoyed young as a sensational alternative to rieslings or sauvignon blancs. The 11.5% a/v makes it an ideal lunchtime drop and it could be a candidate for short term cellaring but I'd be more inclined to quaff it over the next 12 months. This is well priced at $18 - $20 so $12 really is a bargain.


Our Price: $12 per bottle by the dozen
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Tyrrell's 2008 Lost Block Cabernet Sauvignon


Don't even hesitate about this one - order it now!
The fruit is from WA's Great Southern region so this is essentially a quality cool climate cabernet at an irrigation price.
Palate is midweight with an appealing elegance and subtlety that keeps drawing you back for another sip. Alcohol is 14% but not overt.
This is an absolute star that you'll wish you ordered more off.

Our Price: $12 per bottle by the dozen

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Philip Shaw 2009 "The Wirewalker" Pinot Noir

2009
WEBSITE SUPER SPECIAL

RRP: $20
Our Price: $15 per bottle by the dozen

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Philip Shaw 2009 "The Idiot" Shiraz


Best Red Trophy at the 2011 Royal Sydney Wine Show
Results were announced late last week and we unhesitatingly snapped up our allocation.
Philip Shaw's 2009 "The Idiot" Shiraz from Orange scored three Trophies including the BIG ONE for red wines - the Gilbert Philip for best red of the show.

"Shiraz from Orange is quite unique in style compared to most other regions in Australia and is more reminiscent of the Northern Rhone, France. Our Idiot Shiraz is a young wine that has a lovely colour, deep red with some purple hues. The aroma is spicy, lifted and intense.
There is an appealing liquorice character to the intense fruit aromas. Bright full fruit flavours in a medium-bodied package; classic cool area shiraz, some spice integrated with red fruits; lovely soft tannins and finish." PSW Website notes

CLASS: S018 THE LIQUOR MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA PERENNIAL TROPHY. Donated by The Liquor Merchants
Association of Australia, to the Exhibitor of the best Varietal Wine, Shiraz from Classes 32 and 36 to 37.
Winner PHILIP SHAW WINES ORANGE NSW 2800
THE IDIOT BY PHILIP SHAW v. 2009

CLASS: S020 THE DR GILBERT PHILLIPS MEMORIAL PERPETUAL TROPHY. Donated by the Wine Society, to the Exhibitor of the best
Red Wine of the Show.
Winner PHILIP SHAW WINES ORANGE NSW 2800
THE IDIOT BY PHILIP SHAW v. 2009

CLASS: S035 THE JAMES BUSBY ANNUAL PRIZE Supported by Industry & Investment NSW, presented to the maker of the Best Wine or
Brandy entered by an Exhibitor from New South Wales in any class.
Winner PHILIP SHAW WINES ORANGE NSW 2800
THE IDIOT BY PHILIP SHAW v. 2009

Our Price $18 per bottle by the dozen

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Kaimira Estate Nelson 2009 "Brightwater" Sauvignon Blanc

I'm not usually a fan of Kiwi sauvignon Blancs that have seen the inside of an oak barrel but this one is a beauty. And while you may like to read the maker's notes below I'll sum it up in one word - TEXTURE.
While many of us love the surplus of slurpable Marlborough sauv blancs this is a much more serious wine. It's all about the texture that makesthis so memorable and so enjoyable. It's tending towards Sancerre austerity but not quite to the extent of the recent De Bortoli offering.
We road tested the sample we were sent from NZ over three days and I can confidently assure you this will drink brilliantly over the next few years.

Don't buy it if Marlborough savvys are the only wines you've been pouring into your glass in recent times. But don't hesitate if you enjoy serious $20+ complex dry whites.

Producer's Tasting Notes
A fresh and zingy Sauvignon Blanc with aromatics including fresh herbs [fennel , mint , blackcurrant] , ripe citrus and apple. This is a dry style Sauvignon with a silky front palate and a juicy apple tartness that drives the wine through an array of vibrant flavours. The fruit weight and barrel fermented portion lend richness and intensity, while the signature minerality of Brightwater fruit gives an extra layer of complexity to the wine. Finishes long and dry with lingering passionfruit
Winemaking Notes
Fruit for this wine was sourced from several blocks on the two Estate vineyards in B ightwater. The blocks were picked at varying ripeness levels from 20º - 22º Brix, which represents a broad spectrum of ripeness levels, and therefore flavours in the finished wine. Fruit was machine harvested then crushed followed by quick and gentle pressing. This process was reductive, avoiding juice oxidation and the majority of the clear juice was cool fermented with various commercial yeasts in stainless steel tanks.Temperature control ensured the ferments were long and slow to retain primary fruit character . For this tank portion, post- fermentation lees influence was kept to a minimum to preserve frui t character. A 10% portion was fermented in old oak barrels and matured on lees for several months to give added palate weight and texture without any true oak character being imparted to the wine. The separate portions were blended and stabilized before sterile filtration and bottling in December 2009.
Wine Analysis
Residual sugar 3.4g/l, Titratable acidi ty 7.6g/l , pH 316 Alcohol 12.5%
Silver medal, San Francisco International Wine Competition
Our Price: $10 per bottle by the dozen

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