Willow Bridge 2008 Cabernet Merlot

Another bargain that totally over delivers at this price. A rich beautifully balanced WA red that should be $20.
This is a label that just keeps getting better and better.

Our Price: $12 per bottle by the mixed or straight dozen


SOLD OUT

Haselgrove 2008 Bella Vigna Shiraz

International Wine Challenge Trophy!

"The Haselgrove Bella Vigna 2008 McLaren Vale Shiraz has surpassed all expectations and has taken out the title of…

BEST McLAREN VALE SHIRAZ in the LONDON INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE for 2010.

The Bella Vigna Shiraz was blind tasted by over 350 judges and as a result, Haselgrove was judged as the producer of the best Shiraz McLaren Vale has to offer. Only 12 Australian producers won trophies at the competition this year, so it is a huge accolade. Then it was awarded 5 Stars by Winestate Magazine in their Shiraz Challenge so it's now in the running for the Winestate Shiraz of the Year award." ...... from the Haselgrove website
.

Our Price: $18 per bottle by the mixed or straight dozen

SOLD OUT

Zilzie 2009 Regional Viognier

$12 for this is verging on the absurd.  A complex intense white it shows all the complexity you'd look for in a 10 year old semillon or riesling. Normally for a three year old white this would be a worry but with the way it's drinking now as well as its future prospects I'm not concerned in the slightest. Still plenty of acid and toasty bottle-aged characters combine in a rare treat for all of you who love quality cellared whites.


Our Price: $12 per bottle by the mixed or straight dozen

SOLD OUT

Zilzie 2009 Selection 23 Merlot

This is a multi regional blend that contains juice from Coonawarra and Wrattonbully as well as its Murray Darling home territory.

A quite extraordinary, over the top drop at this price which is guaranteed to polarise opinions. It oozes a glass and a half of chocolate, moccha and berry flavours that have to be tasted to be believed.
There's a chunky 14.5% a/v that further takes it well out of the run of the mill BBQ red class.
Our Price: $9 per bottle by the mixed or straight dozen


SOLD OUT

Zilzie 2010 Selection 23 Sauvignon Blanc

If you love sauvignon blanc and you want to have a break from NZ this is the one for you.
There's lashings of grassy sauv blanc fruit, steely acidity and a level of crsip dryness that sets it well apart from the market dominating Marlboroughs. We haven't tasted anything better from Oz at this price for a long, long time.

Our Price: $9 per bottle by the mixed or straight dozen

SOLD OUT

Tyrrell's 2015 Old Winery Verdelho

For the umpteenth year in a row Tyrrell's have absolutely nailed this variety under their everyday Old Winery label.
It's crisp, dry, unwooded and deliciously varietally tasty.
Not only does it totally over deliver it's probably the closest you'll get to a wine that everyone will enjoy at a very affordable price.
Think about it.
If you're ever catering to a wide variety of tastes and common sense dictates just one white - this is it. It's perfectly middle palate in flavour without being middle of the road.

Our Price: $10 per bottle by the dozen

SOLD OUT

Trevor Jones 2007 "Boots" Barossa Shiraz

CANCELLED EXPORT ORDER BIN END

This was offered to us while I was in the UK and it was the first tasting sample that hit the glasses on my return.
There wasn't much and I reckon we scored the last pallet.

Initial reaction wasn't good as there was a bit of a stink on the nose but thirty minutes later we'd changed our minds. Three days later we wished we'd been able to get more,.

This is full on Barossa Shiraz that still needs plenty of breathing time so I'd suggest it's also a very fine candidate for the cellar.
It's a rich, ripe red and at 14.5% a/v just manages to stay within the boundaries of elegance and balance. Fruit is much more blackberry than pepper but I've never had a problem with shiraz tasting like cabernet. French oak is well integrated.
If you enjoy $20 reds you'll love this.
In fact the only bad thing is the label - it's a shocker with quite a weird statement on the front. Maybe that was for the Americans.

Screwcap closure. USA back label.
RRP: $18
Our Price: $10 per bottle by the dozen

SOLD OUT

Leconfield 2008 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

WEBSITE SUPER SPECIAL
Sadly very little left of this magnificent red. Gold medal at Sydney 2010 and widely regarded as their best yet.
Here are the Leconfield Website notes

Colour:
Full rich dense red

Bouquet:
The wine has ripe cassis Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with hints of mint overlayed with predominantly French oak to give cedar and cinnamon overtones. Expect the wine to develop classic cigar box characters with age.

Palate:
Full flavoured rich fruit palate with fine long tannins, the palate has excellent richness which reflects the early warmer vintage but still retains the elegance expected of Leconfield Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. The palate finishes with a clean acidity

Food Suggestions:
A wine to be savoured in a large glass in the accompaniment of medium to full flavoured dishes. Try it with venison or quail and roasted vegetables.

Cellaring Potential:
Excellent on release and will age over the next 10-15 years. Expect the cedar and cigar box characters to develop with time.

Our Price: $25 pb by the doz

SOLD OUT

How to open a bottle of wine with a shoe

Now this is totally pointless if you have a screw cap bottle or at the very least a corkscrew. But if, like me, you are caught in Salisbury on a Bank Holiday Sunday with a cork sealed 2008 Bordeaux that you've just grabbed in a last minute rush to Sainsbury's then you may be extremely grateful.
I suppose I could have scrounged a corkscrew from somewhere but this seemed the perfect opportunity to test this little party trick I'd seen. And yes it does work.
A few words of warning though.
The cork's exit speed is much faster in the video than I experienced. Maybe my cork was tighter or I wasn't violent enough. And choose your wall carefully. I recommend a brick external wall with no-one on the other side - otherwise they will come to see what the hell is making the noise and then challenge your sanity.