d'Arenberg 2009 Ironstone Pressings Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre

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Cellar Door $60
Our Price: $45 per bottle by the dozen

SOLD OUT

d'Arenberg 2008 The Galvo Garage Cabernet Blend

Pre-Christmas special extended while stocks last

I love this whole concept. From the winemaking to the imagery. Here's the Osborn family explanation of this wine together with a video of Chester. Which is as highly recommended as the wine.

"2008 The Galvo Garage Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cabernet Franc Petit Verdot McLaren Vale (85%) Adelaide Hills (15%) Cabernet Sauvignon (72%), Merlot (13%), Cabernet Franc (9%), Petit Verdot (6%)

The Story Behind The Name

Garagist’ is a French term used to describe producers in Bordeaux that make wine in their garage outside of the strict ‘Appellation Controlee’ system. d’Arenberg wines are all made in a small-batch processing, very hands-on way (or feet, as the reds are all foot-trod) as the garagists’ do. Our reds are all made in the old galvanised garage/shed/winery, hence ‘Galvo’.

The Characteristics

The nose is lifted and very alluring, violets mingle with blackcurrant, mint and dark plums with a twist of aromatic spicy cedar.
The palate is full and spicy, classic cassis provides the core along with flowers, spice and complexing hints of cold meats. The tannins are long, textural and linear, providing structure and elegance. There’s a mineral freshness to this wine keeping it bright and lively, balancing the juiciness of the fruit, right through the persistent finish.
If cellared correctly this wine will drink well until 2018, as with all of our red wines, no filtering or fining was undertaken, so please decant prior to drinking."
http://darenberg.com.au/wine/9/2008-The-Galvo-Garage-Cabernet-Sauvignon-Merlot-Cabernet-Franc-Petit-Verdot

Cellar Door $29
Our Price: $23 per bottle by the dozen

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d'Arenberg 2009 The Sticks and Stones Tempranillo Blend

Pre-Christmas special extended while stocks last.
We have a Blog Label "Red wines with a difference" - it could have been created for this one!
This is a four variety mix of Tempranillo, Grenache, Tinta Cao and Souzao and I suspect most of you have never heard of, let alone tasted, the last two varieties.
Once again it's a master class in winemaker's blending skills to create a red that was good enough to win GOLD at the 2012 HOUSTON Livestock International Wine Show.
I kid you not, two obscure grape varieties and the best wine show name I've heard since Wolf Blass was winning gold in Ljubljana. This would be the wine to win any Options game.

Cellar Door $29
Our Price: $23 per bottle by the dozen
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d'Arenberg 2010 d'Arry's Original Shiraz Grenache

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This wine is as much a living legend as the man who created it. It's the definitive Shiraz Grenache blend, made from 19th century vines, that's a contemporary tribute to a past era.
Fruit is foot crushed, open fermented, neither fined or filtered and spends just 9 months in oak.

It's the Original, it's a classic and most definitely a benchmark. A steal at this price.

Cellar Door $18
Our Price: $14 per bottle by the dozen
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d'Arenberg 2009 Last Ditch Viognier

Pre-Christmas special extended while stocks last.
This is made from the first viognier vines planted in the Adelaide Hills in the mid 1990s. Grapes were handpicked and the soft press juice fermented and  matured in small French oak for 9 months.

Cellar Door $20
Our Price: $15 per bottle by the dozen

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d'Arenberg 2012 Olive Grove Chardonnay

Pre-Christmas special extended while stocks last.
A McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills blend also fermented and matured in both American and French oak. No wonder so many winemakers have chardonnay as their favourite variety - there are just so many things you can do with the stuff.

Cellar Door $15
Our Price: $13 per bottle by the dozen

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d'Arenberg 2012 The Dry Dam Riesling

Pre-Christmas special extended while stocks last

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Gold Medal winner 2012 Royal Melbourne Wine Show
Gold Medal winner 2012 New Zealand International Wine Show

Cellar Door $15
Our Price: $13 per bottle by the dozen
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Hope Estate "The Cracker" WA Cabernet Merlot

The grapes were grown at Donnybrook in the Geographe wine region of WA. The juice was then trucked across the Nullabor to the Hunter Valley where it was fermented and the wine was created.

I discovered this cracker on a recent zip through the Hunter, tasting 30 wines in less than 3 hours, that also unearthed the McWilliams 1877. What I particularly like about it is the extraordinary high level of fruit sweetness that they've been able to achieve at 14% a/v with a wine that's still in perfect balance. It gives me that rarity of a serious red with a level of sweetness that will appeal to the beginners

Our Price: $17 per bottle by the dozen

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Pauletts 2013 Polish Hill River Riesling

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My favourite white variety from one of my favourite winemakers. It's a wonderful combination which interestingly is Neil Paulett's favourite adjective when describing this wine. It's just been released and is perfect for this summer or long term cellaring.

Our Price: $18 per bottle by the dozen

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Shottesbrooke 2010 Estate Range McLaren Vale Merlot

Nick Holmes kicked off McLaren Vale's Shottesbrooke way back in 1984. He was one of the nice guys of the Australian wine industry who I really enjoyed catching up with during the Trade Show season each year.
They seem like distant memories now with Trade Shows not what they used to be and Nick more in the background nowadays. I've sold plenty of their wines in past years but the contact lapsed.

But now they're back under the care of Wayne the Bird who is very much of the old school and understands I do need to taste wines before I recommend them [you'd be surprised how many reps just don't get that] So eleven days ago Wayne brought in 7 open bottles for me to try. The two cheapies were perfectly pleasant but there are plenty of those around. It was the five Estate wines that wowed me and while we don't particularly need another Sauvignon Blanc or Shiraz at the moment, they were too good ignore.

My favourite, just nudging the cabernet, is this. Produced from 30yo vines they were planted to provide a blending option with Cabernet but Nick realised that this Merlot excelled as a stand alone variety. A happy accident perhaps but this is the best Merlot I've tasted in years. A medium weight, complex, intriguing red in perfect balance. This will be one of our stars over the next few months,
 Our Price: $17 per bottle by the dozen

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McWilliams "1877" 2008 Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon

BETTER THAN GRANGE?

Every winery in Australia has its "flagship" red and many of these represent the finest wine buys out there. These are the wines made from the very best fruit and hand crafted by winemakers striving for perfection. In 99% of instances these wines are offered between $30 and $100. Good luck to Penfolds if they can command a wholesale price over $600 but I'm just not interested in that game.

A month ago I detoured through the Hunter on my way back to Sydney. I stopped and speed tasted at two wineries: Hope Estate and McWilliams. The Hope range has really improved in the last few years but I found this standout at McWilliams.

This is one of the finest reds I've tasted in my 30+ years of sipping, spitting or swallowing. It's the ultimate special occasion red at a price that doesn't make you compelled to leave it in the cellar for the REALLY special occasion that never happens.

McWilliams have pooled their resources to combine fruit from Coonawarra, McLaren Vale and the NSW Hilltops and then whacked it in French oak for 20 months. While there's a lot to be said about single vineyard purity I'll happily support this blending of 2 grapes from 3 regions if it creates a wine like this.

Congratulations to the winemakers responsible. While great fruit is the responsibility of the viticulturalist, some very talented winemaking put this together.

Our Price: $55 per bottle by the dozen

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Stolen Block Clare Valley Reds

This is a Private Label Brand from Australia's largest liquor wholesaler and as always we have to buy a case, try a bottle at our expense and then make a decision. It was pretty easy. These are well made, well presented wines that over deliver at the price point.

The two reds are medium bodied, 14.5% a/v, jampacked with fruit but DESPERATELY need time in the cellar. We road tested them over 4 days and they were drinking superbly by the final glass.

Both the cabernet sauvignon and shiraz are from the 2011 vintage

Our Price: $8 per bottle by the dozen

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Every home should have one

It's not quite up there with the USB wine stick
http://outstandingwines.blogspot.com.au/2008/11/usb-wine-device.html
which still makes me laugh after all these years, but it still brings a chuckle.
Thanks Tony Freeman.

Haselgrove 2010 "Bella Vigna" McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon

They've sold out but we've still got a few of this beauty.

Here's how Haselgroves described one of their gems
"Fresh blackberry and red currant with hints of mint and menthol. Savoury finish with a hint of slightly charred oak balance the velvety tannins and tight acidity with the primary fruit flavours. Enjoy now or cellar for up to ten years to enhance complexity."

This could be regarded as a collectors item. New management has flicked the Italian themes developed by their predecessor as a tribute to the Italian owners of Haselgroves and gone to Celtic symbolism. I wonder what will happen next?


RRP:$25.50

Our Price: $18 per bottle by the dozen

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Gum Creek Estate 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

Here's a cheap and cheerful offering from the
Riverina at close to half price. It's a very quaffable medium bodied red that's way better than $7.
We only started with 20 dozen so not a lot left.

Our Price: $ 7 per bottle by the dozen

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Cruickshank Wines 2009 Two Cabernets

This has been quite a success for the family for a number of vintages now with a Hunter Valley Wine show trophy back in the early 2000's. It's a seamless blend with the Cabernet Franc really supporting the Cabernet Sauvignon - and I'd argue way better than shiraz does when it's blended with cab sauv. Alcohol is a sensible 13% with the fruit from their vineyard at Denman in the upper Hunter Valley.

At 4 years old it's drinking superbly now with the promise of a few more years to come but at this price I suspect it will be quaffed much faster than that.
RRP:$17.50

Our Price: $13 per bottle by the dozen

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Tierra del Fuego Gran Reserva Estate Bottled 2006 Merlot

This is a stunning red. Gloriously developed, incredibly complex, medium bodied with that earthy funky character that polarises people. Don't go near it if you only like squeaky clean fruit bombs from the Barossa. But if you're an experimenter, always up for something different with quality, you'll love this Chilean classic

And the problem? The cork. It's the luck of the draw but some are quite crumbly. If you have an Ah So cork removal device which I last triumphantly used at Peter Sexton's 60th Birthday Bash you'll be fine, otherwise you may have to do a bit of straining. The upside is that the wine is offered at half its well deserved original price.

RRP:$30

Our Price: $15 per bottle by the dozen

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Deen De Bortoli Vat 4 2010 Petit Verdot

It's opulent without being over-extractive, beautifully balanced with lovely intense spicy fruit sufficiently supported by acid, wood and tannins to stop it being a simple fruit bomb.

Once again this variety, one fifth of the Bordeaux blend, proves its adaptability to the warm climes of Australia. I'm surprised there's not more of it grown here.
 Our Price: $11 per bottle by the dozen
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Deen De Bortoli Vat 1 2013 Durif

It may not be up to the Three Bridges standard [and if it was it would be a bit silly offering both] but there is none better at this price point.
It's a delicious medium bodied red that's the perfect introduction to one of our favourite red varieties.

Our Price: $11 per bottle by the dozen

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Three Bridges 2012 Durif

FOUR VINTAGES IN 12 MONTHS!!!
 This time last year, and for the early part of 2013, we were selling the 2008
vintage. We missed the 2009 and then raced through the spectacular trophy laden 2010. Admittedly they didn't release a 2011 and the 2012 has arrived with just 3 bottles of 2010 [pictured] sitting on the shelf
Not so long ago Rutherglen seemed to have a monopoly on Durif production in Australia. But not anymore with this winning Top Gold at the 2013 Rutherglen Wine Show. This release has been one of the great success stories of the last decade. It's been a particular cellar door triumph for us as we've used it to encourage red drinkers to move out of their shiraz or cabernet comfort zone and experiment. Knowing that they were guaranteed to love the stuff. It's a beautifully balanced wine combining rich opulence with plenty of fruit spice.

Halliday rates it highly "Vivid purple hue ... dark and black fruits .... the palate is warm and generous on the one hand, yet firm and full of savoury interest on the other; very good warm-climate Durif."
The "warm climate" reference implies a surprise but I suspect this variety is suited to warmer climes and it's proof YET AGAIN of the quality that comes out of the Riverina. An outstanding red wine that I can't recommend highly enough and every bit as impressive as the 2010 which was widely regarded as the best.
Our Price: $18 per bottle by the dozen

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Haselgrove 2011 McLaren Vale "Verdict" Petit Verdot

For me Pirramimma have always lead the way with McLaren Vale Petit Verdot [and Australian PV for that matter] but this is as impressive as their best. A stunningly seductive inky red jampacked with a myriad of complex fruit flavours. There's something new to relish with every sip as the wine evolves. A truly exciting red that I'm confident everyone would enjoy.
Our Price: $18 per bottle by the dozen

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Haselgrove 2012 Adelaide Hills Staff Chardonnay

Haselgroves, under new management, have flicked the Italian theme developed by Gordon Grant. Did you know that Haselgrove means "from near a grove of Hazel Trees"? Now there's a surprise.

I doing so they've moved on from The Adjectival Geographic Wine Naming Technique  to what I can only describe as The Sydney UpMarket Restaurant Soon To Go Broke Strategy..

One word.

No "The". Just one word and you've got a name. Or maybe it should be described as the Madonna Method.

But they have retained and achieved truly hilarious Back Label Justification that you must have realised from me knowing about that grove of hazel trees. Thankfully they spare some space to really nail this outstanding addition to their and our range.

Two lines out of ten is all they needed to describe this pretty well. "Crisp white peach and grapefruit is softened by a creamy palate and smoky spicy oak."

I would add that this straddles the divide between the 100% malo over the top buttery style and the searingly crisp high acid wines which have the traditionalists asking whether this is actually chardonnay. A beautifully crafted and constructed stylish dry white priced well below its true value.

Our Price: $18 per bottle by the dozen

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Head Over Heels 2014 Pinot Grigio

This is now the third vintage of a crisp dry fruit bomb that offers such an appealing alternative to sauvignon blanc. Pick a fruit and you'll be just about able to find everything but passionfruit and banana.
[If you want passionfruit stick to the savvys and you'll unfortunately detect banana in some overripe chardys]
This is an incredibly versatile white that would appeal to most and be suitable for all occasions
Alcohol is a sensible 12.5% and the wine has enough flavour and palate weight that you could whack a few ice cubes in the glass to reduce the alcohol kick.

Our Price: $9 per bottle by the dozen

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Head Over Heels 2013 Shiraz

Don't be fooled by the price, this a serious shiraz offering an extraordinary amount of complexity for under $10.
There's plenty of everything including 14% alcohol in a mid-weight red that's in perfect balance. Very highly recommended to enjoy now or for medium term cellaring.

Our Price: $9 per bottle by the dozen

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Head Over Heels 2013 Cabernet Merlot

How does Bob Berton do it at this price?

It has a midweight palate, very much fruit driven but with enough balancing acid, wood and tannins to encourage short term cellaring - if you can resist knocking it off straight away.
Alcohol is 13% and it's from that vast appellation of South Eastern Australia. I'm guessing that while most of the fruit is Riverina there may be a smattering of Coonawarra in the mix.

Our Price: $9 per bottle by the dozen
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The Adjectival Geographic Wine Naming Technique

It's simple.
Sit around in the boardroom, tearoom or cellar door and get everyone present to think of all the geographic features they can. Write them on small pieces of paper and pop them into a hat. Then get another hat and repeat the process with as many random words as possible.
Draw a piece of paper out of each hat and, providing it's not been used before, whacko-the-diddlio you've got a name for a whole new range of your wines.
For the geographic second part of the name there are the usual suspects. Hill, ridge, creek and bay probably lead the way
There is only one catch.
When you choose the first word, someone must have the ability to explain the name with what I call "Back Label Justification". I've read some astonishing twaddle over the years ranging from butterflies to Dorothy Parker and gorillas. Doesn't matter what the wine tastes like, they have a compulsion to attribute their name selection to some vitally significant, recently created, aspect of their heritage.

The proliferation of whacky names has exploded in recent years with wineries producing BOB labels for Colesworths. As much as anyone Zar Brooks was a pioneer some years ago when the Osborns let him loose on their d'Arenberg labels. Suddenly we had the Laughing Magpie, Broken Fishplate, Wild Pixie, Daddy Longlegs and a serious number of etceteras.
There have now been so many.
A personal absurdist favourite was Victoria's Witchmount  nude label release of Captain Jack and the wine we had fun with, Scarlett. What a bummer that was when we ran out!

I'm confident the trend will continue. Often the same wine will be on the market under a few different labels and this will keep graphic designers and copy writers gainfully employed. Meanwhile I yearn for the days of Lindemans Hunter River Shiraz. And in those pre-barcode days you probably didn't need a backlabel.

What are your favourite wine names? Past or present.

 

Franziskaner and Spaten 500ml German Beers

Four new 500ml German beers have been added to the OWL list: Franziskaner Natrutrub, Franziskaner Dunkel & Franziskaner Kristall as well as Spaten Munchen.
All are $69 for a case of 20 with any instore mixed dozen wine buy. Which compares more than favourably with Dan Woolworths price of $91.

There's some history here with the Franziskaner boxes proudly proclaiming "Brewed in Munich since 1397" and "In accordance with the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516."

Franziskaner Natrutrub: Unfiltered, pale cloudy wheat beer with tropical fruit hop flavours. Light and refreshing.

Franziskaner Dunkel: Dark full bodied yet surprisingly refreshingly aromatic.

Franziskaner Kristall: Slightly smoky, beautifully balanced, clean and clear wheat beer

Spaten Munchen: Pale gold lager with pronounced hops. Smooth and creamy with a fine bitter finish.

Our Price: $ 69 a box of twenty 500ml bottles

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Buller Fine Old Tawny 750ml

With a recent movement for premium fortified wine producers to package their products in 500ml or even 375ml [and charge the same price!!!] this is a lovely reminder of older times.

And outstanding value for money. Sadly there's not a lot left


Our Price: $25 per bottle by the dozen

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Richland 2015 Pinot Grigio

The Calabria family just seem to be going from strength to strength. The 2012  picked up a gold medal at Royal Melbourne as well as Blue Gold and a place in the Top 100 at the Sydney International Wine Competition.  The 2014 scored a Gold Medal at Royal Adelaide.  This latest release is every bit as impressive  and is what this variety should taste like: a dazzling crisp dry white with a delicious flavour profile. Impossible to recommend highly enough.

Our Price: $9 per bottle by the dozen

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Credaro Family Estate 2010 Margaret River Shiraz

You'd have to be well pleased with yourselves. You open your winery in 2003 and at the 2012 Margaret River Wine Show you pick up the Trophy for best Cabernet which also cleans up as BEST RED of SHOW.

And then just to finish off, this wins BEST SHIRAZ of SHOW.

How good is that!!!!!!!!!!!

Our Price: $30 per bottle by the dozen

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Credaro Family Estate 2009 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon

Introducing Credaro Estate, a new star from Margaret River that's already scored Halliday's top 5 star ranking.

This Northern Italian family arrived in Margaret River in the early 1920s. They finally got around to commercial grape growing in the 1980s with their winery opening in 2003.

In 2011 they won the Perth Wine Show Trophy for most successful exhibitor scoring the highest average points per entry of the 371 wineries that entered.

At the 2012 Margaret River Wine Show this won the Trophy for Best Red of the Show and not surprisingly best Cabernet Sauvignon. We have a small quantity.
Our Price: $30 per bottle by the dozen

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The Brass Razu 2013 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

This is spot on crisp, clean and lean, dry, flavoursome Marlborough sauvignon blanc. At this price it doesn't come any better but why, oh why, do they come up with these names. And then waste an entire back label waffling on justifying the name? Biggest load of rubbish ever. Trees deserve more respect.
If I had more time I'd retype it here but I'll leave you to comment when you buy, sip and read.


Our Price: $10 per bottle by the dozen

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Allandale 2011 Hunter Chardonnay

While the Hunter Valley is justifiably famed for its semillon, it also regularly produces some damn fine chardonnays. Here's one that easily justifies a $25 price tag.

And sometimes the winemaker really nails it with their back label notes:
 "VITICULTURE: Fruit was sourced from the old established Trevena Vineyard on Hermitage Road. WINEMAKING: Cold fermented in stainless steel, finished in high quality French oak, gaining complexity for a further six months. PALATE & BOUQUET: Stone fruit and fig aromas dominate, complemented by cashew nut from new French oak. Extended ageing on yeast lees adds a creamy/bready weight to the palate."


Our Price: $16 per bottle by the dozen

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Victory Point 2009 Margaret River Chardonnay

James Halliday rated 96 points:
"Gleaming, bright green-straw; made using Burgundian clones 76, 95, 96 and 277, plus the Mendoza clone, a distinguished assemblage that has duly produced a distinguished, finely drawn and structured wine of great length and intensity; will be long lived."
 RRP is $40 and I reckon it's even a bargain at that price. Apparently Halliday also rated the previous two vintages the same. Fruit is from vines that have never been irrigated and  small French oak has been used.

RRP: $40

Our Price: $28 per bottle by the dozen

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The Accomplice 2014 Chardonnay

It's been our biggest selling chardonnay for a number of years and clearly the price has a bit to do with that but it's the quality that keeps everyone coming back.
In fact it's so much better than those wellknown brands that you see everywhere around the $10 to $12 mark.

Our Price: $5 per bottle by the dozen

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Outstanding Wines 2011 Margaret River Chardonnay

Another one of our quality unlabelled finds that with its maker's label is available at twice the price. This is the new age style chardonnay that combines vibrant fruit, crisp acidity and oak without any hint of butter. It's got all the essential ingredients to hold its head high in any company.

Our Price: $10 per bottle by the dozen

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Haselgrove 2007 Vincent's Breeze Chardonnay

This is a McLaren Vale/Adelaide Hills blend that we grabbed a truckload of, sometime ago. So how's a 6 year old white holding up? Brilliantly!
The clue was always in the high acid level when we tasted it. There's only 12.5% alcohol yet plenty of fruit that has now integrated with the oak to create a superb bottle aged little gem. The wine will live for quite awhile yet and it's in much better condition than our supplies which are close to an end.


Our Price: $10 per bottle by the dozen

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Haselgrove 2010 Bella Vigna Adelaide Hills Chardonnay

We don't usually quote "Recommended Retail" prices. They're often used to falsely exaggerate savings. If a wine's not worth the rrp than "HALF PRICE" is a pretty meaningless claim.
But this one is as good as it gets as far as bargains go.

For many winemakers chardonnay is their favourite variety. It's the grape that lets them experiment with all their tricks of the trade and really apply their signature to the finished wine. Well, this one has had the works and it has worked beautifully.
There's lashings of everything: rich, buttery fruit, quality wood and enough acid to hold it together over the next couple of years.

Why so cheap? I have absolutely no idea. We tasted the wine, were offered a price and grabbed the quantity on offer. I wish we had more.
RRP: $25

Our Price: $12 per bottle by the dozen

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Gotham 2010 Adelaide Hills Chardonnay

A negociants label that I made a big mistake on. I should have bought less and charged twice the price at the cellar door. It's worth it. There's plenty of everything with acid, fruit and wood in the first stage of compromise with plenty of cellaring potential to look forward to.

Our Price: $11 per bottle by the dozen

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Moondah Brook 2010 Shiraz

Nice little wine but the jury is still out on the radical new label for this range. What do you think?

RRP: $12.99
Our Price: $8 per bottle by the dozen


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Moondah Brook 2012 Sauvignon Blanc

Nice little wine but the jury is still out on the radical new label for this range. What do you think?

RRP: $12.99
Our Price: $8 per bottle by the dozen


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Laphroaig 10yo Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The late American academic Rodney Whitaker wrote a number of novels under a variety of pen names.
As Trevanian he wrote both the Eiger and Loo Sanctions to create Dr Jonathan Hemlock. Professor, criminal art collector, mountaineer, US government assassin and lover. Of women and Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch.
Which has now joined the OWL LIST at just $71 a bottle. It's arguably the most distinctive of all whiskies. There is no middle ground. You either love or hate depending on how you feel about distilled sea weed.

Our Price: $ 71 a bottle

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*Buy a mixed or straight dozen bottles of wine in-store at our lowest discounted prices to access our full range of Outstanding Wine Lover specials:

Cavatina 2009 Chianti Classico Riserva

I love Italian red wine. Dry, savoury, complex wines that are more dependent on fruit than alcohol or wood maturation. This has the full DOCG classification, it's Sangiovese from Tuscany and as good as it gets under $30. Every sip reveals a new layer of flavour. If you're a fan just grab some at this price and if you're an experimenter who wants to find out what it's all about just grab a few in a mixed dozen.


Our Price $20 per bottle by the dozen

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Peel Estate 2006 Premium White

Another wonderful curio from Will Nairn - a blend of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc that's a mere 7 years young. Its half price offering is by no means a reflection of the wine, rather that they just want to clear the final small quantity. And I can never resist a bargain gem like this, no matter how left of centre it may be. It's in perfect condition with a little aged development and plenty of acid. Beautifully nailed on the label description: "Rich honeyed Chenin Blanc and herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc blended together to form one marvelous mouthful of flavour". This is a complex, intriguing wine for fans of mature whites.

Our Price: $10 per bottle by the dozen

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Berton Vineyard 2014 Pewter Label Vermentino

The debut 2012 vintage won a trophy at the 2012 Citibank NSW wine awards for BEST YOUNG DRY WHITE and was one of the most drinkable white wines I'd ever tasted. Cellar door buyers loved it, racing out the door with plenty of repeat buyers.

The equally impressive 2013 has arrived and gone,

And we've now seamlessly morphed into the superb 2014 vintage.

I've been recommending it to anyone who says "I'm a bit over sauvignon blanc" or "I'm just looking for something different". It's fresh, crisp and lively with a fruit profile somewhere between riesling and sauvignon blanc and while it's a variety I've never sold before it deserves to be huge. It won't, but it should be the "NEXT BIG THING" after sauvignon blanc
Our Price: $10 per bottle by the dozen

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Warburn 1164 LR 2009 NSW Montepulciano

Montepulciano is the next most significant Italian red grape after the dominant Sangiovese. It's late ripening so plantings are in central and southern Italy which makes me surprised that more isn't grown in the warmer irrigated areas of Australia. 
Especially after tasting this superb effort.

This is a rich robust red with layers of fruit complexity and an acceptable 14.5% a/v. If you're looking for something excitingly different, while still being a mainstream red, this is the one for you.

Our Price: $13 per bottle by the dozen

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Kingston Estate 2010 Barossa/Clare Shiraz

Kingston have come a long way since I last tasted them. Now distributed by the fine wine wholesaler that looks after d'Arenberg, they have very smart new packaging and offer even greater value for money.
We were offered a whole box full of samples, by an enthusiastic new sales rep, which I rejected with the request that she only submit the wines that she believed offered outstanding quality at their prices. The benefit of that is that it saves us time and tests how good she is.
She's VERY good.

It's a fair hike from their base in the Riverland but I'm glad someone made the trip. This is a full bodied, rich intense unmistakeable shiraz in perfect balance. Alcohol is a sensible 14% and if you paid $20 for it you wouldn't be disappointed by the quality on offer. At an absurd $11 this is impossible to recommend highly enough.

Our Price: $11 per bottle by the dozen

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d'Arenberg 2008 "The Dead Arm" Shiraz

This is their flagship red and how could it be better described than their own tasting notes. "The heady aroma is both powerful and pretty with notes of fennel, purple flowers and blossom mingling with ripe, varietal purple fruits and black pepper. The oak is hardly evident which allows fruit and soil complexities to emerge with edges of rhubarb and red mulberry and savoury characters of dried herbs, game and spice. The palate opens with anise, black pepper, graphite and restrained dark cherries before it gives way to seductive mulberry, plum, licorice and spice. It has great power, depth and length with very vibrant, gritty fruit tannins providing immense structure. Notes of anise and spice linger for a long time after the last sip. The Dead Arm 2008 strikes a rare balance of power, complexity and finesse with impressive structure that will reward those with patience to cellar it. While enjoyable in youth, this wine will reach its full potential with bottle age up to at least 20 years. The considerable structure and depth will ensure that the fruit characters will develop over time revealing more complexity and providing immense interest.":

Our Price: $55 per bottle by the dozen

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Dom Perignon 2003

The OWL has landed on Dom Perignon 2003 at just $174
Is this the best price in OZ?
We think so.
Our OWL* Price: $174 per bottle
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*Buy a mixed or straight dozen bottles of wine in-store at our lowest discounted prices to access our full range of Outstanding Wine Lover specials

Cobra Premium Beer

Cobra is a great beer.
Clean and crisp and searingly dry. 4.8% a/v, perfect for hot climes and unmistakeably "The Inspiring Taste of India".
That's what it says on the box. 
It's also a "Refreshingly Smooth Premium Beer". But wait there's more and it's a biggie. Cobra also claims to be the "THE WORLD'S MOST CELEBRATED BEER".
Got to laugh. And if you're not chuckling already I can tell you that the cases we have were brewed in Burton-on-Trent.

Our OWL* Price: $40 a box of twenty four 330ml bottles 

SOLD OUT

*Buy a mixed or straight dozen bottles of wine in-store at our lowest discounted prices to access our full range of Outstanding Wine Lover specials