Pasqua Le Collezioni Delle Venezie 2013 Merlot

I have an embarrassing lack of knowledge about this wine other than that I've tasted it and really rate this delicious bargain red.
 Only 12% a/v but it has a mid palate weight with a mix of really lovely flavours, some fruit and some definitely terroir. It's not that rather bland, soft squeaky clean style that Australian producers put out to the market. This is so much more interesting.

Our Price: $9 per bottle by the dozen

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Vinaceous 2014 "Divine Light" Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc

PUTTING THE FUN BACK INTO WINE
The best find from the first Trade Show of 2015 were eight beauties from WA's VINACEOUS WINES. I've seen them around, not tasted them and dismissed them as yet another concept label designed to justify high prices and stand out on the shelves.
Having tasted them I now see them as outstanding wines and I LOVE the labels.
Check out their website and you'll see what I mean about putting the fun back into wine.
http://www.vinaceous.com.au/

Delicious high fruit, high acid offering from Margaret River.


Our Price: $18 per bottle by the dozen

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Vinaceous 2012 "Raconteur" Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon

PUTTING THE FUN BACK INTO WINE
The best find from the first Trade Show of 2015 were eight beauties from WA's VINACEOUS WINES. I've seen them around, not tasted them and dismissed them as yet another concept label designed to justify high prices and stand out on the shelves.
Having tasted them I now see them as outstanding wines and I LOVE the labels.
Check out their website and you'll see what I mean about putting the fun back into wine.
http://www.vinaceous.com.au/

And if you're going to have a cabernet in your range it makes sense if it also comes from Margaret River. It's a bargain with all you'd expect from a $30+ MR offering.



Our Price: $20 per bottle by the dozen

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Warburn 2013 Rumours Durif

$6 REDS SHOULD NOT TASTE THIS GOOD

One late night in January 2015, towards the end of my UK visit, I trawled through the website of ALM, Australia's largest liquor wholesaler. looking for wines at the budget end of the market. My plan was to order a box of anything that looked interesting so it would be waiting for me to taste test on my return. There was plenty to choose with many labels I'd never seen before.
But one that particularly leapt out at me was a Durif. This was a label I knew but I had no idea there was a Durif in the range. I love Durif so this was a must and as it turns out the very best find of my late night trawl.
Warburn are a funny mob. They don't give out tasting samples and they appear to be very much in bed with Woolworths. They do the awful Gossips label, they were responsible for the hideous AC/DC labels and also provide me with the weirdly named and labeled Brass Razu, one of our biggest selling Sauvignon Blancs. This latest label has 10 multicoloured finches sitting on a perch. Why 10? Are they real or imagined birds? I have no idea.
I rang the rep to order 20 dozen to start off with. I could detect the hesitation in his voice. Turns out they only had two dozen. I took those and he had to organise for stock to be delivered into ALM so it could be sent to us. I bit the bullet and increased the order to a pallet before anyone else finds out how good it is. And how good is it?
Truly outstanding. It's the best quality best value quaffer I've tasted in years. And THAT is unfair. The price dictates how it will be consumed but it's just so much better. It's midweight with lovely berry fruit offered on a perfectly balanced palate. Yes, it has acid and tannin as well.

We've now just had the second pallet arrive.

Our Price: $6 per bottle by the dozen
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Bimbadgen 2013 Estate Shiraz

CLASSIC HUNTER SHIRAZ

From the deep dark recesses of my memory I reckon Bimbadgen vines were planted in the late 1960s or very early '70s by a family that were either McDougall or McPherson. Then Kevin Sobel had it for awhile as he moved from the Upper to Lower Hunter. I recall him showing me around the winery which was still an unfinished project. His label was very "Cloudy Bayish" but justified by a stunning view over the ranges.
Next it became Bimbadgen and they've produced some fine wines over the years as well as developing an outdoor music venue, wedding facilities and one of the best restaurants I've ever experienced, Esca.

I had the opportunity to taste 8 Bimbadgen wines at a
recent Trade Day and this shiraz was the standout. It's an unmistakeably Hunter red that doesn't try to be a SA blockbuster. In value for money terms I rated it higher than their "Signature" Shiraz.

Bimbadgen Tasting Notes
"Grown: From Bimbadgens own McDonalds Rd and Palmers Lane vineyards, Hunter Valley.
Picked: Picked at night between 1st February and 18th February.
Made: Crushed and destemmed into a mixture of fermenter sizes and left to cold soak for 2 days to assist in colour extraction. Some open and closed fermenters were used. Inoculation with a selected yeast strain to carry out the fermentation which peaked at 32 degrees C. The ferment was worked over twice daily gently with pulses of air to encourage gentle tannin extraction before being pressed off skins and transferred to oak barrels for malo-lactic fermentation. Maturation in French oak barrels, some barriques and puncheons for 10 months before blending and bottling.
Bottled: 22nd October, 2014.
Analysis: pH: 3.49 TA; 66.4g/l Alc: 13.4 % Appearance: Dark Red
Aroma: Ripe aromas of dark plums and cherries, with subtle spice and hints of vanilla oak.
Palate: The palate is full of bright raspberry and black berries, with touches of black pepper and subtle oak. A firm yet elegant tannin structure allows this wine to be enjoyed now, or cellared with confidence for five to ten years. "

Cellar Door: $28
Our Price: $18 per bottle  by the dozen
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Peos Estate 2013 Four Kings Chardonnay

This is one of the most exciting chardonnays we've ever offered.
Yes, it's a big call but then again we've tasted it and you haven't!

In the second half of 2014 I started  searching for a big, fat , buttery, wooded old fashioned chardonnay. And while I still haven't found it, this beauty turned up amongst all the samples we received.
Peos Estate [Manjimup WA] sent a sample of their 2011 and 2013 vintages under their Four Aces label. We road tested them over 4 days and while we would have happily settled for the superb 2011 the younger release just blew it away.
We sold the first pallet in a blink and had no hesitation ordering a second one.  Strangely the second pallet arrived labelled "Four Kings" and as far as we can tell it's pretty much the same apart from the spelling.

This wine is all about balance and complexity. There are so many layers of flavour that reveal themselves as you progress through the bottle and yet none of these elements clash with any other part of the wine. It really is quite extraordinary how it works.
There is just a mere scraping of butteriness amongst glorious fruit that's been achieved with just 12.5% a/v. Consequently there's plenty of acid that holds the promise of a fascinating and lengthy cellar life.
The Peos back label description is spot on apart from missing the point that this a truly outstanding wine:
"Lifted aromas of nectarine, waxy citrus leaf and subtle complex toasty notes. The palate is focused and weighty featuring stone fruits and delicate spicy, vanillin oak flavours. There are flinty, nutty undertones supported by firm, fresh acidity."

Our Price: $13 per bottle by the dozen

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Erin Eyes 2014 Clare Valley Riesling

This was the first BIG buy of  2015 and it's a beauty at just $13 a bottle.
Many of you will remember Steve Wiblin's three outstanding reds last year [the Cabernet, Shiraz and Malbec]. Well I stupidly missed out on the 2013 Riesling and I wasn't going to make the same mistake again. The deal was buy a lot, pay up front and you can have it at a price that will help you move it quickly.

Huon Hooke has just rated this (RRP $22.00) 94 points.
"Perfumey straw and floral aromas, very attractive, with a delicately restrained, refined palate with subtlety and understated intensity. It's a tight, reserved wine with very good length and line. Tight, compact, intense and searing. A classic style that will reward cellaring. Drink 2017 to 2025.

This is an outstanding bargain for all you dry white drinkers. If you want a change from sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio treat yourself because you'll love the difference and relish the quality. I disagree with Hooke of the Herald on just one thing. Why wait until 2017?

 RRP:$22
 Our Price: $13 per bottle by the dozen

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Paracombe 2010 Adelaide Hills Shiraz

TROPHY WINNER 2015 ROYAL SYDNEY - BEST MATURE RED

This is drinking beautifully and even though 14.8% a/v it's not a monster blockbuster. Deep dark and intense yet very mellow with everything integrated. This is a really affordable opportunity to add mature class to your cellar. Even so, it still needs breathing opportunity as it showed up even better on day two of our taste testing.

Here are the tasting notes from Paracombe
"Paracombe Shiraz was made from grapes harvested when showing the best possible flavours and quality from the Drogemuller family vineyard and specialist local growers at Paracombe.
Soil moisture levels were good following plentiful winter rains the previous year. A cool, dry Autumn season provided gentle sunshine and ideal ripening conditions with fruit harvested from mid March through late March. Low yields gave good quality Shiraz fruit.
The harvested grapes underwent slow, cool ferments and then gently pressed to gain a soft extraction of flavour and tannins. The wine was put to French Oak barriques to gracefully mature for around twenty months.
Paracombe Shiraz will delight with rich aromas, concentrated flavours, and cool climate elegance. This vintage's dark ruby colour accompanies an intense bouquet of cherries, plums, pepper and spice.The palate offers full generous flavours, layered with rich, spicy fruit, fine tannin structure and subtle oak.
A complete wine to enjoy for many years with cellaring. That is, if you can keep your hands off it!
14.8 % Alc"

RR $23
Our Price: $19 per bottle by the dozen
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