Dromana Estate 2004 Chardonnay

IS THIS THE BEST CHARDONNAY IN AUSTRALIA?
For me this was one of the stars of this years SIWC Top 100 exhibition. Although as a long term fan of this wine I must confess I approached it with considerable bias. If you'd like to have a look a the judges comments its always worth a read to see how their opinions vary.
http://www.top100wines.com/wines/showoneitem-new.asp?ItemID=2235&Year=2008&section=top100

Sadly there isn't nuch left.

RRP: $33
Our Price: $26 per bottle

SOLD OUT

Cable Station 2006 Pinot Noir

The producer has changed the label and wants to clear old stock - I love it when they do this because they also slash the price. It's Marlborough fruit and it's just what you'd hope for from NZ Pinot. Colour is that deceptive near translucence which suggests a delicate light red. Nothing of the sort here. There's 13.5% alcohol, lashings of plum and cherry fruit, a dash of gamey earthiness and lovely balancing tannins. A lip-smacking red that reveals more of itself with every sip.


RRP: BIN END CLEARANCE
Our Price: $15 per bottle

SOLD OUT

Willow Bridge 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon

Is this the best SBS blend in Australia? I've long thought so. The 2007 vintage picked up a trophy and 3 gold medals. I've also seen the results of a blind tasting of 24 WA SBS and SSB held at Xanadu in December 2007. Wines were from Xanadu, Leeuwin, Cape Mentelle, Vasse Felix, Pierro, Stella Bella, Voyager etc. The Willow Bridge overwhelmingly outpointed them all. It's been a gem for a number of vintages, grossly underpriced and THE classic example of the strengths of this blend. In fact, I'd be happy to argue a case that the blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes is the most powerful synergy in the wonderful world of wine.
And the 2010 may just be the best vintage of them al!

RRP: $16
Our Price: $12 per bottle

SOLD OUT

Richland 2014 Sauvignon Blanc

This latest release from the Calabria family keeps the tradition going.
These were my notes from last time:
After quite a lengthy drought we've seen a remarkable number of really tasty crisp dry whites. This is a brilliant follow up to the  best "entry level" sauvignon blanc we'd ever seen.
This has a little more flesh than the Gold Medal winning 2012 while maintaining outstanding varietal fruit. Beautifully made wine at a bargain basement price.
And like the 2012 it's already had show success


Our Price: $9 per bottle

SOLD OUT

Riverby 2007 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

This has been a huge seller for us over three consecutive vintages. Affectionately known as "the fishy wine" it's everything you'd hope for in a NZ sauvignon blanc, without the hefty price tag. Very highly recommended.

The grapes for this wine were picked from our single vineyard in five different batches to ensure optimum ripeness and to achieve our desired flavour profile. There was an average yield of just less than 4 tonnes per acre.

NOTES FROM THE RIVERBY WEBSITE

It is light to medium straw green in colour and has delightfully fresh, crisp aromas of gooseberries, limes and passionfruit. On the palate it is a noticeably ripe wine with concentrated tropical fruit, passionfruit, pineapple, banana and lime flavours. It is well structured with considerable depth and complex flavours. It has an almost oily concentration with great mouth feel and a lingering, refreshing finish.

Reviews
"Very dry, crisp and fresh with upfront lime and grapefruit peel acidity balanced by a pleasing slippery softness and phenolics adding a slightly grainy “mineral” edge. Classic gooseberry and bean flavours push their way through and the increasingly pungent citrussy finish is long bright and clean."
– Wineoftheweek.com February 2008

"A tightly framed Sauvignon showing aromas of dried herbs and subtle mineral notes. The palate is juicy and succulent with excellent acidity providing lovely crisp finish. The high level of concentration, structure and overall balance indicate the wine will evolve gracefully over the next few years. At its best: mid 2008 to 2011." **** 92
– Wine Orbit 2008

RRP: around $20
Our Price: $12 per bottle

SOLD OUT

TK 2003 Adelaide Hills 2003 Reserve Pinot Noir

HALF PRICE PREMIUM PINOT

I was talking to the distributor earlier this week and he slipped it into the conversation that he still had some. I was really surprised. It was offered to us back in January at the same price as the standard TK Pinot Noir. "What's wrong with it?' I not surprisingly asked. Absolutely nothing, came the reply. Apparently they just need to discretely move some stock.
We ordered some, I took a bottle home and pulled the cork. It was an absolute cracker and a truly outstanding way to kick of 2008. We sold out and ordered more and sold out of that. We now have more.
This is a top class Pinot at an amazingly low price.

RRP: $40
Our Price: $20 per bottle

SOLD OUT

Witchmount "Scarlett" 2004 Shiraz Cabernet

ONE OF THE SILLIEST WINE LABELS ..... EVER!

We first saw this wine sometime last year. Based on the wholesale price we would have been looking at retailing it for around $20 but the label was so inappropriate that we unanimously declined the offer to taste it.
What a difference a year makes.
We have just bought the last remaining stock and can offer this premium Victorian red for just $10 a bottle. Our opinion of the label hasn't changed. Naked women, even rear views, just aren't appropriate for wine labels and it looks like the market has agreed. [Not sure what the market thought about the Captain Jack chardonnay - yep, a front on male nude]

This is a serious red with a silly label. It's medium weight with 14% alcohol and only 12 months in both French and US oak. Shiraz and cabernet almost seem like an old fashioned blend nowadays but it still works. Both contribute their varietal notes and I reckon it will be drinking at its peak over the next two years.

RRP: $17 - $20
Our Price: $10 per bottle

OUT OF STOCK

Tyrrell's 2004 Brokenback Shiraz

The nose is unmistakeable, classic earthy Hunter. I've never been comfortable with the "sweaty saddle" adjective as to me it's not a particularly compelling endorsement. This one has it but in an attractive appealing way that I've rarely encountered.
The earthiness continues on the palate but there is none of the dirt stink that characterises so many Hunter shiraz. This also offers a rich roundness of fruit that carries on to an incredible length. This is an outstanding red that is a must for lovers of Hunter quality and an absolute must for anyone who's never been convinced. Enjoy now or confidently cellar.

RRP: $c24
Our Price: $18 per bottle

OUT OF STOCK

Penfolds 2002 Grange Shiraz

SUPER SPECIAL $405 per bottle

SOLD OUT

Pirramimma 2004 Stocks Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

Max Lake, Pirramimma and the overturned truck.

Sometime in the '90s, in a period that was definitely not early, a tad after mid and way before late, I was at a Trade wine tasting. I've been to many tastings in all the other periods, heaps in the '80s and the trend has continued through the current decade but this was the only tasting I'd ever encountered Max Lake. Max, of course, is the medico who created his eponymous Folly in the lower Hunter Valley well before most of us had any interest in wine.

About 3 minutes after I tasted the Pirramimma 1995 Stocks Hill Shiraz, so did Max. And started waxing lyrical about the wine that I'd just bought every last bottle of. I was pretty chuffed. A small crowd gathered and listened to Max continue waxing. I wondered how many had tasted a relatively unfashionable label and been blind to the quality of the wine.
But Pirramimma, to their credit, honoured my order and we were all glad they did. Half way up the Hume HIghway the truck overturned and there was a sad loss of many bottles of a very fine red. The phone call came - "Do you want us to take it back?"
"No way", I replied. So Pirramimma were grateful and after we spent days sifting through the debris we managed to salvage far more than we expected. Obviously the labels were stained and scratched but that all became part of the heroic fame of the outstanding red that survived the truck crash.

So when a new distributor showed me a bottle of the 2004 Stocks Hill Cabernet Sauvignon and their wholesale special I couldn't wait to twist the top. They might have changed the labels but thankfully, not the winemaking style. This is good old fashioned McLaren Vale cabernet. The 14% alcohol is fairly overt on the nose while the tannins and wood front up the palate. But the real charm is the fruit which kicks in half way through and goes on and on. We road tested it over 3 days and I suggest this is perfect for medium term cellaring. Not a huge saving off cellar door price but it's fantastic value at anything under $20.

RRP: $15 cellar door
Our Price: $14 per bottle