Splinters #266 – Hot new ‘Donny Goodmac’ tasting tonight + plenty more

Good afternoon!

It’s Friday again, and this afternoon we have the pleasure of showing off the latest gear from one of our favourite stables, Donny Goodmac. Single vineyard wines from the Yarra Valley and much underrated Pyrenees, sourced from mature vines, and carefully put together by Stuart ‘Donny‘ Gregor, Kate Goodman & Cameron MacKenzie. 3 smashing wines – 2009 Yarra Chardonnay, 2008 Yarra Cabernet and 2008 Pyrenees Shiraz. there has been nothing wrong with previous releases, but this new batch sets the bar much higher. From 5pm until 7pm this afternoon, with Cameron, in store ….. start the weekend in style!

Following on from last week’s Italian tasting, we now have a Spanish fiesta to look forward to. Thursday, September 23 is the date – 7pm start. It will be a veritable smorgasboard of wine from one of the most exciting wine countries in the the world. From Cava to the aromatic whites of the north west, Rioja to Ribero del Duero, Navarra, Catalonia, Bierzo, the sherries from the south and everything of note in between! $15pp. Guaranteed super night. Please contact the shop on 5962 6699 or reply to this email to secure your spot early (and avoid the dreaded waiting list like the Italian ‘do’).

And a select few newcomers to the shelves and floor:
- Bobar Syrah 2010 - yes, a 2010 Yarra shiraz – that’s no typo! Tom and Sally Belford have released their first wine under their own label after more than a decade of making wine all over the world. They’re pushing the boundaries of conventional winemaking with this thought provoking single vineyard shiraz – 100% carbonic maceration (a la Beaujolais), some whole bunches, no sulphur added until just prior to bottling and just a smidge then. We love this stuff – it’s got a slightly reductive nose at first, but that blows off and a perfume of bright fruit and spice takes over. The palate is fresh and nervy with good persistence. ‘Natural’ winemaking is gaining in momentum and this is a good example of why – give it at a crack! $24
- Yeringberg - really impressed by the 2008 Shiraz ($60) and 2009 Viognier ($30) from one of the Yarra’s established stars at a recent tasting.
- Yarraloch - new Pinot Noir and Shiraz Viognier from Yarraloch, both from 2008 and both made by the very talented Ray Nadeson (Lethbridge). More of a Euro bent to both of these than previous vintages – fresher, not as extracted, lovely finesse. Both $27 a pop
- Onannon Gippsland Pinot Noir 2009 - the 2008 pinot from Sam Middleton, Kaspar Hermann and Will Byron walked out the door, and was a pretty grunty style of pinot. The 2009 has just landed and for mine, is a more attractive option. From the same mature vineyard on Phillip Island, it’s a more classic pinot – lifted, brighter aromatics, a softer fruit profile and a freshness to the palate. Very smart indeed. $32
- Glaetzer ‘Bishop’ Shiraz 2009 - if full throttle Barossa reds are your thing, you’d be hard pressed to find a range of wines that fit the bill better than those from Ben Glaetzer. This is 100% Barossa Shiraz in all it’s power – dark, rich, full bodied, long flavoured – a real mouthful that definitely maintains a sense of balance. $32
- Umani Ronchi Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2008 – one of our favourite ‘pizza/pasta’ quaffers is back. Fresh, medum bodied, juicy, fruit driven wine with lovely savoury nuances to close. No need to write a book about it, just enjoy it! $16

To order, please click below or call the store on 03 5962 6699.
Free freight on dozens to Melb metro and Yarra Valley.
Subsidised freight elsewhere in Australia and for smaller volumes.

A tasting diary reminder:
Tasting tonight: Donny Goodmac (with Cam MacKenzie)
Tasting next Friday night, August 27: Thick as Thieves and Hargreaves Hill Brewery (with Syd Bradford and Simon Wolkenhorst)
Tasting Friday night, September 3: Andrew Thomas Wines (with Andrew Thomas)

Enjoy the weekend

Cheers
Sean ]]> http://barriquewinestore.com.au/splinters-266/feed/ 0 http://barriquewinestore.com.au/splinters-265/ http://barriquewinestore.com.au/splinters-265/#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 02:26:25 +0000 Sean http://barriquewinestore.com.au/?p=410

Splinters #265 – ‘mixed bag’ tasting tonight + a new German gem!!!

Good afternoon

A bit late so nice and snappy today!

A huge thanks to everyone who got along to our Italian tasting last night. Bit of a marathon effort but we managed to cover the vast majority of Italy and hopefully dispelled any myths that more affordable Italian gear is garbage! Certainly there were some bargains in amongst some more ‘benchmark’ wines last night. For those who did attend, we will be taking orders until midday on Monday, so if you are keen, don’t hesitate to make a call or send through an email. Spain is next and I will confirm the September date in next week’s email.

Last night we also sampled some prosciutto from our first ‘Pig Day’, a little leader into our next day of Porcine Pursuits being just around the corner. We have 4 spots left for a day devoted to all things swine next Sunday, August 22. A seriously cool day with plenty of participation required and a guarantee that you’ll go home inspired and all wised up! $185pp, 9.30am start, winds up around 4pm, lunch and accompanying wines to match, a bagful of snags to enjoy later on, and more goodies after curing time. Please call the store on 5962 6699 if you are keen or want to know more.

Tonight we are going to open a few of our recent new arrivals - plenty of smashing gear to taste that we haven’t been able to showcase otherwise. New vintage Rocky Gully Riesling from the masters at Frankland Estate, Clonakilla Viognier Nouveau 2010 , Tyrrells Single Vineyard Canberra Shiraz 2008, SC Pannell Tempranillo Touriga 2007 and Chateau de Clotte Cotes de Castillon 2005 (left bank Bordeaux from the vintage of the century!!). Something for everyone from 5pm until 7pm this evening. In store and free of course!
Next week – Donny Goodmac

And very quickly, I have to mention a new arrival from a trade tasting earlier in the week. Heymann Lowenstein in the Mosel, Germany, are always at the top of the tree when it comes to intoxicating riesling (ok, maybe not the best choice of adjective, but you know what I mean!!!), but their 2008 ‘Schieferterrassen’ was simply the knockout wine of the tasting. Lifted, intense, pure riesling aromatics, lusciously textured and finishing dry (beautiful slatey minerality). I’ve run out of time, but if you are at all keen on stellar riesling, grab a few of these and be gobsmacked!
RRP $45 Splinters Special $40 (until next week’s Splinters only!!!)
Free freight on dozens to Melb metro and Yarra Valley.
Subsidised freight elsewhere and on smaller volumes.

Enjoy the weekend!

Cheers
Sean ]]> http://barriquewinestore.com.au/splinters-265/feed/ 0 http://barriquewinestore.com.au/splinters-264/ http://barriquewinestore.com.au/splinters-264/#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 02:25:26 +0000 Sean http://barriquewinestore.com.au/?p=408

Splinters #264 – Hot Otago Pinot tasting + 93pt cleanskin pinot!!!

Good afternoon

Tomorrow night we have some highly regarded visitors from across the ditch dropping to show us their pride and joy. Central Otago is the new home for Mark (aka Mac) Mason and Michelle Crawford, both old hands in the Kiwi wine industry, and pinot noir is their passion. Mark was one of the founding owners of big gun Marlborough producer ‘Sacred Hill’, but has since turned his attention to 18 separately sited blocks on their farm in Otago (www.questfarm.co.nz – the pictures almost do it justice!!) . ‘Extreme’ would be a reasonable word to describe the conditions down there – freezing winters, warm summers and negligible rain throughout the year. Vines are about the only thing that could survive. So a mixed bag of clones, fastidious attention to detail in the vineyard, plenty of hard yards in the winery – and voila,‘The Quest’ is born! Tomorrow night from 5pm, Mark and Michelle will show us 3 wines – their 2006 Pinot (sold out to big reviews), their 2007 Pinot (available and on the same track as the 2006 on the reviews front) and a sneak peak at their 2008. ‘The Quest’ is only available in tiny quantities to date, but it is impressive – have a look tomorrow night, and get the whole story from the larger than life Mac!

And a reminder for those booked in for our Italian night next Thursday, August 12. 7pm start, 30 odd wines now covering just about all of the Italian wine scene – Barolo, Barbaresco, Valpolicella, Chianti Classico, Lambrusco (yes, no kidding, a good one!), Sagrantino, Passito – plus a heap more. This is a one stop shop for Italian gear, so if you are keen, we can probably squeeze a few more in. Please respond quickly though. $15pp, 7pm start, next Thursday evening.

We’ll put some of our latest new arrivals on tasting next Friday night, and then for the following Friday night tasting, it’s the return of Donny Goodmac - cracking new Yarra Cabernet and Pyrenees Shiraz to add to the super popular chardonnay. Get that diary out!

Speaking of Donny, those 2 stupendous reds (both $34 a pop) have landed in store this week along with a swag of other exciting gear including:

• Wrattonbully Vineyards Tempranillo 2009 - a very respectable interpretation of the hot Spanish varietal. The ’08 was a bit more more driven – if anything this one has more in common with the good examples from Rioja – more cola and dried herbs with a slightly more savoury tannin focus    $18.50ea
• ‘Barrique’ Great Western Pinot Noir 2009 – we’re always saying a good cleanskin pinot is hard to find. Well, we have an entire 7 dozen of this 93pt Halliday pinot available. Be quick! Given the branding all over the boxes, no prizes for guessing where it comes from. The ‘Best‘ pinot without a label in a long time. $16 each ($26 labelled retail price)
• Toscar Monastrell 2007 - one of our biggest selling Euro reds, and why not? Plenty of dark, meaty complexity, juicy mid palate and fruit derived tannins. Still $14.50 a tube!
• Soumah Savarro 2010 – an impressive new Yarra label, and this had all the credentials to be one of the very first Yarra Albarinos – and then they discovered that it wasn’t Albarino! Not to worry, because what they have landed is a pretty tidy aromatic white. A touch of flowers and herbs, some citrus and melon fruit, good mid palate weight with plenty of acid to keep it on track. A bit like a riesling/arneis/savvy/albarino…..no, like a savagnin!!! $25
• Frankland Estate Shiraz 2007 – from a sterling WA vintage, dark and dense but not in any way heavy or worked. Plenty of spicy elegance to a wine that I reckon has improved out of sight in the last 4 or 5 years. Frankland are so much more than a one trick ‘riesling‘ pony!    $26
• and a few from the Telmo Rodriguez stable – Dehesa Gago 2008 (juicy young tempranillo – $30), Gaba do Xil Godello 2009(beautifully aromatic, waxy textured white $29) and thestunning value AlMuvedre 2008 (classy Joven Monastrell – $24) – each of them, standouts at a recent tasting.
  

To order any of these, please click below or call the store on 03 5962 6699

Free freight on dozens to Melb metro and Yarra Valley. Subsidised freight on smaller volumes and elsewhere in Australia.

Tasting this Friday night (August 6) – ‘The Quest’ – Otago pinot noir with Mac Mason and Michelle Crawford. 5-7pm.

Enjoy the weekend

Cheers

Sean

]]> http://barriquewinestore.com.au/splinters-264/feed/ 0 http://barriquewinestore.com.au/splinters-264-luke-lambert-jj-prum-and-wickhams-road/ http://barriquewinestore.com.au/splinters-264-luke-lambert-jj-prum-and-wickhams-road/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:59:52 +0000 Sean http://barriquewinestore.com.au/?p=405 Good afternoon

Looking forward to this Friday night’s cult wine tasting! Luke Lambert joins us with his latest offerings of syrah and nebbiolo. Luke has carved out a real niche for himself over the last 5 or 6 years, making some ripping single vineyard wines using ‘old school’ techniques. Heathcote Nebbiolo and Yarra Syrah at their best - 2009 ‘regulars’ and the stunning 2008 Reserves will all be on tasting. We’ll have a 2005 Nebbiolo on the go as well to help illustrate the complexities that these wines develop with a few years in bottle. 5pm-7pm, tomorrow night, in store with Luke. Highlight it in the diary!

Still a couple of weeks until our Italian Tasting, but only about 10 spots left. It’s shaping up as a crackerjack list of wines – Piedmonte, Chianti, the north east and an extensive southern Italian selection amongst others. $15pp, Thursday August 12, 7pm. If you haven’t already, book your spot asap by calling the store on 5962 6699 or replying to this email.

2 offers this week that have us excited!
Wickhams Road – you’ve got to believe what you read, don’t you? Wickham’s Road is the second label from Hoddles Creek, the Yarra producer who continues to dazzle us with chardonnay and pinot noir in particular, at staggeringly good prices. So it should come as no surprise that a second label over delivers as well. Jane Faulkner got all over the Gippsland Chardonnay in Epicure during the week, and we are just as enamoured with the Yarra Chardonnay. But there is also a fleshy, brightly fruited, cassis driven Cabernet Merlot from 2008 in the range. For our Splinters recipients, we’re offering the range for $12 a bottle (usually $15) until next Tuesday (August 3) – that’s a saving of $36 a dozen!!! A better deal on quality wine you will not find!!!   You pick the mix to suit.

The 2008 JJ Prum Rieslings have landed in the last week too. Prum is widely regarded as the greatest riesling producer in the world – incredibly pure, intense, long lived rieslings from the Mosel, Germany. A breakfast that showcased the current range as well as some older wines (a 1994 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese that had to be tasted to be believed – so fresh and youthful) was a highlight of the year for mine. I would suggest that the 2008s, as a group of wines, express great clarity and more approachability in their youth than Prums of previous vintages – a deliberate ploy of Katharina Prum’s work in the winery to make the wines less reductive. Sensational rieslings to be sure. As always the wines are extremely scarce, but we’ve managed to snaffle a mixed bag of single vineyard wines. If you are keen on any or would like to know more about each, please make contact pronto! Here are the wines:
Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett 2008      $55
Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett 2008    $58
Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese 2008     $75
Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett 2008       $65
Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese 2008        $85
Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 2008         $102

Tasting this Friday night: Luke Lambert from 5pm

Enjoy the weekend
Cheers
Sean

Tonight Gary Mills joins us from 5pm to pour his latest releases. The Jamsheed Syrah train really got moving last year, with glowing reviews coming from all over the country and from a shop perspective, they were some of the most in demand wines all year. After a bit of a spell between vintages, the 09s have arrived and are ready for your stern assessment! 2 single, old Great Western vineyards and the Silvan site that was responsible for the pick of the wines last year - 3 wines that really push the boundaries of ‘accepted’ winemaking techniques in Australia. To complement the mix, the smashing 2009 Jamsheed Great Western Riesling and 2009 La Syrah (blended vineyards) will also be on tasting. 5pm-7pm, this evening, with Gary in for a chat. See you here!

And next week, Luke Lambert enters the fray with his new bag of tricks. Same time, same place – the home of South Pack!

A reminder of our international tasting in August too. Italy is the country being covered on Thursday the 12th from 7pm. There are about 20 spots left so please make contact to ensure that you don’t miss out. $15pp, 25+ wines covering Piedmonte, Tuscany, the north east, Puglia, Sicily and just about everything in between! Reply to this email or call the store in 5962 6699 to book.

And another Pig Day is just around the corner. Sunday, August 1 with a 9.30am start. Full day of hands on break down of a beautiful Large Black Pig with multi Food Guide hatted chef Richard Hauptmann. All recipes, demonstration/instructions, lunch with matching wines, breakfast and fun all included! Take home a bag of mixed snags and in coming weeks/months, prosciutto for those spring picnics! $185pp. To book and for further details, please call the shop on 5962 6699. Only a few spots left, so be quick!

Super Quaffing Dozen!
We’ve had a mixed bag of super value quaffers arrive over the last couple of weeks that I’ve inadvertently skipped over in this email format. Here they are in lights!
Printhie Sauvignon blanc 2010 – lifted aromatics with a pristine, zesty drive to the palate.
Bondeville Grenache blanc 2009 – one the faves from the French tasting earlier this month, and all for $16!! Floral notes to complement citrus fruit and a fresh, textured mouthfeel. No brainer!
Josef Chromy ‘Pepik’ Pinot Noir 2009 - great value Tasmanian varietals come out under the Pepik label, and this is no exception. Makes a bit of a mockery of the ‘you can’t get decent pinot for less than 20 bucks’ argument.
Schist Rock Eden Valley Shiraz 2009 - Dominic Torzi’s entry level shiraz always makes an impression. Slightly toned down version of the 2008, the restraint more in keeping with the house style. Still plenty of oomph and Eden Valley spice.
Moppity Vineyards ‘Lock and Key’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 – real movers and shakers in NSW and this cabernet is a flat out bargain. Rare that we try a range of wines and cool climate cabernet salutes, but this has a rich core of bright fruit balanced with gentle oak handling and fine tannins. Damn smart!
Olivares Jumilla 2008 - monastrell/grenache/syrah – another super value wine from Spain that over delivers. Has plenty of dark fruit and spice about it with some flesh to the bones courtesy of the grenache component.

2 bottles of each, or 1 bottle of each as a test pack!
Rec. Retail for the doz $210
Splinters special for the doz $175
or $90 for the 6 pack
Click below or call the shop to snag yourself a tasty mixed bag of quaffers at a super price.
Free freight on dozens to Melb metro and Yarra Valley.
Subsidised freight elsewhere in Australia and for smaller quantities.

Jamsheed tonight & Luke Lambert next Friday night!

Enjoy the weekend
Cheers
Sean

A reminder of tonight’s in store tasting with Andrew Guard. Andrew set about sourcing some of the best small European producers a couple of years back. What he has now is a stable of stars with their prevailing philosophy of winemaking being to make wine as naturally as possible. Organic, biodynamic in the vineyard, minimal intervention in the winery – all the usual keys to success. And the results are impressive. Bright, fresh, clean, varietal, thought provoking – wines that reflect where they come from. In a nutshell, wines that we like to drink! Champagne, Alsace, the Rhone, Burgundy, southern France all represented (even a cheeky Piedmontese offering). 5pm-7pm, tonight, in the shop. Be here!

The tasting excitement doesn’t stop tonight either. Next Thursday night we have our French tasting. 25 wines now, taking in just about every point of France. $15pp, 7pm start, all done by 9pm. We’ve extended the numbers a bit so there are a few spots left still. To book your place, please call the shop on 5962 6699 or reply to this email.

And next Friday night Adam Foster, of Syhrami and Foster & Rocco, will be in store. Adam is part of the South Pack group of winemakers (Bill Downie, TImo Mayer, Mac Forbes, Luke Lambert, Punch, Gary Mills and the Allies) and has some classy wines from Heathcote to his name. Adam was sommellier at Daylesford’s Lake House until recently, and because of weekend work committments, we haven’t been able to get him out to Healesville. But he has decided to take the winemaking game on by the horns and Friday night tastings are an essential part of the game!  5pm-7pm, next Friday night.

Some cool new things have arrived this week including new releases from Luke Lambert (Reserve Yarra Syrah and Reserve Heathcote Nebbiolo, both from 2008 ($70)- beautifully crafted wines, perfumed and graceful) and 3 cracking new syrah’s from Gary Mills (2009 Jamsheed Garden Gully, Westgate Vineyard and Silvan - $39 a pop – don’t miss the boat on these this year!).

This week’s special deal is on a Kiwi chardonnay that looks like it came from the Cotes de Beaune! We reckon Kumeu River make the best chardonnay’s in New Zealand and in 2008 they had a great time during vintage. No disease pressure, perfect ripening conditions, top quality fruit. As a result, the wines from the top down have more intensity than we have seen previously – some parcels that would normally go into the $40+ Estate chardonnay found their way into the ‘Village’ wine, their entry level chardy. 1/3 barrel fermented, the rest in stainless steel. Bright fruit to the nose, in the peach spectrum but not overblown, grilled nuts, a touch of funky wet wool (that’s a good thing!!) – more of that on the palate with a flinty, minerally drive. It’s a lesson in quality chardonnay at a great price.
RRP $24     Splinters Special $19.50ea

To order, please call the store or reply to this email.
Free freight on dozens to Melb metro and Yarra Valley.
Subsidised freight on smaller quantities and elsewhere in Australia.

5pm tasting tonight

Enjoy the weekend
Cheers
Sean

As you probably well know, at Barrique we try pretty much everything before we put it on the shelf or the floor. But there comes a time when some wines have run their race and there are a few left over. The list below is just that! We have a heap of stuff to count for stocktake purposes so in this instance, less is best!! If you are keen to snaffle some pretty hot bargains, please be quick because the number of bottles listed is all that we have!

Allies Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (Mornington Peninsula) RRP $25   SALE PRICE $21  17 bottles
Curly Flat Chardonnay 2007 (Macedon)  RRP $45 SALE PRICE  $39   4 bottles
Isabel Pinot Gris 2008 (Marlborough, NZ) RRP $27 SALE PRICE $23   2 bottles
Te Whare Ra Pinot Gris 2008 (Marlborough, NZ) RRP $27 SALE PRICE $23   9 bottles
Delta Pinot Noir 2008 (Marlborough, NZ) RRP $27 SALE PRICE $23    1 bottle
Windy Peak Nouveau Shiraz 2009 (Victoria) RRP $15 SALE PRICE $11   4 bottles
Provenance Shiraz 2005 (Geelong) RRP $25   SALE PRICE $17   28 bottles
Vinea Marson Syrah 2007 (Heathcote)  RRP $47   SALE PRICE  $40  9 bottles
Domaine de Niagara Fleurie 2007 (Beaujolais by Arnaud Despres)(France) RRP $41  SALE PRICE $35  8 bottles
Muller Catoir Riesling Kabinett 2007 (Rheinhessen, Germany) RRP $67    SALE PRICE $55      3 bottles
Planeta Cerasualo Di Vittoria 2007 (Sicily, Italy) RRP $52     SALE PRICE $42   5 bottles
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy)  RRP $44   SALE PRICE $36.50   4 bottles
Riecine Chianti Classico 2006 (Tuscany, Italy) RRP $54   SALE PRICE $45    4 bottles

As you can tell by the quantities available, these are genuine bin ends of wines that we believe in and have had good success with. Top names, smart wines…..not a dog in sight!! It’s just the last dribs and drabs making way for more new stock at the end of this week and early next week.

So grab yourself a bargain here – no minimum quantities required – mix and match to your heart’s content!
Free freight to Melb metro on dozens or more.
Subsidised freight elsewhere and for smaller quantities.

May as well use the space to remind you of Andrew Guard’s visit this Friday evening as well. To get you in the mood for everything French in July, we’ll kick off with classy grower Champagne Diebolt Vallois, Alsatian gun Meyer Fonne, Rhone superstar Gramenon, Languedoc twin towers Magnon and Barral……  even Burgundian star Philippe Pacalet gets a look in!! Going to be a cracker!! 5pm – 7pm. Don’t miss it!!!

Cheers
Sean

Joel Pizzini joins us from 5pm this afternoon to show off his family’s most recent releases. The Pizzini name is synonomous with north east Victoria, and as winemaker, Joel is part of an innovative group from that part of the state making truly exciting varietal wines. Tonight we’ll take a look at riesling, a pinot grigio from Whitfield, their top end cabernet blend Il Barone, and the 2 varietal wines for which they are most renowned – Sangiovese and Nebbiolo.
Cracking little line up – the perfect start to the school holidays! 5pm-7pm, tonight, in store…..mad to miss it!

And all a small wander up the road to the Grand Hotel for the Yeasty Boys, live in the front bar from 9pm. What a Friday!

Next Friday night, Andrew Guard brings a swag of his finest European offerings to Healesville. Same tasting time, same tasting place…..

And a quick plug for our French tasting in July. Thursday the 8th, in store, 7pm, 15pp. Only about 10 spots left. To save yourself a spot, please reply to this email or call the store on 5962 6699. The line up to date includes some fine offerings from the Rhone, Chablis, Beaujolais, the Loire, Bordeaux, the wild south west and Languedoc. About 25 wines in total – we’re throwing a blanket over the place and bringing it all to 260 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville!

Some very exciting new arrivals this week too, but the standouts come from a hectare in the northern Rhone Valley. They might just be our very first ‘Wines of the Week’!!
Domaine Darnaud ‘La Vendeima’ – 2 cracking wines from the Rhone Valley, made by Shane McKerrow, an Aussie who spends most of his time running the cellar at legendary Rhone domaine Jean Louis Chave. An entire 90 doz was made in 2007, but it is a clear case of quality over quantity with this rouge and blanc.
The white comes off a 100+ year old south east facing vineyard on decomposed granite soils. Marsanne, rousette, roussanne and ugni blanc. Minimal intervention from the maker – wild yeast, lots of ’solids’ contact – 18 months in 2 and 3 year old oak. Honey, vanilla, stone fruits, hay and meal – gentle acidity and alcohol of just 12.5%. We tried this in a bracket of 3 with some Chassagne Montrachet and Meursault from renowned producers and this left them wanting. Insane quality and interest for the price.
RRP $38   Splinters Special $33ea
The St Joseph Rouge also comes from the super 2007 vintage. All 1000 vines, each of them over 100 years old, have lived a tough life – 8cm of topsoil with granite underneath makes them work incredibly hard for nutrients and yields are miniscule. As natural a wine as you can get – hand picked, 100% whole bunch fermentation and a further month of maceration post ferment. Incredible array of aromatics with a layered, powerful mouthful of flavour all harnessed within a tight framework of tannins (and a delightful 13% alc.). Given that Chave wines are near on impossible to lay your hands on and if you should be so lucky, be sure to have cleared the credit card, these are pretty special indeed.
RRP $70  Splinters Special $60ea

And a couple of others worth mentioning: Pimpernel Vineyards Pinot Noir 2008 returns ($35), Kumeu River Village Chardonnay 2008 makes an appearance (bargain white Burgundy imitation at $21) and a swag of classy imports.

To order, please reply to this email or call the store on 03 5962 6699.
Free freight on dozens to Melb metro and Yarra Valley.
Subsidised freight on smaller volumes and elsewhere in Australia.

Tasting tonight: Pizzini with Joel Pizzini from 5pm

Enjoy the weekend
Cheers
Sean

Trust that this finds you well!

With the bleak winter here in earnest, a fortifying Friday night tasting is definitely called for. The next few weeks are all organised with guests, so we had best make the most of the opportunity this tonight. Some old favourite Rutherglen names – Chambers and  Campbells, a new kid on the block (Thick as Thieves) and some Portuguese guns – Niepoort and Noval. Muscat, Tokay, Fortified Tempranillo, Ruby Port and Tawny Port – all smashing examples of their kind. Tonight, in store, from 5pm until 7pm. Free! Blow those winter chills away!!

Interest in our first international tasting on Thursday July 8 has been strong. France is first cab off the rank and we have a smorgasboard of gems to choose from – some of the usual suspects as far as regions are concerned and a few fascinating discoveries to further develop our understanding and experience of the mother country. $15pp, 20 odd wines, 7pm, limited places only and you need to book. Phone the store to reserve your place or reply to this email.

Our second Pig Day has been put back one week (pig not available…..fairly important!) and will take place on Sunday July 4. The whole hog from nose to tail, broken down by porcine master Richard Hauptmann. Hands on day full of education and participation. Lunch and breakfast included, take home morsels on the day and receive hung meats further down the track. $200pp. Given that most of these sessions around the land are charging $300 and upwards, this is seriously good value. To book your place, please call the store or reply to this email.

A quick update on some stocks – we’re down to the last 3 dozen of the red hot Yarra Valley sourced Salo Chardonnay, one of the most sought after wines in the land at the mo’! Superlative reviews all over the place and a wine to match – $39 a bottle. Be quick to snag a few!
And we’ve secured another small hit of Henschke Hill of Grace - single vineyard Eden Valley Shiraz from the 2005 vintage. Usual retail on this rarity is somewhere in the high $500s, but we’re knocking it out at $490 this week. Birth years, anniversaries, just ‘cos you want to! Again, a whole 6 bottles to go around, so be quick if you are keen.

Organic Dozen – 12 bottles that make you feel good about drinking them!!
Interest in agricultural practices that influence the foods and drinks that we consume has never been higher than what it is in 2010. We believe that having an understanding of where things come from and how they are made is of paramount importance, and as far as wine selection goes, that’s half the reason why we steer clear of big company stuff that has little or no provenance. So here’s a bag of smart wine grown by people who care about the environment and their agricultural inputs to the point where they are certified organic or biodynamic producers. Enjoy!
2 bottles of each of the following:
2008 Hochkirch Riesling (Henty, Western Vic)
2009 Kalleske Florentine Chenin Blanc (Barossa Valley)
2008 Krinklewood Shiraz Viognier (Hunter Valley)
2008 Kalleske Clarry’s Shiraz Grenache  (Barossa Valley)
2007 Tardieu Laurent Cotes du Rhone ‘les Becs Fins’ (Rhone Valley)
2008 Kalleske ‘Moppa’ Shiraz (Barossa Valley)

Regular retail price $304   Special dozen price $260 (save $44)
To order a single bottle of each (6 pack in total)- $135

To order, please call the store on 03 5962 6699 or reply to this email.
Free freight on dozens to Melb metro and Yarra Valley.
Subsidised freight on lesser volumes and around the land.

Tasting calendar:
Tonight: Fortifieds - Chambers, Campbells, Thick as Thieves, Niepoort and Noval
Friday, June 25: Pizzini with Joel Pizzini
Friday July 2: Andrew Guard with that exciting bag of imports (locked in, going nowhere!!!)
Thursday July 8: World Wine Series – France
Friday July 9: Syrahmi/Foster e Rocco with Adam Foster
Friday July 16: Dalzotto with Christian Dalzotto

Enjoy the weekend!
Cheers
Sean

Kick off your long weekend in style by dropping in to the store this Friday night and taste the Serrat range of wines with winemaker, Tom Carson. Tom was at the helm of the Yering Station winemaking team for about 10 years before departing last year to join Yabby Lake/Heathcote Estate as chief winemaker. All along though, he and partner Nadege Sune, have been tending to their own patch of dirt just outside of Yarra Glen. ‘Serrat’ is the label, and the wines are exemplary, ridiculously well priced and only available in the odd decent shop and some of the best restaurant lists around the place. The 2008 pinot nabbed wine of show at last year’s Yarra Valley Wine Show, the chardonnay is beautifully poised, the shiraz viognier a fine example of the Yarra’s tendency to mould shiraz on the Rhone model rather than anything new world, and a delightful late harvest viognier – a sweet wine that remains fresh and vibrant. Tom will be pouring all 4 wines tomorrow night, in store from 5pm until 7pm. Free! P.S The pinot has not been available for about 4 months but a surprise discovery (it was thought to be shiraz viognier) has us very excited. Be quick tomorrow night!!!

I don’t think we could have hoped for any better weather to indulge in a sherry tasting earlier in the week! Cold, bleak, wet – a thorough assessment of the different styles of Spanish sherry was just what the doctor ordered! Thanks to all those who attended the in depth, informative session that set the inquisitive wine mind at ease – a cracking line up of sherry presented by a master of his sherry domain! Thanks Scott!

The first in our series of international tastings for the year has been locked in for Thursday, July 8. Rather than focussing on individual regions, this year we will take it country by country. It’s the month of ‘le Tour’ and Bastille Day, so France is first cab off the rank. Burgundy, Loire, south west France, the Rhone, Alsace, Languedoc – they’ll all get a showing. 20+ wines from some of the best French portfolios available in Australia. $15pp. 7pm start.  To book your place, please reply to this email or call the shop on 5962 6699. Italy and Spain will follow. Ltd spots so please secure your place asap.

On the arrivals front, amongst plenty of other exciting new things, we’ve been lucky enough to snag another 2 dozen of William Downie’s 2009 Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir ($63 – no limit per customer now). Here are a few more gems:
– Boat O’Craigo Sauvignon blanc 2008 - these Yarra guys would be perfectly justified in dropping the ‘blanc’ off the label here in keeping with a few other Aussie producers styling their wines on the wines of the Loire rather than our Tasman neighbours. Some tropical fruits and grassy notes to the nose with a lean, mineral laden , nettles and bright acidity. So un-Kiwi that you just have to love it! $20
– Angelo Rocca Nero d’Avola 2008 – from Sicily, this is an unadulterated indigenous varietal from southern Italy. No oak here – reminds me in style of a ‘joven’ Rioja. Bright cherry fruit that is surprisingly deep and powerful, gentle dark spice influences and softly woven fruit tannins. Medium bodied, clean as a whistle and a serious contender for ‘quaffer of the year’! $17.50
- Petit Rimauresq Cotes de Provence 2008 – we’ve adopted the moniker ‘Baby Bandol‘ for this little gem from the south of France. 40% mourvedre, 30% grenache and 30% carignan grown in the foothills of the Maure mountains. The mountains allow for some extra ‘hang time’ for further flavour development within the grapes and that is what this is all about, all from a great vintage in the south. Some carbonic maceration gives such a bright and yet deep nose of plums and dark berries, spices like cloves and cinnamon, some black licorice and palate wise, it’s fresh, tangy and so satisfying. I’m trying it now with a mild goat curry and even with that match, it’s working a treat!!! Serious bargain drinking territory at $25 a pop.

Mix any of these wines in a dozen (you choose the mix) and take 15% off the price.
To order any of these wines, please click below or call the store on 03 5962 6699.
Free freight on dozens to Melb metro and Yarra Valley. Subsidised freight elsewhere in Australia.

Remember, Serrat tasting this Friday (June 11) night from 5-7pm.

Enjoy the long weekend
Cheers
Sean