Good afternoon
Well, another year comes to a close. Yesterday saw us tick off 4 years of operation, so it’s a timely opportunity to thank you all enormously for your support over that time.Â
It has been a great ride so far and there’s no reason to suggest that the next 4 years won’t be just as exciting. Hopefully we can continue to improve the place and the service that we offer in our attempts to make Barrique the most complete wine store for a diverse range of customers. We’ll keep trying anyway! A big thanks too, to Ali and Chris for their contributions throughout the year. A heap of projects that we got together during the year wouldn’t have been possible without their time and effort. Cheers to all!
Ali has pulled together a ripping Christmas edition of Spiritual Delights featuring Limoncello and Calvados. spiritual-delights
We’re fully loaded for next week’s festivities, so whether it be drinks for Christmas Eve catch ups, something to complement lunch or Boxing Day BBQs, every bases is covered. Of course there are a heap of gift ideas too – from the pick of the Yarra crop to benchmark offerings from all over Australia, a big selection of European and Kiwi wines, celebratory Champagne and Aussie Sparklings, mixed beer packs, special spirits, liqueurs, Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Cognac or Armagnac - something for everyone!  Â
On the food front, the cheese fridge is choc-a-bloc. Some pretty amazing Truffled Brie (decadent as it may be), Lincet Chaource (superb portioned double cream), Delice de Bourgogne (still our favourite triple cream), Stilton (traditional English blue for Christmas), Chabichou (perfectly ripe goats cheese) and Marcel Petite Comte (semi hard cows milk with a subtle buttery edge) are all ready to be enjoyed. The full complement of the wonderful Jam Lady Jams are in too (fantastic stocking fillers we reckon) and a new line of delicious individual Christmas cakes from Gateaux de Bordeaux (a Healesville based kitchen with a particular bent for traditional French cakes) – 12 little morsels for $15 – a good deal!Â
Trading hours for the next little bit will be as follows:
Saturday, December 20 10am – 8pm
Sunday, December 21 11am – 7pm
Monday, December 22 10am – 7.30pm
Tuesday, December 23 10am – 7.30pm
Wednesday, December 24 9am – 6pm
Thursday, December 25 CLOSED
Friday, December 26 CLOSED
Saturday, December 27 thru until Tuesday, December 30 Â Â Normal trading
Wednesday, December 31 10am – 6pm
Thursday, January 1 12pm – 7pm
Friday, January 2Â Normal trading resumes
Still taking on some new gear, only if it’s knock your socks off material now! So what makes the grade?
- Donny Goodmac Pyrenees Shiraz 2007 – not much of this floating around, so thought we’d nab it while it was hot! Fruit comes off the best known old vineyard in the Pyrenees and the winemaking touch of Kate Goodman (she’s the ‘Good’ bit in the name) keeps this one well and truly at the elegant, spicy end of the shiraz spectrum. Delicious  $32
- Hidalgo Triana Pedro Ximenez - is there a better match for plum pudding than these awesome black Spanish sherries??? Me thinks not!  $44
- Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot 2004 - stunning example of Margaret River cabernet   $57
- Marcarini Barbera d’Alba 2006Â – knockout Piedmont red. Full of damson plums and dark cherries, lovely generous mouthful and perfectly integrated tannins – no sign of any astringency whatsoever. BARGAIN!!! Â $29
Tasting tonight and across the weekend: Festive things - La Morandina  Moscato d’Asto 2007
Yarrabank 2004
Bleasdale Sparkling Shiraz NVÂ
Hollick Sparkling Merlot NVÂ
Poveda Moscatel NV
Punt Road Botrytis Semillon 2007Â Â
That’s it then. Thankyou again for your support.Â
We hope that you have a wonderful, safe Christmas/New Year period, dotted with wine and food gems, and we look forward to seeing you again in 2009!!
Cheers
Sean, Ali and Chris
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