Barrels & Bottles Wine Blog
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With so much doom and gloom around at the moment thanks to the so called "credit crunch" (it it just me or is this phrase becoming as irritating as having no money?) we have sourced 2 great new wines from Ducks Flat winery in Australia.
A fruity red Shiraz Cabernet and great Semillon Chardonnay make for leisurely Summer drinking for only £5.63 per bottle. Enjoy with a smile.
A fruity red Shiraz Cabernet and great Semillon Chardonnay make for leisurely Summer drinking for only £5.63 per bottle. Enjoy with a smile.
Trentham Estate has had some rave reviews in Australia and New Zealand about the 2005 Heathcote Shiraz.
"The Heathcote region's fame as a source of superb Shiraz rests with wines like this. Concentrated, almost syrupy dark fruits are interwoven with earthy interest and toasty oak influence in excellent balance. A powerful red that needs time to realise its potential." Ralph Kyte-Powell. Cuisine July 2008.
"... part of our carefully selected Victorian vineyard range that aims to epitomise the best these regions have to offer" Anthony Murphy, winemaker at Trentham.
Heathcote Shiraz also won Gold Medal in the 2008 Decanter World Wine Awards
"The Heathcote region's fame as a source of superb Shiraz rests with wines like this. Concentrated, almost syrupy dark fruits are interwoven with earthy interest and toasty oak influence in excellent balance. A powerful red that needs time to realise its potential." Ralph Kyte-Powell. Cuisine July 2008.
"... part of our carefully selected Victorian vineyard range that aims to epitomise the best these regions have to offer" Anthony Murphy, winemaker at Trentham.
Heathcote Shiraz also won Gold Medal in the 2008 Decanter World Wine Awards
Last week and I selected a bottle of Hollick Pinot Noir from Coonawarra, Australia to buy and try from our range.
Stunning. Absolutely stunning. The wine had been opened some 5 hours previous with half the contents poured - leaving a lot of the wine in contact with the air (this was sealed - a great benefit of screw cap bottles). This allowed the wine to breath undoubtedly helped the wine open up its velvety cherry-like flavours.
There was a real tang of rich, ripe, red fruits on the front of the palate followed by a velvety finish. I enjoyed the first glass so much I poured myself 2 more!
The strong alcohol added to the overall experience and did not overpower the abundance of fruit in the way some Australian wines can. It was the end of a long day but the Hollick more than made up for it.
Stunning. Absolutely stunning. The wine had been opened some 5 hours previous with half the contents poured - leaving a lot of the wine in contact with the air (this was sealed - a great benefit of screw cap bottles). This allowed the wine to breath undoubtedly helped the wine open up its velvety cherry-like flavours.
There was a real tang of rich, ripe, red fruits on the front of the palate followed by a velvety finish. I enjoyed the first glass so much I poured myself 2 more!
The strong alcohol added to the overall experience and did not overpower the abundance of fruit in the way some Australian wines can. It was the end of a long day but the Hollick more than made up for it.
Labels: australia, pinot noir, wine
By Mike Edmonds:
A brewery executive was on the verge of tears when he had to smash two bottles of Australia's best known wine, worth $3000, at the airport. Neil Grant, the southern region general manager with Fosters Australia, ran foul of the tough security rules at Melbourne's Tullmarine airport as he was about to board an Emirates flight to the UK.
"I was going to conferences in Scotland and Ireland, and grabbed a 1980 and an '82 Grange from my personal cellar," Mr Grant said. He estimated the two bottles were probably worth about $3000.
But he'd forgotten about the 100ml liquid rule applying to carry-on luggage, and although the precious Grange slipped through Customs he came unstuck at the final security check.
"I had the lady from hell, who said 'No sir, this is going to be bloody destroyed' even though the Emirates people were happy to find my baggage and pack it for me," he said.
"I said 'this is like a work of art, it's irreplaceable, do you know what you're doing here'.
"She had them in her office and I said I wanted to put them in the wheelie bin myself.
"I was worried that they'd just go downstairs and someone would open the bin and there's two bottles of Grange, so I smashed them.
"I thought if I'm not going to be able to drink them, nobody is.
"I'm still in mourning over it."
Mr Grant said he wanted to take the Grange overseas to share with others at the conferences and show off some of Australia's best produce.
"They were just totally inflexible about anything we suggested to get it fixed," he said.
"I offered to open it there and then and let everyone have some, but they said 'No sir, you can't do that here'."
Story from news.com.au 31st December 2007
A brewery executive was on the verge of tears when he had to smash two bottles of Australia's best known wine, worth $3000, at the airport. Neil Grant, the southern region general manager with Fosters Australia, ran foul of the tough security rules at Melbourne's Tullmarine airport as he was about to board an Emirates flight to the UK.
"I was going to conferences in Scotland and Ireland, and grabbed a 1980 and an '82 Grange from my personal cellar," Mr Grant said. He estimated the two bottles were probably worth about $3000.
But he'd forgotten about the 100ml liquid rule applying to carry-on luggage, and although the precious Grange slipped through Customs he came unstuck at the final security check.
"I had the lady from hell, who said 'No sir, this is going to be bloody destroyed' even though the Emirates people were happy to find my baggage and pack it for me," he said.
"I said 'this is like a work of art, it's irreplaceable, do you know what you're doing here'.
"She had them in her office and I said I wanted to put them in the wheelie bin myself.
"I was worried that they'd just go downstairs and someone would open the bin and there's two bottles of Grange, so I smashed them.
"I thought if I'm not going to be able to drink them, nobody is.
"I'm still in mourning over it."
Mr Grant said he wanted to take the Grange overseas to share with others at the conferences and show off some of Australia's best produce.
"They were just totally inflexible about anything we suggested to get it fixed," he said.
"I offered to open it there and then and let everyone have some, but they said 'No sir, you can't do that here'."
Story from news.com.au 31st December 2007
We have just found a bin end parcel of wines by Simon Gilbert, Australia. Based in Mudgee (New South Wales) their wines show great varietal character - as well as some splendid label artwork!
The range includes:
Simon Gilbert Semillon Sauvignon
Simon Gilbert Chardonnay
Simon Gilbert Riesling
Simon Gilbert Cabernet Merlot
Simon Gilbert Cabernet Sauvignon
At only £4.99 per bottle (including the dreaded VAT) this is a great find for such a prestigious producer. My favourite has to be the Cabernet Merlot... with it's soft berry fruit flavours and gentle use of oak to create a really mouth-watering red wine. I had this with cajun chicken and couscous and it wend down a treat... the big fruits and bramble nose really lifting the spicy food into another dimension. With 42% merlot grapes in the blend these really soften down the tougher cabernet sauvignon to ensure a beautifully balanced drink.
Highly recommended.
The range includes:
Simon Gilbert Semillon Sauvignon
Simon Gilbert Chardonnay
Simon Gilbert Riesling
Simon Gilbert Cabernet Merlot
Simon Gilbert Cabernet Sauvignon
At only £4.99 per bottle (including the dreaded VAT) this is a great find for such a prestigious producer. My favourite has to be the Cabernet Merlot... with it's soft berry fruit flavours and gentle use of oak to create a really mouth-watering red wine. I had this with cajun chicken and couscous and it wend down a treat... the big fruits and bramble nose really lifting the spicy food into another dimension. With 42% merlot grapes in the blend these really soften down the tougher cabernet sauvignon to ensure a beautifully balanced drink.
Highly recommended.
Labels: australia
After what seemed like an eternity on the water the Gartelmann wines from the Hunter Valley have finally arrived with us. Was the wait worth it. Unfortunately yes!
The wines, especially the Shiraz, are stunning... we wish they had been here earlier as we could have been enjoying them much sooner.
The Diedrich Shiraz is out of this world. A massive in-glass presence with a nose dominated by red cherries and spiced fruits. This will become one of our benchmark New World Shiraz wines by which all others will be judged.
The wines, especially the Shiraz, are stunning... we wish they had been here earlier as we could have been enjoying them much sooner.
The Diedrich Shiraz is out of this world. A massive in-glass presence with a nose dominated by red cherries and spiced fruits. This will become one of our benchmark New World Shiraz wines by which all others will be judged.
Corr blimey what a fantastic set of red wines we have just introduced. Five red wines from the Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards located in the McLaren Vale, Australia.
There is a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon to ease you into the three stunning Shiraz wines on offer. The Block 6 Shiraz is a veritable feast of tangy, fruit driven flavours and was awarded 95 "Parker Points" by the Wine Advocate. The big, punchy flavours bowled us all over at the initial sampling stage... a genuine benchmark Shiraz.
The range includes:
Kay Brothers Merlot
Kay Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon
Kay Brothers Amery Shiraz
Kay Brothers Hillside Shiraz
Kay Brothers Block 6 Shiraz
These are all big, rich, powerful wines with some weighing in at 15.5%alc. A massive wine by any standards.
Stock availability is limited but they do come heartedly recommended by all the team at Barrels & Bottles
There is a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon to ease you into the three stunning Shiraz wines on offer. The Block 6 Shiraz is a veritable feast of tangy, fruit driven flavours and was awarded 95 "Parker Points" by the Wine Advocate. The big, punchy flavours bowled us all over at the initial sampling stage... a genuine benchmark Shiraz.
The range includes:
These are all big, rich, powerful wines with some weighing in at 15.5%alc. A massive wine by any standards.
Stock availability is limited but they do come heartedly recommended by all the team at Barrels & Bottles
Not often we post details of a wine before it arrives but the Gartelmann winery have such a wealth of information available it seems a shame to keep it all to ourselves.
In a tasting of Hunter Valley Semillon wines by Huon Hooke (issue 15 April 2007) the Gartelmann Benjamin Semillon received the following review:
"Superbly clean, refined, and delicate; a scintillating youngster with many years ahead of it. Subtle lemon/citrus aromas; delicate, low-phenolic palate, with mouth-watering acidity that is in no way aggressive. Delicious seafood wine: it cries out for oysters. 17.5 / 20"
Visit the Gartelmann Winery website for a sneak preview on what is new and on it's way to us very soon.
In a tasting of Hunter Valley Semillon wines by Huon Hooke (issue 15 April 2007) the Gartelmann Benjamin Semillon received the following review:
"Superbly clean, refined, and delicate; a scintillating youngster with many years ahead of it. Subtle lemon/citrus aromas; delicate, low-phenolic palate, with mouth-watering acidity that is in no way aggressive. Delicious seafood wine: it cries out for oysters. 17.5 / 20"
Visit the Gartelmann Winery website for a sneak preview on what is new and on it's way to us very soon.
John Higgins
Barrels and Bottles
Unit 5b Broom Business Park, Bridge Way, Sheepbridge
Chesterfield
,
Derbyshire
,
S41 9QG
England
01246 453399
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