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Thanks to everyone for making our 11th Annual Melbourne Cup Salute to
Australian Wines such a great success. We tasted some great wine and met lots of
new customers. As we head into the holidays, we’ve got a few more tastings to
wet your whistle.
TASTINGS.....
WOLF BLASS • Friday, November 14, 5-7pm • The Jug Shop Wine Bar
Wolf Blass has done much to promote the wine industry in Australia and is
considered among the country’s great personalities. Based in the Barossa, the
winery sources fruit from throughout South Australia and is best known for their
“Black Label” Cabernet. The more famous line in the winery’s portfolio is
Black Opal and you’ll have a chance to taste a vertical of their tasty
Barossa shiraz.
MAJELLA • Saturday, November 15, 3-6pm • The Jug Shop Wine Bar
The Lynn family’s Coonawarra grapes have been sold to the region’s best wineries
including Wynn’s for their “John Riddoch” Cabernet and their “Michael” Shiraz.
Their own wines have quickly achieved top-tier status. Meet the always
entertaining Peter Lynn as we pour their current releases plus some treats for
their museum stock.
NEW ARRIVALS.....
2002 Mitchell Riesling (Clare Valley) $16.99
 Eight
months after we had a chance to taste this wine at the Australia Day Tastings,
this spectacular riesling has hit our shelves. The wine has opened up
considerably since Jane Mitchell brought it by and has garnered much attention
as well by being selected as “Wine of the Year” by Huon Hooke and Ralph
Kyte-Powell’s Penguin Guide to Australian Wine annual reviews. There is
very little of this wine to be had so act quickly!
2001 Ringbolt Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River) $14.99
 Margaret
River is known for producing softer, elegant styled cabernets but many of the
best examples approach $50 a bottle. Affordable cab from the region is very hard
to find but Brian Walsh, chief winemaker at Yalumba, has done just that.
In an effort to learn more about winemaking in regions outside South Australia,
Brian went west and sourced fruit through his contacts at Vasse Felix winery.
This wine has what every Margaret River cabernet offers without the price!
Juicy, quaffable, and full of varietal character, it’s one of the best new wines
we’ve tasted. As Homer S. says, Mmmmmm.....Ringbolt.
Henschke Allocations
 We’ve
just gotten our latest batch of wines from Henschke. New arrivals include the
2002 Eden Valley Riesling ($24.99), 2000 Mt. Edelstone Shiraz ($69.99),
the 1999 Cyril Henschke Cabernet ($89.99), and the 2001 Johannes
Garden Grenache ($34.99). As always, there’s just a bit to spread around so
call soon if interested. We’ve also got drips and drabs of older Henschke wines
in our cellar if you need to fill some holes in yours. Sorry, folks. We’ve got
no Hill of Grace to sell.
NEW ZEALAND NEWS.....
 If
you like pinot noir and you probably do if you’re reading this section, you may
want to take a trip to New Zealand and go to the 2004 International Pinot
Noir Conference. The three-day salute to pinot noir will again be held in
Wellington and features a number of tastings, seminars and late night
entertainment. It’s also a great opportunity to visit the surrounding wine
regions. Click here for more
information.
TASTING NOTES.....
Our Melbourne Cup series of tastings featured a number of opportunities to taste
all sorts of wines and following are some observations about favorites.....
At the Jasper Hill masterclass, the 1999 “Georgia’s Paddock” Shiraz
($59.99) showed big amounts of rich, vibrant fruit while the 1994
($59.99) was easily the best of the older flight still offering up soft,
cherry infused flavors. The big surprise was the 1996 “Georgia’s
Paddock” Riesling ($24.99), where bottle-age transformed what was a tight,
citrus-laced wine into a richer wine with tropical fruit characteristics..... Leeuwin
Estate’s 2002 Riesling ($21.99) won the annual “Aussie Riesling
Taste-Off” for the fifth consecutive year but barely as the 2003 Grosset
“Polish Hill” Riesling ($28.99) came within a few points of unseating
Leeuwin’s reign as champion riesling..... There was a big crowd for our annual
sparkling burgundy tasting on Halloween where tasters decided whether red
fizz is a trick or a treat. Favorites included the 1996 Galah ($39.99)
and the 1998 Yalumba “D Black” ($29.99).
 The Down Under
Wine Report is
written by Chuck Hayward, © November 2003.
The Jug Shop • 1567 Pacific
Avenue • San Francisco, CA 94109 • 415.885.2922 |
