Shaw + Smith Sav Blanc: Special Price One Week Only

The recently released 2009 Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc marks the 20th vintage completed by Shaw & Smith. Over those twenty years this Adelaide Hills winery has firmly established itself as Australia's leading producer of Sauvignon Blanc. Whilst only just released, the 2009 Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc has already received some glowing reviews including a massive 96 points from James Halliday.

As a special offer for Corker readers we are offering this wine at the very special price of $19.90 for one week only. 

The previously featured 2008 Longhop Shiraz ($15.90) recently attracted some more glowing reviews (94 points - Halliday) re-affirming it's position as one of Australia's best value reds. If you are yet to discover this wine we encourage you to do so before it is all gone.

Also featured in this edition are some new releases from Port Phillip Estate, Craggy Range and a few premium red clearance specials.

The team at Auscellardoor

Ph - 1800 088 022

www.auscellardoor.com.au

2009 Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc - $19.90

Over the past decade Shaw and Smith have established a reputation as Australia's leading producer of Sauvignon Blanc. The recently released 2009 vintage is once again exceptional; displaying plenty of fresh varietal character and tangy, zippy flavours.

Rated 96 points by James Halliday, we are offering this wine at the special price of $19.90 for one week only.  

"96 Points. The grapes are hand-picked (leaving sunburnt or otherwise defective bunches unpicked), crushed, must-chilled and cold-fermented with various yeasts, with one month lees contact. Simple. It has a highly aromatic and scented bouquet of nettle, citrus and herb, the vibrant palate with great thrust and persistence. A distinguished vintage of a distinguished line. Screwcap; 13% alc; drink to 2011. Price: $25" - James Halliday, The Weekend Australian, July 18-19 July 2009.

"Beautiful aromatic nose. Lemon, apricot and peach - terrific crystalline fruit. Fine peach flavour and great intensity with citrus freshness and no greenness. Long and zesty." - Julia Harding MW, www.jancisrobinson.com, 15 July 2009.

2008 Longhop Shiraz - $15.90

This wine is one of the best value reds we have come across for some time. Made by the highly regarded winemaker Domenic Torzi, grapes for this wine are sourced from the Mount Lofty ranges on the outskirts of Adelaide. This great value red has received widespread critical acclaim and we expect remaining stocks to sell out quickly.

"94 Points. The bouquet is bursting with spice, hay, licorice and dark chocolate over the core of black fruits, taking on a more savoury character on the palate, black fruits again to the fore. Exceptional value. Screwcap. 14.5% alc. Drink 2016. Date Tasted Sep 09" - James Halliday, winecompanion.com.au.  

“Massive wine. Pitch-black colour. Rich with syrupy flavours of coal, blackberry, tar and minerals and full-on from the first attack of flavour to the last of the long, warm finish. An epic wine. It has a good hit of tannin too, and wave after wave of dark, concentrated fruitiness. Australia's most powerful wine under $20. Drink 2009-2012. 93 Points" - Campbell Mattinson & Gary Walsh, The Big Red Wine Book 2009/10.

"This is vibrant, fresh, exciting wine, with sinuous and lissome structure rather than jam and syrup, so it makes you thirstier and happier and hungrier as you work down the shoulder and into the label. Suddenly it’s all gone and you haven’t even lit the stove. $15? Jokin’! Rated: 92++" - Philip White, The Independent Weekly. September 11, 2009.

2008 Port Phillip Estate Pinot Noir - $32.90

Port Phillip Estate's Sandro Mosele has established himself as one of Australia's leading Pinot winemakers having made some exceptional examples for Kooyong, Scorpo and of course Port Phillip Estate. The newly released 2008 Port Phillip Estate Pinot Noir will only build Sandro's reputation as a maker of top class Pinot Noir.

"95 Points. Good hue, bright and deep; in time-honoured Port Phillip Estate style, possessing an extra dimension of flavour, texture and depth; black cherry, dark plum and quality French oak underlie a pinot with a long life ahead. Diam. 14% alc. Drink 2018 $37 Date Tasted Aug 09" - James Halliday, winecompanion.com.au.  

"I like the direction this wine is heading in. It’s made in a more serious, tannic, and dry style than it once was - though I’ve long been a fan of the estate. There’s a bitterness to this wine that I don’t mind at all, especially alongside food, and especially with cellaring in mind. It’s otherwise dry and black cherried, chalky and nicely focused through the finish. It’s too young to drink now, but it’s a safe bet for the cellar. Rated : 93+ Points Alcohol : 14% Price : $37 Closure : Diam Drink : 2011 - 2016" - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front.

2007 Craggy Range 'Sophia' - $59.90

Craggy Range's ‘Sophia' is a ‘Bordeaux blend' of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon all sourced from their highly acclaimed Gimblett Gravel vineyard. For some time Craggy Range have been raving about the 2007 vintage which was long, dry and cool; ideal conditions for the Hawkes Bay region of New Zealand. Craggy Range have declared this the finest example of this wine that they have produced yet, it has also received critical acclaim from New Zealand's most influential wine critic, Bob Campbell MW.

"95/ 100. A flagship blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec that thoroughly justifies its exalted status. Plump, ripe plum and dark berry flavours with a suggestion of floral and spice character plus a sensitive influence of classy oak. A very serious red that's dangerously easy to drink now but will certainly repay cellaring. This is the best wine under this label since it was first made in 2001." - Bob Campbell MW, bobswinereviews.com. 

"Dark garnet coloured core with vivid crimson hues. Aromas of violets, cedar, darkest plum and subtle vanilla meld for a complex bouquet. The palate possesses layers of fine tannin polished by unctuous fruit character and incredible length. Our best yet" - Notes from Craggy Range.

2008 Ara Pathway Sauvignon Blanc - $17.90

This was a standout wine in a line-up of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc's at a recent new release New Zealand tasting that we attended. Whilst offering all the fresh tropical flavours that we have come to expect from Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, it also has classy edge thanks to an underlying restrained minerality. This is one of the best value Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc's we have come across for a long time. 

"A magical feast that puts New Zealand's standout variety in a shining light." - John Fordham, Sunday Telegraph, 9 August 2009.

"Bursting with fresh guava and lime citrus fruits, it's classic Marlborough sauvignon, made in a pure, fresh, crisp style. Even I enjoyed this one." - Fergus McGhie, Canberra Times, 20 May 2009.

"... it over delivers on flavour, offering a delicious combo of new wave vibrancy and minerally freshness with old wave green plum Marlborough sauvignon blanc." - Joelle Thomson, February, 20, 2009.

"Ara's new Pathway label is easily the best sub-$20 sauvignon on the market" - Paul Tudor MW, Metro magazine, July-August 09, NZ.

2008 Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz - $34.90

Very limited. Clonakilla only produce tiny quantities of their flagship Shiraz Viognier, and in response to the high demand for their wines decided to introduce the O’Riada Shiraz. This wine is named after the cousin of Clonakilla founder, John Kirk, and Irish music legend Sean O’Riada. Fruit for this wine is sourced from a collection of several parcels from around the Canberra district. At around a third of the price of the Shiraz Viognier, it offers exceptional drinking.

"95 Points. Delightful focus and poise, built on elegantly honed black cherry fruit and black pepper with a vibrancy and depth that takes it to another level. It has delightfully fresh acidity and beautifully fine, structured, peppery tannins with excellent texture and minerality. It's very quickly earned a placed in Australia's hall of Shiraz Viognier fame." - Tyson Stelzer, Wine 100, October 2009. 

"Gee, I really dig this medium-bodied wine - it's full of exquisite cool-climate fruit and incredibly perfumed. Spicy with a sprinkling of black pepper, a core of bright plum fruit that follows through on the palate and quite savoury with cleansing, tangy acidity and soft fine tannins" - Jane Faulkner, The Age, August 15, 2009.  

2007 Spinifex Shiraz Viognier - $44.90

Established in 2001, Spinifex of the Barossa has established itself as one of Australia's leading premium red wine producers. Classic, old techniques are implemented at Spinifex including open fermenters, basket-pressing and partial wild fermentation resulting in wines that are stunningly powerful and balanced. In his recent 2009 edition of his Wine Companion, James Halliday paid Spinifex one of the highest compliments saying "So far as I am concerned Spinifex out-Torbrecks Torbreck".

"96 Points. Inviting vibrant colour; quite a polished and poised bouquet of allspice redcurrant and blackberry fruit; at the core of the wine there is a mineral complexity that is thoroughly engaging, and the hedonistic level of sweet fruit marries seamlessly with it and the toasty oak; beautifully constructed, on a large scale, the balancing acidity provides brightness to the finish. Diam. 14.5% alc. Rating 96 Drink 2020 Date Tasted Mar 09" - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2010 Edition.  

"95 Points. Heavenly wine. Exactly what top-notch shiraz viognier should be. Elegant and spicy but in the most positive of ways - and not as an excuse for thin weediness. Full fruit flavour of blackberries and kirsch, and lots and lots of juiciness - this is one tremendously vibrant wine. The folks at Spinifex are in the finest of forms... if you're really going to splash out, please consider this. Drink 2011-2018. $65. Alc 14.5%" - Campbell Mattinson & Gary Walsh, The Big Red Wine Book, 2009/10. 

2006 Cape Mentelle Zinfandel - $38.90

Cape Mentelle is one of the pioneering producers of Zinfandel in Australia commanding a ‘cult’ following for its big, rich full-bodied style. Normally retailing for $45+ limited stocks are available at the special price of $38.90. 

"What a combination - Margaret River and Zinfandel, a grape not widely used. The winemaker got this just right with the bright crimson colour leading the way. Tingling mint and spicy mocha aromas marry perfectly with the robust body. The rich palate handles the alcohol well as lively oak supports raspberry, blackberry and herbal flavours. Enjoy dusty tannins on a peppery finish." - Phillip Stubbs, Geelong Advertiser, 24/01/2009.

"Deep brick red. Fresh prunes, chocolate, dark cherry, mixed spice and subtle vanilla pod. A rich, full and textural wine, with sweet, ripe redcurrant fruit accompanied by hints of spicy clove and plum jam. This vintage may reward cellaring to 2014." - Notes from Cape Mentelle.