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It is already shaping up to be a great year in terms of discounts for the bargain hunters on the database. Our first vintage offering of the Torbreck Neck Oil 2002 sold out in minutes. (I will contact those of you who asked to be waitlisted if we manage to get more of it at the right price)
There was a wave of wines produced in Australia in the early 2000`s which sought to emulate the tastes of critics like Robert Parker. Many were not too flash-hot (I have tasted many of them) but thankfully there have been some exceptions to the rule, like the Neck Oil and today`s re-offering.
When looking at a wine, there are a couple of fundamentals that are worth bearing in mind if you have not actually tasted the vino before:-
1. Is the brand well established?
There are a fair few wines in Singapore that are brought in as retailer/importer labels and are almost always not worth opening even for pizza-and-dvd nights.
2. Is the wine made by somebody with enough dirt on their boots?
With hundreds of new graduates and semi-retired dentists in the industry with ill-founded aspirations to be the next rock star winemaker, it is always a good idea to know if the winemaker is worth your hard earned money.
3. What is the vintage like?
Anybody who has bought 2007 Bordeaux and had the courage to drink it will know only too well what that experience is like. (I would rather drink beer)
4. Is it a varietal you like?
If fluffy Kiwi Gewurtz doesn`t float your boat - leave it on the shelf.
5. Have any critics rated it?
As much as we like to give them a run for their money and find holes in their pontifications, they are still a very good litmus test to see if the wine has a shot at being worthwhile.
Today`s wine ticks all the boxes.
The Binder Mitchell is a joint venture between Rolf Binder and Kevin Mitchell (Veritas and Killikanoon fame) . Both have been poster boys for the Australian wine industry for a fair few years now. This particular wine, was in our top ten most successful labels for last year, with almost everybody re-ordering after tasting it. We currently have three resturants with it awaiting listing of the wine once it gets here next week.
The 2002 vintage, whilst not being the quality of the 2004, is certainly respectable enough to open for even your most painfully demanding wine mates.
The wine is shiraz - the lifeblood of South Australian wine. Whilst the wine never made it to the altar of Wine Advocate, I have drunk a lot of this wine over the past year, and as somebody a lot wiser than I once said "Life`s Too Short to Drink Bad Wine..."
The Offer: Binder Mitchell "Dovetail" Baroota Shiraz 2002 - $42 net. (Cheaper than last year`s offer even after the currency rollercoaster).
Cellaring Time: This year (Decant it as it has been holding it`s breath for some time now. A simple pour into a milk jug and recant back into the bottle will do the trick.)
To Order:
"...Why Pay Retail...?"
CHAPOUTIER AND LAUGHTON SHIRAZ AT 97 POINTS - SOLD OUT
KILIKANOON WINES AT LESS THAN AUSTRALIAN RETAIL STOCK STILL AVAILABLE
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