The Auswine Forum

So August has arrived and with it the latest of my Purchases.

I admit to being an avid (addicted is another word) of Wine Searcher Pro and sometimes you can type in a wine, get a crazy price that you are almost *sure* is a mis-price. So you buy and suddenly the shop fesses up it's a misprice or "suddenly" it's sold out. I thought this would happen in this case - but either they were honest enough to ship, or didnt know what they had.

12 x Standish "The Standish" Shiraz 2005

Anyway it arrived today at 14 GBP a bottle ... that's about 20 aussie dollars?

I'm not very familiar with the Standish but that certainly was a good buy.

Not at all in the same league at all but I was able to get the following:

2003 Paxton Shiraz, McLaren Vale (Jones Block) for C$6.99 (about £4.4, and A$7),
2005 Paxton Shiraz, McLaren Vale (Thomas Block) for C$5.99 (about £3.75, and A$6).

Apparently the importer went bankrupt.

Cheers.....................Mahmoud

Speaking of value. Picked up my 2008 ep bdx purchases yesterday. Now these are about 2-3 Parker points
behind the much vaunted 2009 and 2010 vintages, but come at half the price . Exchange rates included.
2008 Leoville Barton
2008 Giscours
2008 Dom de Chevalier

cheers jafa

1x doz '98 VP Seppeltsfield
1x doz '05 VP Seppeltsfield ... both cellar door, simply giving them away
1x Freycinet Pinot Noir 2009
1x Freycinet "Radinet" Sparkling 2001 (late disgorged) .. both tasted at CD in Tassie on the w/end - very impressive, the sparkling in particular looking as if it had just been made .. the pinot very pretty but well structured.
1x Moorilla Muse Riesiling 2010... very impressive at CD, quite austere, firm acid backbone - will be longlived
1x Moorilla Muse Pinot Noir 2009 ... from the vineyard at Moorilla also home to the new and controversial MONA... exceptionally concentrated, rich and meaty, needing time to soften and unwind. A "masculine" pinot.

First purchases for August, lunchtime trip to Dan's

2xD'arenberg 2009 Footbolt Shiraz
1xSt Johns Road Blood & Courage
1x Jim Barry Watervale Riesling
1xWolf Blass Grey Label McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004
been wanting to try a portugese tawny so got 1x Burmester Jockey Club Port too.

Jay60A wrote:So August has arrived and with it the latest of my Purchases.

I admit to being an avid (addicted is another word) of Wine Searcher Pro and sometimes you can type in a wine, get a crazy price that you are almost *sure* is a mis-price. So you buy and suddenly the shop fesses up it's a misprice or "suddenly" it's sold out. I thought this would happen in this case - but either they were honest enough to ship, or didnt know what they had.

12 x Standish "The Standish" Shiraz 2005

Anyway it arrived today at 14 GBP a bottle ... that's about 20 aussie dollars?

Nice pick up - I note it's sold out now.

2002 Bollinger Grand Annee
2005 Pewsey The Contours Riesling

Jay60A - I for one am happy you have found a bargain. Good luck to you. Some would say you have pulled a 'Mahmoud'!!!

Sorry, Almost forgot.

6 x Wendouree Shiraz, Cab/Mal, Cab and Sh/Mat (I think thats what this years wines were) Credit card hit today.

And a day before I purchase some Wynns Riddoch (4) and some Davis (2).

wiggum wrote:Jay60A - I for one am happy you have found a bargain. Good luck to you. Some would say you have pulled a 'Mahmoud'!!!

Sorry, Almost forgot.

6 x Wendouree Shiraz, Cab/Mal, Cab and Sh/Mat (I think thats what this years wines were) Credit card hit today.

And a day before I purchase some Wynns Riddoch (4) and some Davis (2).

Hi Wiggum, it is on my do before i die list to get an invite to Wynnsday, went close but alas no cigar, and tomorrow looks like some cracking wines will be on offer. I will be at a DM's tomorrow afternoon along with dozens of others i suppose. Did you get your wines (if you don't mind me asking) from the large chains?
cheers craig.

BlaCkAdDa wrote:First purchases for August, lunchtime trip to Dan's

2xD'arenberg 2009 Footbolt Shiraz
1xSt Johns Road Blood & Courage
1x Jim Barry Watervale Riesling
1xWolf Blass Grey Label McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004
been wanting to try a portugese tawny so got 1x Burmester Jockey Club Port too.

Blood and courage is an absolute cracker, and a steal from a single vineyard in Greenock. i tried a bottle and went back for a dozen....a really juicy fantastic Barossa Shiraz which puts wines 4-5 times it price in the shade.

Phillisc
To answer your question - yes from one of the bigger chains. My theory on limited production wines or hard to find stuff is to get it from wherever you can whilst you can. My life is too hectic at the moment to wait for some of the smaller retailers to stock it and then hope I time my purchase well etc etc. I have been burnt before and missed out on wines i wanted after waiting a few weeks or months and expecting there to be some left. Having said that, I do like to support some smaller retailers for most other stuff.

2007 Matua Aririmu Merlot Cabernet. $20 a bottle! Bargain red buy of the year??? Apparently Matua is discontinuing this flagship range. Had one already and very impressed. There is a lot of top quality oak in this which perhaps needs time to settle a bit more, but this will be one highly impressive refined drink with another 2 or 3 years++ bottle age

It was the pain / pleasure moment of Wendouree having their way with my credit card today too:

5xShiraz
4xCab
4xCab/Malbec
4XShiraz/Mataro
1xMuscat

Also couldn't resist the d'Arenberg Footbolt 2009 at $11.50 - which appears to be the going price from any of the "we'll match anyones prices" retailers. Went for 12 in the end...

Simon

10 Blue Poles 2008 Allouran - the 07 was my WOTY 2 years back, and given the 08 vintage in Margaret River, this should rock.

6 Millton 2008 Chenin Blanc - perennial favourite from the Return to Terroir this year. I've been drinking them as they come, but a wee birdie in NZ advised me last weekend that this will improve markedly over 3 years. He reckoned drinking them now was a waste, I reckon he needs his head examined. We'll see.

3 Clearview 2009 Old Olive Grove cabernet blend - I entered a shop to buy 09 Coleraine, I tasted this and got what I was expecting from the Te Mata at half the price. Amazingly dense, brooding HB blend. Top shelf, and given time, huge QPR.

3 Smith's Vineyard chardonnay - Beechworth chardonnay of very fine quality. Yum.

Capel Vale wines:

2010 Pemberton Chardonnay
2008 Whispering Hill Shiraz
2009 Whispering Hill Riesling (hasn't fallen into the 'dumb' phase yet, and pristine)
2005 Geographe Chardonnay


Bunn Wines (Albany organic red producer)

2007 & 2008 Shiraz, and similar for cabernet sauvignon. Bunn only makes two wines each year.

Sandalford Chardonnay - a mix of Margaret River Reserve and Prindiville

simon1980 wrote:It was the pain / pleasure moment of Wendouree having their way with my credit card today too:

Also couldn't resist the d'Arenberg Footbolt 2009 at $11.50 - which appears to be the going price from any of the "we'll match anyones prices" retailers. Went for 12 in the end...

Simon

That's what I got above, however I realised the couple I got only a few weeks ago from same place were 08... has anyone tried the 09 yet ... they're usually pretty consistent year to year.

Few more purchases the last few weeks

6xD'arenberg 2007 Ironstone Pressings GSM
12xChapel Hill 2008 Cab Sav
6xChateau Maret Boradeaux 2009 (not sure if this is just some swanky label for some horrible plonk but we'll try one soon)
6xHallifax 2009 McLaren Vale Shiraz
3xColonial Estate Exile 2009 Shiraz
3xNormans 2009 Old Block Shiraz
3x"Block 51" Basket Pressed Greenoch Shiraz 2010 (took a flyer on this one also, no idea what its like)
2xChateau Grand Champs Bordeaux 2009
1xBuller Fine Old Muscat
10 litres of St Annes Muscat in a nice barrel!


Actually starting to think I've gone a bit too far thi smonth and the wifey might get angry!

3 * Tahbilk 2002 1860's Vines Shiraz
3 * Rockford 2002 Rifle Range Cab Sav

Will be cracking the Rifle Range in the next few weeks, and the tahbilk....oh..... probably in 10 years

2 x Bay of Fires Pinot 09
6 x Bourke st Shiraz 09

cheers
Seddo

after receiving my tax return last week, went just a tad overboard with the purchases

1x Chateau D'Yquem 1998 who could refuse @ $199 for a half bottle
2x Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2010
6x Magpie Hill Reserve Riesling 2010
3x Marius End Play 2008
3x Marius Symphony 2008
2x Massena The Midnight Run 2008
2x Wynns Black Label 2008
2x Wynns Davis Cab Sav 2008
2x Wynns Michael's 2008
3x Spinifex Indigene 2009
3x Greenstone Heathcote Shiraz 2008
3x Paulett Polish Hill River Riesling 2010
3x Thomas Wines Individual Vineyard Kiss Shiraz 2009
friday also saw the cc debited for the 12 bottles i ordered from wendouree

time to drink some wines i'ld say!

VINH NGUYEN wrote:after receiving my tax return last week, went just a tad overboard with the purchases

1x Chateau D'Yquem 1998 who could refuse @ $199 for a half bottle
2x Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2010
6x Magpie Hill Reserve Riesling 2010
3x Marius End Play 2008
3x Marius Symphony 2008
2x Massena The Midnight Run 2008
2x Wynns Black Label 2008
2x Wynns Davis Cab Sav 2008
2x Wynns Michael's 2008
3x Spinifex Indigene 2009
3x Greenstone Heathcote Shiraz 2008
3x Paulett Polish Hill River Riesling 2010
3x Thomas Wines Individual Vineyard Kiss Shiraz 2009
friday also saw the cc debited for the 12 bottles i ordered from wendouree

time to drink some wines i'ld say!

Nice work Vinh. Got my tax return too but its going towards the new kitchen being planned by SWMBO and daughter studying architecture and already developing expensive tastes. Had never heard of induction cooktops, pyroletic ovens and convection/microwave/oven combo until now. So I'm left with budget for cleanskins and bin ends etc

Chuck

the spoils of being a single man my friend

2 X Wyns Michael Shiraz 2008 (finally tracked some down)
2X Delatite Deads Man Hill Gewurztraminer 2009 (Thought I would try something different - had to check the bottle for the correct spelling)

2 x Wynns John Riddoch cab sav 2008
1 x Wynns Michael's shiraz 2008
3 x Wynns Black Label 2009
1 x Wynns Davis Cab Sav2008
1 x Vasse Felix Heytesbury red 2007
3 x Tyrrells Stevens Semillon 2007
3 x Tyrrells Belford Semillon 2006
3 x Thomas Wines Braemore Semillon 2010
3 x Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2005

I was very impressed with the Elizabeth Semillon compared to cellar release from dans. had both the 02 and 04 which from dans and thought they were very average special compared to 2005 which was excellent great length, toasty, honey and nice balance of acid and fruit.

I was lucky again to find some nice bargains......

1 x Cullen Diane Madeleine 1996
6 x Barossa Valley Estate Shiraz Ebenezer 1997
1 x Simon Hackett Shiraz Anthony's Reserve Limited Release 1997
1 x Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

1 x Beaulieu Burgundy 1970

1 x Chateau Langranges 1949
1 x Chateau Pontet-Canet 1961
1 x Chateau Pontet-Canet 1978
1 x Chateau Lynch Bages 1969
1 x Chateau Latour 1984
1 x Chateau D'Yquem 1993
1 x Drouhin-Laroze Gevrey Chambertin 1947
1 x DRC Grands Echezeaux 1979 (Magnum)
1 x DRC La Tache 1984
2 x Louis Latour Corton Grancey 1983
5 x Octave Cremieux Puligny Montrachet Les Folatiers 1994
3 x Leroy Bourgogne 1999
5 x Adrien Leuliot Chambertin 2000
3 x Paul Avril Chateauneuf-du-Pape Clos des Papes Blanc 2007

1 x Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino Reserva 1971
1 x Ceretto Barolo Bricco Rocche 1982
1 x Gaja Sori San Lorenzo 1983
1 x Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Pianrossa 1990
1 x Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Pianrossa 1998
1 x Castello di Fonterutoli Siepi 1996 (Magnum)

1 x Barros Port Colheita Gontelho 1965
1 x Quinta do Noval Port Colheita 1971

Cheers and happy drinking.

3x 2008 Tyrrell's Hahn Single Vinyard Shiraz Mataro
1x2007 De Bortoli Estate Grown Shiraz Viognier

Hadn't planned on buying any wine, but at $10 and $18 respectively from a local chain whose name rhymes with fork and please, I couldn't resist. Not the best year for the debort SV, but still pretty good. think I will pick up some more at those prices.

12 x 2009 Heirloom Vineyards Eden Valley Shiraz. A bit of an impulse buy at the right price. A 96 point rated wine by Halliday. I am starting to get a bit skeptical of Mr Halliday's ratings to be honest. He seems to doll out these high marks all too often. Is he becoming like RPJnr?

Quality over quantity this month so far with a:

86 Penfolds Grange
86 Chateau D'Yquem

With any luck to be drunk next month. Had our anniversary dinner planned for last Saturday night but my best friend ended up having emergency surgery last week so it's all postponed now. Of course getting your 8 closest friends all available on the same night is the challenge, especially when we're a very social and busy bunch. Our anniversary was actually in May so it's been a long time in the planning!

Halliday's ratings are contended to be too high these days because they're generally a point or two higher than Walsh's or Mattinson's or some other commentators'. But I've seen ratings of wines at TWF that have been up to 5 points higher than JH's. Go figure. My rule of thumb for JH ratings is that any wine 92-94 is a very good wine, 95-96 excellent, 97+ exceptional, then it's all down to understanding the TN. Then, GW and CM often vary by a point or two on their ratings. Individual palates? Don't forget that JH has an understudy who these days is likely to contribute a significant number of TNs/ratings under JH's name. That's rather a frustration for me as I'm sure it is for others who use JH's published assessments as a guide to buying without trying. If it is the case, it's deceptive I reckon. The actual taster should be attributed the assessment.

bacchaebabe wrote:Quality over quantity this month so far with a:

86 Penfolds Grange
86 Chateau D'Yquem

With any luck to be drunk next month. Had our anniversary dinner planned for last Saturday night but my best friend ended up having emergency surgery last week so it's all postponed now. Of course getting your 8 closest friends all available on the same night is the challenge, especially when we're a very social and busy bunch. Our anniversary was actually in May so it's been a long time in the planning!

Belated congratulations Kris, to yourself and your good partner. I hope your friend is recovering well and you all will be able to gather to celebrate your silver anniversary within the calender year of the occasion.

Best

daz