September 2025 Purchases

[phillisc]

6 2022 Yalumba Sanctum...bargain for the price.
6 2021 Schild Estate Three Springs Shiraz
Cheers Craig

[Sean]

Rockford wine order delivered today.

Rockford Eden Valley Riesling 24 x 3
Rockford Frugal Farmer 23
Rockford Moppa Springs GMS 22
Rockford Rod & Spur Shiraz Cabernet 21

[Hacker]

6 x 2024 Bosward shiraz. I tried one last night. Whilst enjoyable it didn't have the structure I was hoping for.

[Alan Foo]

1 x 1999 Hardy's Eileen Hardy Shiraz
1 x 2002 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz
1 x 1994 Leasingham Classic Clare Shiraz
1 x NV Wild Duck Creek Sparkling Duck 10
2 x 2016 Wild Duck Creek Fortified Duck 375ml

Looking forward to enjoy it in the next 2 weeks.
Cheers, Alan

[phillisc]

Well done on the Leasingham.
Have an unopened sixer somewhere, lads birth year.

Cheers Craig

[sjw_11]

A mixed case each from Spain and Italy... prices aren't what they were pre Brexit but at least you can still get free shipping to the UK.

Finca Genoveva Caíño - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2022 2022
Clos Ancestral Negre - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2022 2022
Paco & Lola Nº12 - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2024 2024
Teso la Monja Almirez - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2022 2022
Los Arrotos del Pendón Rosado - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2023 2023
Nuestra Señora del Portal Rosado - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2024 2024
El Valao - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2022 2022
Gran Cerdo - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : Without vintage
Carrasviñas Fermentado en Barrica - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2024 2024
Viña Zorzal Golerga - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2023 2023
Enate Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2022 2022
Fedellos do Couto Bastarda - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2023 2023
La Planella - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2022 2022
Vora la Mar - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2023 2023
Vermouth De Muller Iris Rojo - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : Without vintage
Paco & Lola Vintage - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2018 2018
Loxarel Ancestral A Pèl - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2022 2022
Milsetentayseis Tinto - Volume : 75 cl.- Vintage : 2021 2021

"Stupore" Bolgheri Rosso DOC 2023
S1340 - "Arenada" Monica di Sardegna DOC 2022
S6514 - "Governo all'uso Toscano" Toscana IGT 2023
S4365 - "Lignum Vitis" Frappato Shiraz Terre Siciliane IGT 2024
S1153 - "Ronco di Sassi" Vino Bianco
S4361 - Amarone Valpolicella DOCG 2020
S1943 - Barbera d'Alba DOC 2023
S1941 - Barolo DOCG 2020
S6511 - Chianti DOCG Riserva 2021
S3029 - Lagrein Trentino DOC 2023
S2998 - "Villa dei Baroni" Etna Bianco DOC 2024
S0697 - Grillo Sicilia DOC 2024

[Ian S]

Yes Sam

Back in those days it was a wonderful combo of superb ranges and at times superb prices. The former was the main reason, but the latter a superb sweetener.

Places like Callmewine, Xtrawine, Garrafeira Nacional and others were a great way of exploring into the nooks and crannies of Italy & Portugal, and others opened up Spain, France and Germany.

It's eventually settled down, with a limited few (e.g. Decantolo, Svinando, Vinissimus, Tannico) committed to shipping to the UK with VAT & duty paid upfront. Their prices have raised, but the ranges they ship have also narrowed. Still useful, but not what it was. Others will ship without pre-paid VAT & duty, usually resulting in an additional admin fee (~$12-15) on top of the charges due e.g. Portugal Vineyards direct alongside plenty of others. Some simply stopped shipping to the UK.

Any good ones you'd still recommend?

[Sean]

I did the rounds at Mornington Peninsula today and picked up wines to drink over the next couple of months, incl some new releases.

Kooyong Ferrous Single Block Pinot Noir 23
Kooyong Haven Single Block Pinot Noir 23
Port Phillip Estate Balnarring Pinot Noir 24
Phaedrus Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay
Phaedrus Pinot Gris 25
Phaedrus Reserve Pinot Noir 23
Point Leo Estate Chardonnay 22
Point Leo Estate Pinot Noir 22
Quealy Tussie Mussie Pinot Gris 24
Quealy Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 24
Quealy Campbell & Christine Pinot Noir 24
Stonier KBS Vineyard Chardonnay 24
Stonier Reserve Chardonnay 24
Stonier Windmill Vineyard Pinot Noir 23
Ten Minutes By Tractor 10X Field Blend 25
Ten Minutes By Tractor 10X Pinot Gris 25
Ten Minutes By Tractor 10X Rose 25
Ten Minutes By Tractor 10X Chardonnay 24
Ten Minutes By Tractor 10X Chardonnay 25
Ten Minutes By Tractor 10X Pinot Noir 25

[sjw_11]

Any good ones you'd still recommend?

In this case I was ordering from Decantalo and Svinando ... Decantalo still has a full range but pricing not always so good now (but they have always been a very reliable service over the years. Svinando has a pretty limited range but good for cheap and cheerful type wines when doing their common 50% discount offers.

Haven't really tried any others lately.

[Ian S]

Thanks for that Sam. I'm trying another this week - Vinatis, who are based in France and who I've seen recommended on wine pages. Prices from ok to good, and range wide, though it seems a high % of co-ops. They've processed the order within a day, so the recommendation that said they were efficient seems to be a solid one.

[phillisc]

A mixed sixer of 2021 and 2022 Yarra Yering Number 1.
Have had my eye on these for a while now, a fair price and will be the last purchase of this label, unless of course secondary market prices are favourable
Cheers Craig

[Chuck]

6 x Wynns 2021 Black Label Coonawarra Cabernet.

[sjw_11]

Thanks for that Sam. I'm trying another this week - Vinatis, who are based in France and who I've seen recommended on wine pages. Prices from ok to good, and range wide, though it seems a high % of co-ops. They've processed the order within a day, so the recommendation that said they were efficient seems to be a solid one.

Funnily enough I had Vinatis black listed when I lived in France, they made a complete mess of an order which they failed to deliver and then left at a pick up point a couple of km away from where I lived meaning I would have to basically take an uber to collect it. They refused to re-deliver or to apologise in any way except to very slowly refund me.. and they thus missed out on (a probably disturbingly large) amount of business.

But I did order from them once in the UK and that reached me fine. Kind of forgot about them actually, might check them out again.

[Sean]

Picked up half a doz wines this afternoon, incl some regulars.
Chalmers Nero d’Avola 22
Kooyong Massale Pinot Noir 24
Pizzini Nonna Gisella Sangiovese 24
Stumpy Gully Peninsula Panorama Pinot Noir 24
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 19 (To replace the bottle I drank last year.)
Ten Minutes By Tractor Up The Hill Pinot Noir 23 (Last bottle at the Dan’s store. The winery doesn’t have any left to sell at the cellar door either.)
Not a lot of 2023 Mornington Peninsula premiums around, low yield vintage.
I got a couple of 2023 Kooyong single blocks last weekend just released, incl the Ferrous. Then an email from them during the week to say it has sold out.

[Ian S]

Thanks for that Sam. I'm trying another this week - Vinatis, who are based in France and who I've seen recommended on wine pages. Prices from ok to good, and range wide, though it seems a high % of co-ops. They've processed the order within a day, so the recommendation that said they were efficient seems to be a solid one.

Funnily enough I had Vinatis black listed when I lived in France, they made a complete mess of an order which they failed to deliver and then left at a pick up point a couple of km away from where I lived meaning I would have to basically take an uber to collect it. They refused to re-deliver or to apologise in any way except to very slowly refund me.. and they thus missed out on (a probably disturbingly large) amount of business.

But I did order from them once in the UK and that reached me fine. Kind of forgot about them actually, might check them out again.

Delivery arrived today, just under a week from when I ordered it, which is pretty decent for EU->UK deliveries post Brexit. Tracking rubbish, but that's often a common feature of purchasing across the border. Double walled 6 pack cardboard boxes were great, and all arrived as advertised.

p.s. there's a discount code: FOODISM10 gets 10% off when spending more than £100.

[platinum]

6 times blass platinum 2018 Shiraz

70 per bottle couldn’t pass at that price

Red bigot would be ripping the head off it seeing that

[SipAndANibble]

I see the platinum label from wolf Blass getting discounted a lot recently , especially on cd.co

[WineRick]

2025 Pikes 'Traditional' Riesling - crikey, this wine's good. Bought a dozen, hearing that it was good - I will be buying more! Looks like 2025 could be a doozy for Clare rieslings.

And now for something completely different!

1945 Kopke Vintage Port. Last time I sniffed and tasted this (from my finger ) was 1979. I was managing a wine merchant store in Lonsdale St., and my boss had bought a bottle from a walk-up to the store, saying her husband had died, having this bottle in an underground home cellar. Somehow, getting this bottle from counter to our underground cellar ( bluestone- one of the best to store wine in Melbourne ) the neck came off!
They are a squat bottle, so the only way to get it out of some tight packaging was to insert said finger into the shoulder and lift. My boss happened to own one of Melbourne's top restaurants, so that night, after filtering through muslin, it would have been offered by the glass at Two Faces.
I look forward to trying it soon under less stressful circumstances !

The same lady came in a few days later with 3 bottles of 1947 Ch. Margaux, with terrific fill levels, but that's a story for another day.

[Mike Hawkins]

Thanks for that Sam. I'm trying another this week - Vinatis, who are based in France and who I've seen recommended on wine pages. Prices from ok to good, and range wide, though it seems a high % of co-ops. They've processed the order within a day, so the recommendation that said they were efficient seems to be a solid one.

Funnily enough I had Vinatis black listed when I lived in France, they made a complete mess of an order which they failed to deliver and then left at a pick up point a couple of km away from where I lived meaning I would have to basically take an uber to collect it. They refused to re-deliver or to apologise in any way except to very slowly refund me.. and they thus missed out on (a probably disturbingly large) amount of business.

But I did order from them once in the UK and that reached me fine. Kind of forgot about them actually, might check them out again.

Delivery arrived today, just under a week from when I ordered it, which is pretty decent for EU->UK deliveries post Brexit. Tracking rubbish, but that's often a common feature of purchasing across the border. Double walled 6 pack cardboard boxes were great, and all arrived as advertised.

p.s. there's a discount code: FOODISM10 gets 10% off when spending more than £100.

Glad your delivery has been good. 11 weeks and counting for delivery of some cognac into the UK. ParcelForce is horrendous.

[Ian S]

Ouch! Parcelfarce living up to their name...

[mjs]

Annual Balnaves purchase

12 x 2020 The Blend
6 x 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon
6 x 2022 The Tally

Interesting that The Blend and Cabernet are both 2020 in this years member release. Maybe they still have significant stock. Tried a bottle of The Blend tonight. How good is this for a $16-ish dollar wine? Sensational!

[phillisc]

4 2022 Yalumba Signature
Cheers Craig

[JamieAdelaide]

1 x 1999 Hardy's Eileen Hardy Shiraz
1 x 2002 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz
1 x 1994 Leasingham Classic Clare Shiraz
1 x NV Wild Duck Creek Sparkling Duck 10
2 x 2016 Wild Duck Creek Fortified Duck 375ml

Looking forward to enjoy it in the next 2 weeks.
Cheers, Alan

Had the 02 Mt Ed this week Alan. Lovely wine with high herbal notes … like the 96… though structurally it’s like the 1990. 02 HofG was a few rungs above it,

[Alan Foo]

1 x 1999 Hardy's Eileen Hardy Shiraz
1 x 2002 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz
1 x 1994 Leasingham Classic Clare Shiraz
1 x NV Wild Duck Creek Sparkling Duck 10
2 x 2016 Wild Duck Creek Fortified Duck 375ml

Looking forward to enjoy it in the next 2 weeks.
Cheers, Alan

Had the 02 Mt Ed this week Alan. Lovely wine with high herbal notes … like the 96… though structurally it’s like the 1990. 02 HofG was a few rungs above it,

Thanks Jamie, Mt Ed has always been my favourite and I will keep this bottle for another few years.

Alan

[ticklenow1]

3 x 2024 Tolpuddle Chardonnay.

Missed out on Giaconda this year, but between this, the Savaterre and Sorrenberg, I’m still very happy with my high end Chardonnay purchases.

[JamieAdelaide]

3 x 2024 Tolpuddle Chardonnay.

Missed out on Giaconda this year, but between this, the Savaterre and Sorrenberg, I’m still very happy with my high end Chardonnay purchases.

I’ve a tasting there next month but I heard they sold out already!

[WineRick]

3 x 2024 Tolpuddle Chardonnay.

Missed out on Giaconda this year, but between this, the Savaterre and Sorrenberg, I’m still very happy with my high end Chardonnay purchases.

Don't overlook Penfolds Bin A Chardonnay - it's my Giaconda replacement. Even their Bin 311 with a few years bottle-age are pretty handy.

[Rossco]

Don't overlook Penfolds Bin A Chardonnay - it's my Giaconda replacement.

Excellent comment and a wonderful (sometimes overlooked) wine

An expensive month........

6 x 2024 Tapanappa Picadilly Chardonnay
(Local big green shed throwing them out at $40 in a 6)
1 x 2016 Ar.Pe.Pe Valtellina Superiore Riserva 'Buon Consiglio' Nebbiolo
1 x 2010 Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino 'Tenuta Greppo'
1 x 2012 Giacomo Conterno Barolo 'Francia' Nebbiolo
1 x 1996 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch
1 x 1988 Chateau Latour
1 x 2016 Ar.Pe.Pe Valtellina Superiore Riserva 'Sesto Canto' Nebbiolo
1 x 2014 Bruno Giacosa Riserva 'Falletto Vigna Le Rocche'

[Mike Hawkins]

3 x 2024 Tolpuddle Chardonnay.

Missed out on Giaconda this year, but between this, the Savaterre and Sorrenberg, I’m still very happy with my high end Chardonnay purchases.

Don't overlook Penfolds Bin A Chardonnay - it's my Giaconda replacement. Even their Bin 311 with a few years bottle-age are pretty handy.

At its price point, which is still not cheap, it might be the best value wine Penfolds makes.

[phillisc]

6 2018 Orlando Jacaranda Ridge.
Cheers Craig