The Auswine Forum

Brucer wrote:I was in a Dan Murphys store in NSW yesterday, and they had 12 bottles of 03 Block 6 sitting in the rack for sale. I had ordered my 3 from the winery, and pondered about buying the lot, but not sure about the wine, and I was far from home. The price was around $56.
Bit sad to see that, when mailing list customers get 3 bottles, and anyone can buy the 12 from Dan Murphys. Do Kays have their priorities a bit wrong here?Bruce

I don't think so. 1) We get to buy it for $45. 2) They probably did not sell it to Dan's for much less than what they sell it to us, and they they need to maintain relations with Dan's in order to sell their other wines. I think we need to appreciate that. We probably need to remember that they could sell the whole lot to the US and make more than they do here. Actually, I had that exact conversation with Colin a year or so ago.

Kind regards,
Adair

Adair wrote:

Brucer wrote:I was in a Dan Murphys store in NSW yesterday, and they had 12 bottles of 03 Block 6 sitting in the rack for sale. I had ordered my 3 from the winery, and pondered about buying the lot, but not sure about the wine, and I was far from home. The price was around $56.
Bit sad to see that, when mailing list customers get 3 bottles, and anyone can buy the 12 from Dan Murphys. Do Kays have their priorities a bit wrong here?Bruce

I don't think so. 1) We get to buy it for $45. 2) They probably did not sell it to Dan's for much less than what they sell it to us, and they they need to maintain relations with Dan's in order to sell their other wines. I think we need to appreciate that. We probably need to remember that they could sell the whole lot to the US and make more than they do here. Actually, I had that exact conversation with Colin a year or so ago.

Kind regards,
Adair

Hello

They sell it to me too.

I pay the same as you do, that is, cellar door price, hence the mark up that must follow.

I assume Dan Murphys also pay cellar door prices.

This explains the higher price. The stocks they supply retail with is very low.

Of course its Dan's choice to sell it all to one person, or do what Kays do, make sure all those on the mailing list and cellar door who want some can get some.

I too had limits this year per customer from the same reason, otherwise the first customer would (usually) buy all the Block 6.

Earlier this year I chanced upon some 2002 Hillside at Dans for $33.30. No idea what CD price was but this price seemed reasonable, and with their markup, suspect Dans may have got it at better than CD price?

Irregular wrote:Earlier this year I chanced upon some 2002 Hillside at Dans for $33.30. No idea what CD price was but this price seemed reasonable, and with their markup, suspect Dans may have got it at better than CD price?

2002 Hillside was $33 at CD (2002 Block 6 was $45).

Adair

Thanks Adair, seems the price I paid was right then, but confirms Dans must do better than CD. As it happens, I'm no longer on the Kays mailing list either, even though I've been buying it for years! Oh well.

As an aside, many of the Hillside vintages seem somewhat out of favour on the secondary market at present selling in the mid $20's.

Ian

One online retailer I buy from here in California has the 1992, 1999, 2000 and the 2002 Block 6 going for $80-120USD (3 bottle limit only on the 2002). The 2002 Hillside is about $40USD ($36 if you buy 6 or more). Don't know how much he has but it seems like he has had them up on the site for quite some time now. Maybe he overstocked - so I wouldn't send anymore.

Mike

Irregular wrote:As an aside, many of the Hillside vintages seem somewhat out of favour on the secondary market at present selling in the mid $20's.
Ian

Fantastic isn't it? I just love wines like Hillside going out of favour then I can keep buying as much as I like, including back vintages, and all of them below current CD price.

Hillside is a very underrated wine in many quarters, lives unfairly in the shadow of Block 6 andf yet is close to it in quality and usually more approachable young.

No bidding it up ok!

Is there any tasting notes available for either of these, the Kays website only seems to have the 2002 vintage up.

Mal

Mal,

Just for you...

From the Amery Wine Club Newsletter - August 2005

2003 VINTAGE REPORT – Moderate rainfall over winter was followed by a warm dry spring with excellent flowering and fruit set. Coupled with warm growing and ripening conditions, Kay’s Amery vineyard delivered average to above average yields throughout the property, bucking the regional trend of low yields. Rain prior to harvest caused some concern, however the fruit quality across the vineyard was excellent. Vintage began on the 24th February with Semillon and Frontignac and the resulting whites are fresh and varietal. Red grapes began filling the winery on the 12th March, the vineyard producing bunches with small berries, thick skins, good phenolic ripeness and excellent natural acidity. The red wines are deep and rich, in colour and character with medium term ageing potential.

2003 KAYS AMERY BLOCK 6 SHIRAZ (107th VINTAGE 1897-2003) – As this wine was not in bottle when this wine-letter was put together these notes are from a June 2005 cask tasting - once bottled in July 2005 we will have another taste and publish these notes on our web site during August. In their 111th year the Block 6 vines produced 14.18 tonnes of superb quality Shiraz grapes. They were hand picked on the 17th March 2003 and traditionally processed (open fermentation and basket pressing) prior to transferring to new American and Eastern European oak casks for 28 months of wood maturation.
Colour: Dense inky black/purple.
Bouquet: Toasty oak, blackberry, black pepper, briar and spice.
Palate: Multi-layered concentration of rich juicy full-bodied black fruits combined with chocolate, tar, pepper, liquorice, smoky oak and chewy robust tannins. An intensely complex mouthful of Shiraz fruit and a finish that lingers and lingers. The rich fruit carries the 15.5% alc/vol and we would see this Block 6 developing into a great example of old vine Shiraz with 6 years plus in a good cellar.

2003 KAYS AMERY HILLSIDE SHIRAZ – The Hillside vineyard had its beginnings in 1992 when cuttings from the 100 year old gnarled vines of Block 6 were planted on the eastern hillside of the Amery property - further plantings of the Block 6 clone took place in 1993, 1997, 1998 and 1999.
The 2003 Hillside Shiraz grapes were harvested in March, traditionally processed and aged in new American oak casks for 28 months prior to bottling in July 2005. The following notes are from a pre-bottling June 2005 cask tasting.
Colour: Deep cherry black.
Bouquet: Sweet fruit perfume of black cherries, blackberries, white pepper and spices over subtle toasty oak.
Palate: A rich, voluptuous, fruit driven Shiraz with a hint of confectionery sweetness in the background. A very approachable full bodied combination of blueberries, plum, Ribena, mocha chocolate, spice box, vanilla and pepper fill the palate with pleasurable flavours and the balanced soft tannin finish has both length and persistence. Excellent cellaring potential. 15% alc/vol.

Kind regards,
Adair

Lovely work Adair, thanks

Mal

Brucer wrote:I was in a Dan Murphys store in NSW yesterday, and they had 12 bottles of 03 Block 6 sitting in the rack for sale. I had ordered my 3 from the winery, and pondered about buying the lot, but not sure about the wine, and I was far from home. The price was around $56.
Bit sad to see that, when mailing list customers get 3 bottles, and anyone can buy the 12 from Dan Murphys. Do Kays have their priorities a bit wrong here?

Bruce, I think it would be healthy to have a look at the other perspective. Mailing list customers are paying the same price for the Block 6 as retailers do, so of anything the mailing list customers are getting a better deal. The allocation to retailers is extremely limited, and I guess they provide a small amount of Block 6 and Hillside so that the retailers will take their other wines as well.