We're heading into an action-packed weekend here in the shop, with two brilliant tastings over Friday and Saturday!
Our staff's curated lineup this week focuses in on the brilliance of Cabernet Sauvignon, with nine absolute beauties selected that hail from all around the world! Pop by Saturday (17th) and have atry of this luxurious list, running from midday to 2pm - there's terrific value in reds such as the Warramate (produced by the folks at Yarra Yering), the Deep Woods, and the Chateau Clarisse St-Emilion from Bordeaux's right bank. Of course, there's further luxury to be found in the new Craggy Range Sophia, a gorgeous red fromright bank house Chateau Haut-Bailly, and a silky smooth blend from Grace Wines in Japan! We're beyond excited to show these (they'll be perfect winter warmers in this cooler weather), so we hope you can make it!
For fans of one of Marlborough's finest estates, we'll also have the wines of Dog Point on pour this Friday (16th) from 4 to 6pm! Hosted by brandsales manager/ambassador Jak Nash, their whites and reds are constant stalwarts of our shelves, always packed with a harmonious balance of fruit as well as flicks of minerality and texture. Do pop by and finish off your Friday the right way!
Cabernets of the World Lineup
Tasting this Saturday 17th June
12 to 2pm
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2021 Warramate Cabernet Merlot Malbec
(Yarra Valley)
$34 on special ; $39 RRP
"Black mulberries and blueberry fruits with some bramble lift, a medium-bodied classic claret style. The succulent jubey fruit layered palate with some aniseed spice complexity and lovely chalky tannins. There is a brightness to the acid energy that underscores a wine of fruit purity and finesse." - Winemaker Notes
"A perfect blend between the Merlot and the Cabernet Franc, the two grapes varieties which have made the Saint Emiion wines famous all around the world. The Merlot brings fruit ( small red fruits notes) and roundness to the wine, while Caberent Franc brings the structure and the spiceness. The palate has a nice roundness with great freshness, supple but powerful tannins. To drink now or keep up to 8 years, it will be a perfect pairing with products coming from the same terroir (red meats, games, mushrooms)." - Winemaker Notes
“A magnificent Tally. The fruit has a great depth of flavour and the X-factor that any Reserve should. Deep and fragrant, with a brightness of fruit not always obvious in this flagship. Coffee grounds and dark chocolate, studded with mint and hazelnuts. Fuller bodied with fine, gravelly tannins that give texture as much as definition. It needs more time but, wow, it will reward big time!” - 96 Points, James Halliday Wine Companion
"A blend of merlot and cabernet franc from the Gimblett Gravels district. Beautifully scented wine with intense cherry/berry, dark-fleshed plum, a suggestion of floral and spicy French oak flavours. Well-structured wine with gently mouthwatering acidity and an impressively lengthy finish. Should age well" - 97 Points, Bob Campbell MW
"Aiming for a wine that provides a glimpse of the place where it is from, we have decided to combine the three second wines "Grace Merlot", "Grace Cabernet Sauvignon" and "Grace Cabernet Franc", whose varieties are listed on the front label, into a single wine from the 2017 vintage. This new wine is "Akeno", the name reflects our cherishment of its origin. It is a blend of three varieties from a single vineyard, or a "wine with a view" of where it is from. After rigorous selection in the vineyard and the winery, small lots were selected and vinified separately with scrupulous attention to details as well as gentle extraction. Each variety or lot was matured in French oak barrels and bottled without clarification or filtration." - Winemaker Notes
"Lots of cassis and black raspberry fruits as well as classic Mount Veeder notes of lavender, violets, bouquet garni, and rocky, mineral-like notes emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon. A deep, full-bodied mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a plush, layered texture, beautiful tannins, a deep, concentrated mid-palate, and a great finish. Another head-turning wine from this label, it’s a candidate for the best Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon out there at the price point." - 97 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
"The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder was aged for 22 months in oak barrels, 82% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it springs from the glass with vibrant crème de cassis, baked plums and Morello cherries scents, followed by nuances of sautéed herbs, clove oil, mocha and scorched earth. The full-bodied palate is densely laden with layers of black and blue fruits, sporting a rock-solid backbone of grainy tannins and great tension, finishing long and minerally." - 95 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate
"Guado al Tasso 2019 is an intense ruby red color. On the nose it’s rich and alluring with notes of tobacco, licorice, plums and balsamic sensations that are accompanied by light, elegant aromas of toasted coffee. On the palate it’s characterized by aromatic precision and purity, persistent and savory. Tannins are of outstanding quality, very pleasant midpalate and finish. 2019 is a vintage that has great aging potential." - Winemaker Notes
"You can count on this wine to maintain that level of extreme elegance and intensity that it is known for (even when Merlot was a bigger part of the blend). Indeed, this is a new and improved Guado al Tasso with focused aromas of pencil shaving, white pepper and crushed stone that frame a rich core of black fruit. A fluttering of dried mint gives lift and power to the bouquet. This is a beautifully linear and powerful red blend." - 97 Points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
// 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot
"Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with vivacious notes of blackcurrant cordial, black raspberries and plum preserves with a tantalizing undercurrent of candied violets, dark chocolate, menthol and licorice plus a touch of Chinese five spice. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is achingly elegant, showing off perfumed black fruit layers with a firm frame of very fine-grained, silt-like tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with incredible persistence and fragrance. Just magic." - 97-99 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate
"The 2019 Haut-Bailly was picked 23 September to 10 October. After 10-15 minutes in the glass the wine gradually unfurls to reveal beautiful red berry fruit, crushed stone, wilted rose petals and faint hints of blueberry. The palate is quite brilliantly balanced, the tannins extremely fine and framing the slightly earthy black fruit laced with salt. Though Véronique Sanders suggests that it bears a semblance to the 2009 with more depth, I cannot see that verisimilitude. To me, it is a less flamboyant and more terroir expressive Haut-Bailly that has an effortless allure and a sense of sophistication. Wonderful." -96-98 points, Neal Martin, Vinous
Dog Point Lineup -
Tasting this Friday 16th June
4 to 6pm
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// All wines certified organic
2022 Sauvignon Blanc - $27 on special ; $30 RRP
"A pure expression of Dog Point Sauvignon with lifted aromatics of granny smith apple, lemon rind as well as floral tones of orange blossoms and elderflower burst from the glass. Bright citrus flavours from an elegant year, followed by saline acidity washing across the palate, leaving subtle tropical tones unfurling on the finish. Drinks beautifully now or can comfortably be cellared for five years or more."
2011 Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc - $40 on special ; $47 RRP
"A complex array of flint, smoke and gravel are ever present, accompanied by a ripe spectrum of yellow fruit, jasmine and lemon blossom. With bottle age, the wine also shows biscuit and honeyed evolution. Linear and focussed structure that builds and rounds on the back palate. Rich and generous texture from extended ageing on lees in barrel. An exciting wine with great energy and drive as well as years ahead in the cellar also. Drinks beautifully now."
2020 Chardonnay - $44 on special ; $50 RRP
"Deep straw in colour. A ripe citrus spectrum of fruit is at the core of a complex chardonnay with spice, toasted nuts and gravelly, flint aromas. A pure and focussed palate with a bright, crunchy structure and fine acidity. The complex barrel aged flavours also imparting textures that carry on the back of the fine acidity. Drinks beautifully now or can be cellared for 10+ years."
2020 Pinot Noir - $52 on special ; $59 RRP
"Deep ruby colour. Dark plum and baking spices are pronounced on this aromatic and alluring Pinot Noir. Heady floral perfume of violets and rose add a complexing dimension. Bright and pure dark berries and plums characteristic of the Southern Valleys subregion are evident. There is an opulent fruit profile with a fine velvet texture from fine boned tannins. The fruit is framed by judicious French oak adding spice and a tightly grained tannin profile."
2012 Pinot Noir - $66 on special ; $75 RRP
"Deep ruby in colour. Vibrant red fruit complimented by a perfume of violets with underlying savoury notes of dried herbs. A focused, concentrated palate of richly flavoured red fruit, a bright spice infused savouriness from well integrated oak, finishing with appealing soft fleshy tannins. Pair with duck, cervena, red meats and especially truffled venison and mushroom pie."
If you wish to purchase these wines, please use the links above. Alternatively, email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au, or contact us on (07)32521117 if you have any questions // Prices valid until Thursday the 22nd of June