Carrington

My strategy for searching the online store is varied but more or less goes like this: 1) go to online store: http://www.pawineandspirits.com/webapp/wcs...catalogId=10051 2) Click Search at top of page 3) Search all items in price range you like (results are limited to 300 hits, so I usually search in ranges like $5-10, then $10-15, etc.) 4) Look through the results- sometime a wine will stand out due to your recognition of it and/or the price seems oddly low. Sometimes it will be shown as 'spectacular savings' - I usually have parker ratings online available to search for candidate wines. 5) My policy - only buy wines when shipping is free (the site will not tell you this until you load purchases into cart and start the checkout process - you will then see which if any wines have free shipping). Sometimes, the extra $1 or $2 for shipping makes the deal a non-starter. Have fun shopping - I have noticed that Sundays seem to be their reload day, maybe, when new stock appears. If you find something, BUY IT, because it usually disappears quickly. C ← Host's note: this topic continues in Wine & Spirits Bargains at the PLCB (Part 3).

For a tongue in cheek consulting session transcript: http://www.mcall.com/news/columnists/all-b...,5702844.column

Hi everyone (or those few who still on reading on this topic!). I have not posted in forever and thought I would chime iin with some recent purchases and comments. My recent PLCb strategy has been to look through the online store for bargains which appear to be high QPR. I have not been to a physical store shopping in a while, although I do pick up my shipments there. Some outrageous deals can be had if you are a searcher. Here are a few recent purchases (I typically email these to my friends (after I buy what I want!), so I have copied my notes): 1. 2004 Louis Latour Puligny Montrachet les Folatieres WS 91: Very elegant, this white displays graceful floral, mineral and anise flavors in a well-integrated frame. Intense on the finish. Needs time to smooth out. Best from 2008 through 2015 Released @ $75, now $12.99 at PLCB ; retails elsewhere for $50-80 Of course, there was only 1 bottle... 2. MAS BELLES EAUX Coteaux du Languedoc Ste.-Helene 2005 Rich, ripe aromas and flavors of kirsch, dark plum, chocolate and spice are backed up by a chiseled structure and firm tannins. The lush finish echoes the spice, with touches of pepper and beef. Syrah, Grenache and Carignane. Best after 2014. 250 cases imported $12.99 vs. $45-50 elsewhere: WS 92 3. 2004 Vina Cobos Bramare Malbec Marchiori Vineyard on sale for $19.99 + free shipping to your fave store + about $1 per bottle tax. What's so special about this wine you might ask? First, ratings (this is long, and I go on afterwards): Wine Spectator rating 92: Vivid, with racy purple flower, licorice, graphite and crushed boysenberry fruit flavors, all caressed by mocha and mineral on the long, pure finish. Has a healthy layer of toast that's well-integrated and polished. Drink now through 2008. 1,252 cases made. Wine Advocate did not rate the 2004 but consider 2005 and 2006 ratings/notes from Wine Advocate: 2005 Rating 96: The Bramare “Marchiori Vineyard” wines are from 100% estate grown fruit located in Lujan de Cuyo. The 2005 Bramare Malbec “Marchiori Vineyard” received essentially the same oak treatment as the Cabernet. Nearly black in color, it coasts the glass with glycerin. Its super aromas of violets, spice box, cedar, tobacco, espresso, black cherry, and black raspberry leap from the glass. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated, and possesses layers of complex flavors. This hedonistic effort will benefit from at least 4-6 years of cellaring and should drink well through 2025. The Bramare series is sourced from Lujan de Cuyo, a prime zone in Mendoza. Some of the fruit is from Cobos’s estate vineyard, the balance from contracted fruit. The wines at this level receive more oak, longer macerations, and wild fermentations. Vina Cobos is the Argentina winery of the renowned Paul Hobbs, best known for his namesake wines from California’s North Coast. Hobbs began consulting in South America in 1988 and, early on, became involved with Nicholas Catena in the startup of that winery’s Chardonnay program. In 1998 he temporarily left his consulting projects to start Vina Cobos with the first vintage coming in 1999. In 2005 Vina Cobos constructed its own winery. Paul Hobbs is high on the 2005 and 2006 vintages. At first he felt that 2005 was the finest year (along with 1996) since he started working in Argentina, that is until the 2006 vintage rolled around. It was, he says, “a mild, moderate year with no problems.” 2006 rating 96-99: The Bramare “Marchiori Vineyard” wines are from 100% estate grown fruit located in Lujan de Cuyo. The 2006 Bramare Malbec “Marchiori Vineyard”, tasted from a barrel sample (the wine should be bottled by the time subscribers are reading this note), is even better than the 2005. Vintage conditions were ideal and, for the first time, Hobbs stopped irrigation 12 weeks before harvest, most unusual in Mendoza’s arid conditions. There was better natural acidity with little acidulation required. The wine offers more flavor complexity, vibrancy, and aromatic lift, and sensational length. The Squires bulletin board has a whopping ONE thread about this - for people in PA who were willing to fork over the $20 perbottle. Here is the tasting note: Very dark in the glass, no light gets through. A nice ruby edge to it. Giant nose of black pepper, violets, red berries, tobacco leaf, coffee, and a bit of forrest floor. The fruit is dominant though, and the nose changes 3 or 4 times over the same number of hours. Is continually gains power. The palate is thick and full of glycerin. Immediately after pouring it it was sweet, almost too sweet but over a few hours it starts to show some more complex flavors of black and red cherries, a little leather, caramel and mocha. Nice acid streak very reminicent of cherries. There is a bit of alcohol present and some nice tannins with a long long sweet finish. The WS says this should be drunk by 2008...I respectfully think...ARE YOU ON CRACK?!?!? I went back and ordered three more after my original order of 4. Im not one for looking for cheap wine, but this is the buy of the year for me. I like a fruit monster though. followed by Day 3 follow up to add crazyness to the drink by 2008 window. The wine is still huge. The nose now shows menthol and barnyard to my surprise. As I pour it in the glass it still needs a little air and swirling (only about 10 minutes now) before it comes together. And still the body is massive and thick with a long fruity finish. Boy...I went and ordered 6 more to complete the case... 4. Product Description: ST. MARY'S BELLS AND WHISTLES Item Number: 01749 Size: 750ML Year:2005 Quantity: 6 Unit Price: $5.99 Ext. Price: $35.94 Wine Advocate 87: The 2005 Bells & Whistles is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Shiraz, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Merlot. Dark ruby colored, it delivers a nose of spice box, clove, cassis, and black currants. Full and quite rich on the palate, black cherry flavors emerge to add a bit of complexity. Meant for near-term consumption, this attractive, forward wine should provide pleasure over the next 4-6 years. 5. Product Description: BLEASDALE SHIRAZ/CABERNET Item Number: 01750 Size: 750ML Year:2004 Quantity: 6 Unit Price: $7.99 Ext. Price: $47.94 Wine Advocate 88: Aged in 300 liter hogsheads, the 2004 Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon is slightly more monolithic than its siblings, but it possesses a deep ruby/purple color as well as a chunky, fleshy, muscular, tasty style. It should be drunk over the next 3-4 years. 6. Product Description: HEWITSON OLD GARDEN MOUVEDRE Item Number: 01740 Size: 750ML Year:2005 Quantity: 6 Unit Price: $14.99 Ext. Price: $89.97 Wine Advocate 92: The 2005 Mourvedre “Old Garden” is purple-colored with an enticing aroma of cedar, Asian spices, damp earth, game, and plum. Medium to full-bodied, it is dense and packed, with layers of savory flavor and ripe tannins. Give this lengthy wine 2-3 years to unfurl and drink it through 2020. So, if you're still reading, I have found all of these excellent (both in taste/what i expected and in price). You can't touch them around the country at these prices. The Bells and Whistles is still there and for $6.99 now is still a good price (free shipping). At each purchase, I thought I was getting a wine bargain of the year but they keep slowly adding up. Do any of you crawl the online store site often looking for such deals? I'd be interested in re-invigorating the thread with deals once again, to the extent there are any to be had. Happy tasting. Cheers, Carrington

Hi everyone (or those few who still on reading on this topic!). I have not posted in forever and thought I would chime iin with some recent purchases and comments. My recent PLCb strategy has been to look through the online store for bargains which appear to be high QPR. I have not been to a physical store shopping in a while, although I do pick up my shipments there. Some outrageous deals can be had if you are a searcher. Here are a few recent purchases (I typically email these to my friends (after I buy what I want!), so I have copied my notes): 1. 2004 Louis Latour Puligny Montrachet les Folatieres WS 91: Very elegant, this white displays graceful floral, mineral and anise flavors in a well-integrated frame. Intense on the finish. Needs time to smooth out. Best from 2008 through 2015 Released @ $75, now $12.99 at PLCB ; retails elsewhere for $50-80 Of course, there was only 1 bottle... 2. MAS BELLES EAUX Coteaux du Languedoc Ste.-Helene 2005 Rich, ripe aromas and flavors of kirsch, dark plum, chocolate and spice are backed up by a chiseled structure and firm tannins. The lush finish echoes the spice, with touches of pepper and beef. Syrah, Grenache and Carignane. Best after 2014. 250 cases imported $12.99 vs. $45-50 elsewhere: WS 92 3. 2004 Vina Cobos Bramare Malbec Marchiori Vineyard on sale for $19.99 + free shipping to your fave store + about $1 per bottle tax. What's so special about this wine you might ask? First, ratings (this is long, and I go on afterwards): Wine Spectator rating 92: Vivid, with racy purple flower, licorice, graphite and crushed boysenberry fruit flavors, all caressed by mocha and mineral on the long, pure finish. Has a healthy layer of toast that's well-integrated and polished. Drink now through 2008. 1,252 cases made. Wine Advocate did not rate the 2004 but consider 2005 and 2006 ratings/notes from Wine Advocate: 2005 Rating 96: The Bramare “Marchiori Vineyard” wines are from 100% estate grown fruit located in Lujan de Cuyo. The 2005 Bramare Malbec “Marchiori Vineyard” received essentially the same oak treatment as the Cabernet. Nearly black in color, it coasts the glass with glycerin. Its super aromas of violets, spice box, cedar, tobacco, espresso, black cherry, and black raspberry leap from the glass. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated, and possesses layers of complex flavors. This hedonistic effort will benefit from at least 4-6 years of cellaring and should drink well through 2025. The Bramare series is sourced from Lujan de Cuyo, a prime zone in Mendoza. Some of the fruit is from Cobos’s estate vineyard, the balance from contracted fruit. The wines at this level receive more oak, longer macerations, and wild fermentations. Vina Cobos is the Argentina winery of the renowned Paul Hobbs, best known for his namesake wines from California’s North Coast. Hobbs began consulting in South America in 1988 and, early on, became involved with Nicholas Catena in the startup of that winery’s Chardonnay program. In 1998 he temporarily left his consulting projects to start Vina Cobos with the first vintage coming in 1999. In 2005 Vina Cobos constructed its own winery. Paul Hobbs is high on the 2005 and 2006 vintages. At first he felt that 2005 was the finest year (along with 1996) since he started working in Argentina, that is until the 2006 vintage rolled around. It was, he says, “a mild, moderate year with no problems.” 2006 rating 96-99: The Bramare “Marchiori Vineyard” wines are from 100% estate grown fruit located in Lujan de Cuyo. The 2006 Bramare Malbec “Marchiori Vineyard”, tasted from a barrel sample (the wine should be bottled by the time subscribers are reading this note), is even better than the 2005. Vintage conditions were ideal and, for the first time, Hobbs stopped irrigation 12 weeks before harvest, most unusual in Mendoza’s arid conditions. There was better natural acidity with little acidulation required. The wine offers more flavor complexity, vibrancy, and aromatic lift, and sensational length. The Squires bulletin board has a whopping ONE thread about this - for people in PA who were willing to fork over the $20 perbottle. Here is the tasting note: Very dark in the glass, no light gets through. A nice ruby edge to it. Giant nose of black pepper, violets, red berries, tobacco leaf, coffee, and a bit of forrest floor. The fruit is dominant though, and the nose changes 3 or 4 times over the same number of hours. Is continually gains power. The palate is thick and full of glycerin. Immediately after pouring it it was sweet, almost too sweet but over a few hours it starts to show some more complex flavors of black and red cherries, a little leather, caramel and mocha. Nice acid streak very reminicent of cherries. There is a bit of alcohol present and some nice tannins with a long long sweet finish. The WS says this should be drunk by 2008...I respectfully think...ARE YOU ON CRACK?!?!? I went back and ordered three more after my original order of 4. Im not one for looking for cheap wine, but this is the buy of the year for me. I like a fruit monster though. followed by Day 3 follow up to add crazyness to the drink by 2008 window. The wine is still huge. The nose now shows menthol and barnyard to my surprise. As I pour it in the glass it still needs a little air and swirling (only about 10 minutes now) before it comes together. And still the body is massive and thick with a long fruity finish. Boy...I went and ordered 6 more to complete the case... 4. Product Description: ST. MARY'S BELLS AND WHISTLES Item Number: 01749 Size: 750ML Year:2005 Quantity: 6 Unit Price: $5.99 Ext. Price: $35.94 Wine Advocate 87: The 2005 Bells & Whistles is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Shiraz, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Merlot. Dark ruby colored, it delivers a nose of spice box, clove, cassis, and black currants. Full and quite rich on the palate, black cherry flavors emerge to add a bit of complexity. Meant for near-term consumption, this attractive, forward wine should provide pleasure over the next 4-6 years. 5. Product Description: BLEASDALE SHIRAZ/CABERNET Item Number: 01750 Size: 750ML Year:2004 Quantity: 6 Unit Price: $7.99 Ext. Price: $47.94 Wine Advocate 88: Aged in 300 liter hogsheads, the 2004 Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon is slightly more monolithic than its siblings, but it possesses a deep ruby/purple color as well as a chunky, fleshy, muscular, tasty style. It should be drunk over the next 3-4 years. 6. Product Description: HEWITSON OLD GARDEN MOUVEDRE Item Number: 01740 Size: 750ML Year:2005 Quantity: 6 Unit Price: $14.99 Ext. Price: $89.97 Wine Advocate 92: The 2005 Mourvedre “Old Garden” is purple-colored with an enticing aroma of cedar, Asian spices, damp earth, game, and plum. Medium to full-bodied, it is dense and packed, with layers of savory flavor and ripe tannins. Give this lengthy wine 2-3 years to unfurl and drink it through 2020. So, if you're still reading, I have found all of these excellent (both in taste/what i expected and in price). You can't touch them around the country at these prices. The Bells and Whistles is still there and for $6.99 now is still a good price (free shipping). At each purchase, I thought I was getting a wine bargain of the year but they keep slowly adding up. Do any of you crawl the online store site often looking for such deals? I'd be interested in re-invigorating the thread with deals once again, to the extent there are any to be had. Happy tasting. Cheers, Carrington

Mike, Thanks for sharing that news. Gives me time to make a shopping list! ← Anyone buy anything during the sale period? I had my eyes on the 1998 vintage Hardy's Australian port for around $11. Had a previous bottle and was amazed by the QPR. As should be the case, this port was still somewhat tannic but certainly drinkable with some air time. I purchased four bottles have over time while waiting for the 'real' Port to mature. It's a no guilt pleasure - cheaper than many tawny ports and much more serious. Also, purchased 4 JOSMEYER CASK 38 VIN D ALSACE 2003 I think. Have not tried that yet but was looking for some whites of this type for upcoming summer whites. About $10 which appeared to be an excellent price. Thought about some others, but never found some of the exact wines I was seeking.

Hi again everyone, When I initially saw this in store, I had a bit of a double-take. 1989 is our marriage anniversary year, and it's tough to even find anything for sale anywhere that's a 1989, let alone for $20 per bottle. Add on top of that the fact that this wine was re-corked at the winery in March of this year (not sure I've ever seen that!). So, there was no doubt we'd try a bottle to see if a case was warranted. When I saw that it was re-corked at winery, I immediately was under the impression that this wine had some legs left and might last til our 30th anniversary! Unfortunately, I came away with the same impression as Mike. Thin, no tannin remaining, barely could tell this might have been Cabernet. I have to say that it was smooth, but that was due to lack of body/character. I am ashamed to admit, however, that due to the novelty of actually having something from 1989 in the cellar, that I went back and purchased two additional bottles. At least I will not be expecting too much when we open the next one in 2009! We'll have something else in 'Reserve' when we do so! Anyone else have a different impression of this wine? I sure hope these are just bad examples.... Cheers!

As are we, we drank a whole bunch of the Kaiken when it was in before. As I recall it was around 8 dollars and was a tremendous value. This is still a good price and I also hope the "Ultra" will offer a bonus ← Was at the Allentown store on Cedar Crest and picked up several CS wines to try before MAYBE buying more of anything that struck me as a great wine for price. First one I tried was the Kaiken Ultra since this was in lowest supply. Just opened it as Ernesto is winding down up here. I too had (too little) of the regular Kaiken offering and was hoping for all that and more in this premium bottling. Well, it definitely kicks up the concentration factor, but I find that it drops some of the immediate drinking satisfaction factor. Clearly not as much fruit-forward character. This appears to be a candidate for aging for 5 years or so to see if the fruit will re-emerge, of for drinking now with a seriously big flavored meal. We'll be trying it with a Hungarian goulash shortly.... Cheers!

Yes, seems to me that the number of good offers has increased in number and diversity. I typically search upcoming Chairman's selections vs. winezap.com pricing to see how 'good' the bargains are. The one thing I typically cannot find are my real house wines - good quality price ratios at say $4.99. Very difficult to find that here. An example of that might be (for the no guilt, break it out anytime wine that you can serve to your non-wine caring friends) Yellowtail Shiraz or some Spanish Grenache based wines like Borsao - $4.99 in CA at Trader Joes, best price $6.99 here a 40% premium. Not a lot of $, but it's the principle. If anyone has any questions about Santa Barbara wines, please let me know. I dived in deep as I could when we lived there and retain some lon term memory. In fact, a great wine event, if you can afford the trip, is the Wine Cask (www.winecask.com) Santa Barbara WIne Futures event. Wow, what fun... Welcome to E Gullet Carrington. Nice initial post and we look forward to more of the same. Yes, some of us are indeed wine geeks and it's great that you are familiar with our new Chairmans Selection program. Stay tuned to this and other threads about upcoming Chairmans dinners. It sounds like you would certainly enjoy one of these and get to meet Jonathan Newman, Chairman himself, responsible for these awesome deals. Notice any changes in the PALCB since you've been gone?! I know it ain't Santa Barbara, but for this side of the USA, it's pretty damn fine indeed. Jeff L ←

Hi everyone: I am a new member to this forum so let me add some background followed by a tasting note. I was quite happy and surprised to find this thread. While 'bargains' and PLCB have been an oxymoron on the past, clever searching cann indeed offer some of the best deals in the country. I just relocated back to the Lehigh Valley from Santa Barbara, CA - wine heaven. Was there for 3 years and prior to that here in the Lehigh Valley for 10 years. Obviously, I was spoiled by the Santa Barabara wine gods and we can talk more about that if anyone desires. Sticking to the theme of this thread, I have been pleasantly surprised to see that the Chairman has been progressing and I have a few tales to tell. First, a wine tasting note from tonight, the 2000 Abadia Retuerta Seclection Especial. Parker raved: Quoted at $24.00 Save $11.00 WINE ADVOCATE 91 points: "This unfiltered blend of 65% Tempranillo, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Merlot saw malolactic in barrel, and aging in French as well as American oak for 16 months. Bordeaux-like, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple color in addition to a bouquet of sweet tobacco, black currants, and leathery aromas, medium to full body, terrific purity, an enduring texture, and a long finish revealing moderate but ripe tannin. This beauty should drink well for 10-12 years." My comments - all smoky chocolate covered cherries. No hesitation to buy more. Great deal. Ready to drink and obvious sediment on the sides of the bottle. Also, found recently the 2002 Billi Billi Mt. Langi Ghiran Shiraz $11.99 regular price in PA - not the Chairmans. Hope to find some 2003 of the same sometime.... My notes: a great find and price cannot be beat. on Wine Spectator top 100 of last year. Currant and jam, but not over the top Shiraz. Food frendly and again no hesitation to recommend. A little short on the finish. Finding it in PA at $11.99 was reason enough to buy the last 15 bottles in this area from Lancaster store, and they even transferred for free to Allentown store. What a deal. So, I'll keep searching and reading everyone else's notes. Looking forward to more virtual tastings. Cheers! Carrington BTW, If you're a wine geek like me, you might be interested in subscribing to the mailing list offered by a Washington state store which has very interesting offers and the email descriptions are great - witness for the Billi Billi: 6/8/05 “Dear Friends, When was the last time you tasted a real Shiraz? Possibly never. Throw out your preconception of what Shiraz or Shiraz blends taste like and I encourage everyone to try at least one bottle of this wine - to rediscover a passion for one of the world’s finest values. I apologize for two long-winded diatribes in a row but this producer deserves your attention as much as the Boschkloof from yesterday. This offer is a rallying cry for everyone that has gone out on a limb at some point in their lives to do what is right even though the establishment told you it was wrong. This is the story of Trevor Mast, Australia’s original cult winemaker. Before there was Three Rivers, Chris Ringland, Rolf Binder or Greenock Creek there was Trevor Mast (in a way, Australia’s answer to Terry Leighton from Kalin). From the late 1970’s, his Shiraz at Mt. Langi Ghiran winery was a Victorian inspiration to thousands of would-be winemakers and creative artists in the Melbourne area and beyond (he was so successful as the winemaker at Mt. Langi that he took full ownership of the property in the late 1980s). Unlike the South Australian winemakers and wineries mentioned above, Mast has always followed a non-interventionist approach - one that was frowned upon in those days where formulaic winemaking and chemical additions were the norm. His dedication to organic farming, releasing wines on his own schedule and a resuscitation of traditional methods was not only years ahead of its time but was partly responsible for the modern overture that is Australian Shiraz. Mt Langi is at the precipice of one of Australia’s most intense growing sites – torrid by day and freezing cold at night. This incredible swing of temperature can produce a wine with outstanding natural acidity and Cote Rotie-like aromatics (sans Viognier). The virgin soil of this area of Victoria is some of the most mineral rich in the country with endless possibilities for growing fruit. Trevor Mast has struggled for over 25 years to tame the natural, wild nature of this area – to bring a drinkable, yet still exotic and singular expression of the Shiraz grape to your dinner table. Past vintages of Mt. Langi Ghiran are legendary with collectors in Australia, especially profound wines such as the 1989. Never one to seek publicity, he missed the Parker Shiraz explosion circa 2000 preferring to toil away in his remote corner of the country instead of capitalizing on the exposure. In addition, he would not budge from his less dense style of winemaking even though the international audience was begging for more and more of everything, especially color and extract. Maybe he missed the chance to cash in but more likely he retained his integrity. This is a man so dedicated to his land that he holed himself up like a scientist for nearly a year to invent a contiguous 20 foot high suspended 10-20 acre bird net that covers the entire Shiraz Block (yes, I said one piece of fabric – think about that for a moment). Now considered one of the wonders of Australia, pilots use it as a guiding beacon when flying from Sydney to Adelaide. From the winery: “The vineyards of Mount Langi Ghiran are nestled between two dramatically beautiful mountain ranges on the southern edge of the Great Dividing Range in Western Victoria, 180 km west of Melbourne. Pronounced "Mount Langee Jeeran", the name is Aboriginal for "Home of the Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo". The initial vineyards were planted by the Fratin brothers in 1963, on the site of a vineyard that had been in operation at the turn of the century. Their first plantings were Shiraz, and initially, the grapes were sold to neighboring winemakers. The exceptionally high quality of their fruit quickly drew a strong following and encouraged the Fratins to begin making their own wine. The vineyards are located in a spectacular setting, at an elevation of 450 meters, situated at the base of the 540 meter cliff-face of Mt Langi Ghiran. Directly opposite, approximately 3 km away, is the Mt. Cole State Forest which extends for a further 30 km. Derived from ancient Ordovician red clays, the soils are ironstone quartz and sandy loam over a friable loam clay rich in minerals. They provide good drainage and promote excellent root growth. The Shiraz vines at Mount Langi Ghiran, which range up to 40 years in age, are particularly suited to these conditions. It is during the long ripening period that our signature intense spicy, pepper flavours develop, and the excellent sugar-acid structure is preserved. The soil profile enhances our control of the vine's water requirements allowing the vines to naturally stress at critical periods of growth which further concentrates fruit flavour. Each vintage, our vineyard and winemaking teams seek to capture the cool climate characters of pepper and spice, while attaining rich, ripe fruit flavours.” Mt. Langi Ghiran produces several wines but today’s offer focuses on the The Billi Billi Creek - a floundering label without a true home. The problem has been that Mt. Langi produces two other 100% Shiraz above this wine and the confusion was acute for the US consumer (all labels looked nearly identical). After a few years of merely decent bargain priced Billi Billi Creek wines, Trevor Mast decided to reinvent the Billi Billi Creek in 2002 as a new super-premium label that would captivate and showcase the true organic essence of Victorian Shiraz. This is where our offer comes in. The 2002 Billi Billi Creek is the first release of the much more ambitious version. It is going to turn heads in the bargain Shiraz world. This is the first Billi Billi Creek with a majority of Langi Estate Shiraz in the blend instead of purchased Mouvedre and Grenache from other sites. With the new pedigree comes a higher price but we are offering it today for last year’s bargain tariff. We can only offer this price once. After tasting so many massive, over-extracted, high-alcohol wines from South Australia, this wine will be surprising to say the least (like tasting authentic Italian Parmesan versus domestic “parmesan”). I will go out on a limb and predict this will be the favorite Shiraz of many, especially those that have sworn off the overdone concoctions from the Barossa or McLaren Vale or those that have tired of “meals in a glass”. If you are currently drinking Cote du Rhone or you like wine from the Northern Rhone or Burgundy, you may have found your everyday delight. The anti-oozemonster (BruceL®), this is a renegade Shiraz blend the way it was in the 1970s or early 1980s with soaring cracked black pepper in the nose, light licorice and a silky, medium bodied Burgundian texture with amazing natural acids (a critical element that is typically absent from South Australian Shiraz). This is the true synthesis of Burgundy and Australia – a combination that was highly desirable during this period Down Under (most red wines in the 1970s were simply called “Claret” or “Burgundy” even thought they were made from Shiraz). This wine begs for another sip and it would make a very interesting comparison to other recently offered Shiraz such as the Winner’s Tank (which is 100% opposite in style). A lovely gem that will appeal to almost everyone on the email list at a price that is a breath of fresh air. Nearly anyone can create a successful wine with a big enough marketing team and the right formula – it takes a dedicated and artisanal pioneer to stay true to his roots – the vine roots that is: ONE SHIPMENT ONLY AT THIS PRICE VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for so many reasons including absurd value and organic expression of place. 2002 Mt. Langi Ghiran Billi Billi Creek – $11.99 STRICT LIMIT 24/person Due to pricing this offer is FIRST COME FIRST SERVED email Niki@garagistewine.com to get on mailing list - some great descriptions even if you never order!