Europa Cellars Newsletter, 20 October 2009
		(03) 9417 7220

	Introduction Zind Humbrecht Arrival Greenock Creek New Releases Wine of the Week - 2004 Paddy Borthwick Wairarapa Chardonnay Upcoming Events

Dear Wine Aficionado, This week we will receive our allocation the 2007 Zind Humbrecht wines. These were offered on a pre-arrival basis earlier in the year. The uncommitted stock is being re-offered and there are some great wines there as reviews from Jancis Robinson and Stephen Tanzer attest. Our allocation of 2007 Greenock Creek wines are arriving next week. The allocation of this years vintage releases is even smaller than usual due the extreme climate and weather conditions of the vintage. However there is a little more available from the 2006 vintage and we have a few single bottles of Roennfeldt Road from some great vintages including the classic 02 which was awarded an astounding 100 pts by the Wine Advocate. This evenings tasting is affordable Pinot Noir from around the world. Next week we are pleased to welcome Rodrigo Mira, Export Director from Altaïr Vineyards & Winery, who will present two newly released 2003 vintage wines from premium Chilean producer Altair vineyards Over the next few weeks we will be offering out some older vintage bin ends. The Rhone Valley offering has been rescheduled to next week and will be followed by Bordeaux and Piedmont. Affordable Global Pinot Noir This Evening, 6 to 8 pm, In-Store, $10 The in store tasting this evening is affordable global Pinot Noir. The wines include examples from Australia, California, Chile, France and New Zealand. Please note that the store opening hours are midday to 8pm 7 days a week. For phone inquiries to 03 9417 7220 please ring during these times The Europa Cellars team, John, Brian, Nick, and Sam view newsletter online Wine of the Week 2004 Paddy Borthwick Wairarapa Chardonnay Shelf Price $33.00 Offer Price $28.00 One of the outstanding wines from last weeks affordable global Chardonnay tasting. Grown on a mixture of stony shingle and clay loam soils. The fruit is hand picked, whole bunch pressed and transferred to a combination of French and American oak for fermentation with natural and cultured yeasts. Minimal malolactic fermentation, barrel stirred monthly and aged on lees for 8 months. Its perfect to drink now. 2007 Zind Humbrecht Arrival Domaine Zind Humbrecht Father and son team Léonard and Olivier Humbrecht run Zind Humbrecht, one of the greatest domaines in Alsace. The domaine was created in 1959, following the marriage of Léonard Humbrecht and Geneviève Zind. Léonard Humbrecht has made his mark on the world of wine, turning out truly splendid wines year after year, from a number of vineyard sites across Alsace. Their son, Olivier, has not hidden behind his father's achievements. The first Frenchman to qualify as a Master of Wine, he has taken up the mantle with great skill, and continues to produce an astonishing array of high quality wines. This is remarkable, considering the number of different varieties with which the domaine works, and the range of different sites which they cultivate. There are numerous reasons why the wines of Zind Humbrecht are so successful. Their numerous vineyard sites, totalling 30 hectares in all, are all top quality and this, together with a commitment to low yields, are two of the most important. A typical yield for Zind Humbrecht vines is 35 hl/ha rather than the legally acceptable for Grand Cru vineyards, which is 70 hl/ha. Léonard Humbrecht has always been a believer in letting the characteristics of a vineyard show through the application of low yields. His commitment to working with the finest terroirs in Alsace and allowing them to shine in this way led him to purchase steep, difficult sites such as Rangen and Clos Windsbuhl. These were sites which other growers were only too keen to sell, as they were not workable using mechanised techniques, a problem Zind Humbrecht solved by working the land using horses. Profile by the Wine Doctor 2007 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Turckheim Residual Sugar 3.5 grams per litre, TA 6.0, yield 61 hl/ha;13.2% alcohol "Tingling grapefruit aromas. Very fine but quite forward. Tastes bone dry. Racy and clean but not for the very long term. Though there is still a bit of chewiness. Drink 2008-12"  Jancis 17.5 "Pale yellow-gold. Austere but rich nose hints at dried fruits. Then dense and fat in the mouth, with hints of peach and honey. A very concentrated wine whose alcohol gives it an impression of slight sweetness. Finishes with somewhat exotic notes of orange, honey and dried fruits." 89 Tanzer Shelf Price $72.00 Offer Price $65.00 limit 2 btl 2007 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Gueberschwihr Residual Sugar 5 grams per litre, TA 5.8, yield 72 hl/ha;13.2% alcohol. "Rather muted on the nose. Very tight knit and rather smoky. Fine and sinewy – a claret style Riesling – nothing fat about this! Opens out miraculously on the palate. Decant this if you plan to serve it at less than five years old. Great power but no excess heat. Coded 1. 13%  Drink 2008-17 Jancis 18.5 "Bright, pale, green-tinged yellow. Cool aromas of lime oil and minerals lifted by a floral topnote. Juicy, tight and brisk, with classic riesling flavors of lemon, lime and crushed stone. This tastes drier than its 5 g/l r.s. Penetrating wine with good structure." 89+ Tanzer Shelf Price $72.00 Offer Price $65.00 limit 1 btl 2007 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Herrenweg de Turckheim "(tasted from cask) Pale, cloudy yellow. Aromas of candied lemon peel and smoke. Slightly sweet but with lovely juicy cut to its fresh flavors of ripe peach, flowers and spices. Again, not complicated but varietally accurate, with an enticing sugar/acid balance." 88-90 Tanzer Shelf Price $84.00 Offer Price $75.00 limit 2 btl 2007 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Brand Residual Sugar 9.9 grams per litre, TA 5.2, yield 35 hl/ha;13.5% alcohol. "Flattering rich almond cream on the nose. Very intense and tight and smoky, almost oily. Although this is coded 2 in terms of richness it is not that much sweeter than the bone dry Rieslings – though might be easier to match to foods than some of the more austere 2007 Rieslings. Lovely balance – full of life and extremely difficult to spit. Coded 2. 13.5%  Drink 2008-18" Jancis 18.5 "Knockout nose of dried pineapple, ripe peach, wet stone and nuts. The palate offers enticing sweetness buffered by brisk flavors of crystallized citrus peel and stone. Densely packed, fruit-driven and long and aromatic on the back end. Olivier rates this one a 2 on his "index of perceptible sweetness," which runs from 1 to bone dry to 5 for very sweet (he does not use these indications on the front labels of his VTs and SGNs)." 92 pts Tanzer Shelf Price $96.00 Offer Price $86.00 limit 1 btl 2007 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Clos Windsbuhl Residual Sugar 1.4 grams per litre, TA 5.8 13.2%alcohol. "the last vineyard picked in 2007, even after the VTs and SGNs-and with no botrytis, according to Humbrecht) Bright yellow. Musky, chalky aromas of peach, spices, smoke and lichee. More chalky earth than peachy fruits on the dense palate today; in a penetrating, rocky style, with bright but integrated acidity and noteworthy length. No ML here. I love this style. Olivier noted that this fruit was harvested a full 130 days after the flowering.) 90+ Tanzer Shelf Price $149.00 Offer Price $134.00 limit 1 btl 2007 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Calcaire (Clos Windsbuhl/Heimbourg) Residual Sugar 29 grams per litre, TA 3.4 14.6%alcohol. "from young vines in Clos Windsbuhl) Pure, subtle fruit salad aromas lifted by stone. Very sweet and ripe, with good life in the mouth considering its low acidity (this went through ML). A fat style with modest nuance." 88 Tanzer+ Shelf Price $63.00 Offer Price $56.00 limit 2 btl 2007 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Herrenweg de Turckheim Residual Sugar 20.5 grams per litre, TA 5.2, yields 51 hl/ha, 15.5% alcohol. "Exotically headily scented with some almond character. Then very broad and smoky and opulent on the palate thought tightly laced on the finish. Long. Really rich and rewarding with a hint of lilies. This is coded 2 and I’d say the overall effect is pretty low 2, almost 1. But there is a hit of bitterness on the finish – citrus zest like the Heimbourg. Surprisingly refreshing considering its strength. Coded 2. 15.5% Drink 2008-14" 18  Jancis " Bright yellow. Musky white peach and honey on the nose. Fairly sweet fruit and honey flavors are supported by surprising spine, making this taste a bit drier than its residual sugar would suggest. Still, at 15.6% it's a bruiser. Olivier suggests pairing it with fruit-based exotic fusion cuisine, or with caramelized duck with honey. 89 pts Tanzer Shelf Price $81.00 Offer Price $73.00 limit 1 btl 2007 Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Wintzenheim "Yellow-gold with a green tinge. Aromatic herbs, linden tea and smoke on the sexy nose. Sweet, lush and soft but not flat. Finishes spicy, long and quite smooth. A dessert style of gewurztraminer-or serve it with cheese." 90 Tanzer Shelf Price $70.00 Offer Price $63.00 limit 1 btl 2007 Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Goldert Residual Sugar 47 grams per litre, TA 2.3, 15% alcohol. "Bright yellow. Aromas of crystallized citrus peel, cured meats and menthol. Wonderfully sweet, spicy and fine-grained, with more aromatic subtlety than the Heimbourg. Manages lovely lift in spite of its very low acidity. This very ripe, slightly warm wine finishes spicy and smooth. There's limited botrytis influence here because Humbrecht selected nobly rotten berries for an SGN first." 96-98 Tanzer Shelf Price $138.00 Offer Price $124.00 limit 1 btl download order form 2007 Greenock Creek Release + some older vintages Greenock Creek Greenock Creek Vineyard & Cellars, owned by Michael and Annabelle Waugh, remains one of South Australia’s iconic wineries. Start with a great terroir, add in old vine material and meticulous winemaking, and end with extraordinary results. 2007 Greenock Creek Cabernet Sauvignon The wine has a classic cabernet bouquet: beneath the mischievous frivolity of its top notes (musk, nougat and confectioner’s sugar), there’s a textbook lesson in the aromas of the dark green leaves of the hemp family, with hints of tomato leaf, deadly nightshade, capsicum, and fresh jute. Stunning. Perfect in 2020  Philip White  94+ Shelf Price $47.00 Offer Price $42.00 limit 1 btl 2006 Greenock Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Made from 100% cabernet grown in the heavy red loam of Seppeltsfield in the heart of the Barossa. The average vine age is 10 years. This wine generally sees some older French oak. Shelf Price $47.00 Offer Price $42.00 limit 2 btl 2003 Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Road Cabernet Sauvignon 100% Cabernet from sandy loam in the Marananga. Again these old vines and their equally low yields produce a very powerful wine. 36 months in older French Oak. Shelf Price $295.00 Offer Price $265.00 only 1 btl available 2002 Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Road Cabernet Sauvignon The purple-colored 2002 Roennfeldt Road Cabernet Sauvignon offers up a soaring, already complex perfume of wood smoke, spice box, scorched earth, licorice, blackberry, and black currant. This is followed by a full-bodied, opulent, seamless Cabernet with gobs of spicy black fruits, an extra dimension that only old vines can provide, and a nearly endless finish. 100 Wine Advocate Jay Miller Shelf Price $300.00 Offer Price $270.00 only 1 btl available 2001 Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Road Cabernet Sauvignon "Purple-colored, it offers an enticing and complex perfume of cedar, smoke, spice box, scorched earth, licorice, blackberry, and black currant. This is followed by a supple-textured, opulent, layered wine with gobs of spicy black fruit flavors, superb balance, and a long, full-flavored finish. Rich enough to be drunk now, it will evolve for 6-8 years and provide pleasure through 2025" 96 Wine Advocate Jay Miller Shelf Price $285.00.00 Offer Price $255.00 only 1 btl available 2007 Greenock Creek Alices Shiraz "It’s a sweet, syrupy, viscous thing, with an ethereal afterbreath....  It’s really sumptuous drinking now, and it’ll bloom for at least a decade. 92+ Philip White Shelf Price $38.00 Offer Price $34.00 limit 1 btl 2006 Greenock Creek Apricot Block Shiraz Made from 100% shiraz grown in soil which varies from red loam, to clay and granite. The average vine age is 16 years, and the wine generally spends about 28 months in American oak Shelf Price $45.00 Offer Price $41.00 limit 1 btl 2004 Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Road Shiraz This is masculine wine, wild and gamy: a really awkward young duffer but obviously of great breeding. 95+ Philip White Shelf Price $285.00 Offer Price $255.00 limit 1 btl 2003 Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Road Shiraz 100% Shiraz from Sandy loam and clay in the Marananga region of the Barossa Valley. Whereas the yields of the previous wines have been low, between 1 to 1.5 tonnes per acre, the Roennfeldt Road yields only one half of a tonne from its 60 year + vines. This amazingly concentrated fruit will relish its time in new American oak. Shelf Price $295.00 Offer Price $265.00 only 1 btl available 2002 Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Road Shiraz The 2002 Roennfeldt Road Shiraz was aged in new French oak. Aromas of pain grille, truffle, mineral, violets, blackberry, and blueberry compote are ethereal and lead to a voluptuous, densely layered, succulent, complex Shiraz with 10-15 years of aging potential, This extraordinary effort should drink well through 2040.  100 Wine Advocate Jay Miller Shelf Price $300.00 Offer Price $270.00 only 1 btl available download order form Upcoming Events Altair and Sideral - 2003 vintage tasting Tuesday 27th October , 6 to 8 pm, In-store, Free Rodrigo Mira, Export Director from Altaïr Vineyards & Winery, will be visiting Melbourne on 27th October as part of the winery’s 2009 Tour of the Asia-Pacific region; he will showcase the two new icon wines from Chile, Altaïr and Sideral at an exclusive tasting for Europa Cellars customers. This is a great opportunity to taste these two great wines from the 2003 vintage and to purchase them at very special prices. 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	Europa Cellars 150 Wellington Parade East Melbourne VIC Australia 3002 p. +61 (3) 9417 7220 f.+61(3) 9417 7223 e. wine @europacellars .com.au ABN 78 102 566 781 License no. 32053562