Europa Cellars Newsletter, 2 November 2009
		(03) 9417 7220

	Introduction Domaine Michel Lafarge Pre Arrival Southern Italy Tasting Instore Wednesday Wine of the Week - 2003 Sideral- Chile Upcoming Events

Dear Wine Aficionado, Our newsletter is out a day early due the Melbourne Cup public holiday in Victoria (how did we forget that?). This has also caused us to reschedule the Southern Italian tasting to Wednesday 4 November (not Tuesday 3 November as announced in last weeks newsletter. See below for details. We will be receiving in December a shipment of wines from Domaine Michel Lafarge. Michel Lafarge, a biodynamic grower, makes exemplary Volnay from village and premieur cru sites. The red wines are from the 2006 vintage and, apart from the Volnay, includes two Beaune appellation wines. There are three whites, a Bourgogne Aligote and a Meursault from the 2007 vintage, and a Beaune Grèves blanc from 2006. The quality and consistancy from this Domaine continues. Allen Meadows (Burghound) comments are very favourable. Southern Italy Tasting Wednesday 4 November, 6 to 8 pm, In-Store, Free Taste a selection of wines from across Southern Italy including Campania, Puglia, Sicily and Sardinia. The grape varieties used in the wines selected for this tatsing are those associated with their origins Aglianco, Falanghina, Fiano Ottanivello and Primitivo. 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 2003 Sideral Shelf Price $69.00 Offer Price $59.00 This is the second wine of the now famous Altair winery in Chile. It is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 6% comprising Syrah and Sangiovese. It was fermented in stainless steel and matured in French Oak barrels for 12 to 15 months - half in new oak and half in second use barrels. The results are outstanding. This is a wine to keep for a few years before drinking but the results will be worth waiting for. 91 points, The Wine Advocate, Robert Parker; 91 points, Wine Enthusiast magazine; 95 points, Top Score Chile, Wine & Spirtis UK magazine download order form Domaine Michel Lafarge Pre-Arrival Domaine Michel Lafarge “Michel Lafarge and his son Frederic run one of the most admired domains in Burgundy-admired for its un-Burgundian trait of consistent quality year after year and for every AOC. Small crops provide great depth; late harvesting when the weather permits gives ripe vivid succulent fruit. The estate began conversion to Biodynamics in 1996. Its finest wines include the Premier Cru Monopole Clos du Chateau de Duc as well as parcels in Caillerets and Clos des Chenes.” Andrew Jefford, The New France White Wines 2007 Domaine Lafarge Bourgogne Aligote Aligote plays very much second fiddle to Chardonnay for white wine in Burgundy. It was a glut of Aligote that led to the creation of Kir by adding Cassis to to Aligote and launched by the mayor of Dijon. Kir became so populr around the world that it not only moved the lake of Aligote in Burgundy but became a vehicle for any cheap white wine of local origin. Michel Lafarge has taken this grape more seriously and fashioned a wite wine that is both affordable and expressive of the qualities of the grape and the terroir. Worth a try. Shelf Price $34.00 Offer Price $29.00 2007 Domaine Lafarge Meursault Sourced from old vines just below Meursault Santenots "The selected parcel is next to premier cru vineyards and has very little topsoil. They prefer not to give the parcel a name since soem people might assume it is a premier cru. Slightly spicy, more exotic than the straight Meursault, with riper stone fruit flavours. Dense, rich and already complex with a spicy finish. Drink 2009-13 – 17.5 points, Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com, 28th January 2009 "fresh aromas that speak of hazelnut, white peach and apricot, all of which can also be found on the round, pure detailed and lightly stony flavors that culminate in a dry, racy and lingering finish. Solid quality for what this is and worth a look. 2011+ - 87-89 points, Allen Meadows, Burghound Issue #35 Shelf Price $104.00 Offer Price $88.00 limited 2007 Domaine Lafarge 1er Cru 'Les Aigrots' Blanc The Second vintage for this wine “A somewhat fresher nose of white flower and subtly spiced pear aromas merge into round, rich and forward but nicely detailed medium-bodied flavors that possess an underlying mineral streak that continues onto the sneaky long finish. Very good quality for such young vines.” 88-91 Points Drink 2010+ Allen Meadows, Burghound Shelf Price $134.00 Offer Price $114.00 limited Red Wines 2006 Domaine Lafarge Bourgogne Passetoutgrain L'Exception A blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay From 80 year old vines. “Here the aromatic profile is slightly riper with a similar pepper/spice and red fruit nose introduces moderately earthy medium-bodied flavors that are rich and full though more austere than its junior counterpart, all wrapped in a more concentrated finish. Excellent quality.” Outstanding! 84-86 Points Drink 2010+ Allen Meadows, Burghound Shelf Price $38.00 Offer Price $32.00 2006 Domaine Lafarge Bourgogne Pinot Noir From 40+ year old vines that were once classified as Volnay villages “A more reserved red berry and earth-infused nose slides into delicious, precise and nicely voluminous flavors that are dusty, mouth coating and solidly complex on the pure and linear finish. Also worth a look for a serious and cellar-worthy Bourgogne.” Top Value! 85-87 Points Drink 2011+ Allen Meadows, Burghound Shelf Price $58.00 Offer Price $49.00 2006 Domaine Lafarge Beaune 1er Cru 'Les Aigrots' Rouge From 40+ year old vines “A notably ripe nose also reflects pretty notes of red and blue pinot fruit but here the aromas are slightly cooler with a subtle minerality that can also be found on the finely detailed flavors that display fine verve on the impressively long finish. If this can add a bit of depth with time, it should merit the upper end of my predicted range.” 88-90 Points Drink 2013+ Allen Meadows, Burghound Shelf Price $153.00 Offer Price $130.00 limited 2006 Domaine Lafarge 1er Cru Beaune "Les Grèves" From 80+ year old vines “A very subtle hint of wood frames earth suffused red pinot fruit and plum aromas that lead to more serious and more somber medium-bodied flavors brimming with dry extract on the impressively deep and moderately austere finish. There is simply another dimension here relative to the Aigrots.” Outstanding! 88-91 Points Drink 2014+ Allen Meadows, Burghound Shelf Price $170.00 Offer Price $145.00 limited 2006 Domaine Lafarge 1er Cru Volnay "Caillerets" From a parcel measuring 7ouvrées, or around .3 ha of 40+ year old vines "A riper and slightly more complex nose offers up aromas of red and blue pinot fruit plus violets, rose petal and mineral hints that are picked up by the rich, intense and stony medium plus-bodied flavors that possess complexity to burn on the textured and mouth coating finish. A terrific '06 and highly recommended. Don't miss! Outstanding." 91-93 points Drink: 2013+ Allen Meadows, Burghound Issue #30 Shelf Price $234.00 Offer Price $199.00 limited 2006 Domaine Lafarge 1er Cru Volnay "Clos des Chênes" From 45+ year old vines that sit just above Champans "Here the aromas are equally ripe with an earthier and more deeply pitched aromatic profile that serves up a strikingly pretty array of red raspberry and currant, plum and violets that introduces, rich, full and more powerful flavors that possess a gorgeous mouth feel and ample mid-palate concentration that buffers the most prominent tannins on the driving, energetic and explosive finish. As it usually is, this is the best in show in 2006. Outstanding," 93 points Drink 2014+ Allen Meadows, Burghound Issue #34 Shelf Price $234.00 Offer Price $199.00 limited 2006 Domaine Lafarge 1er Cru Volnay "Clos du Château des Ducs" From 50+ year old vines; a monopole of the domaine. “A mix of ultra pure red pinot fruit and slightly darker fruits that include notes of plum, dark raspberry and currant merges into rich, cool and dusty mouth coating flavors that possess lovely depth and near perfect balance on the persistent and beautifully detailed finish where a subtle mineral streak surfaces. Lovely juice that is perhaps a bit more powerful than usual. Outstanding." 92 points Drink 2014+Allen Meadows, Burghound Issue #34 Shelf Price $234.00 Offer Price $$199.00 limited download order form Upcoming Events Wednesday 4 November - In store tasting - Southern Italy Tuesday 10 November - In store tasting - Loire Valley Tuesday 17 November - In store tasting - Austria Tuesday 24 November - In store tasting - Beaujolais Tuesday 1 December - In store tasting - Champagne - small producers On Saturday 10 April 2004, new Australian Federal Government legislation came into force that requires that no unsolicited emails be sent without the permission of the recipient.  Europa Cellars has an email database and sends out periodic newsletters or special offers to especially interested clients. If you do not wish to receive further newsletters or special offers from Europa Cellars in the future, please advise by emailing wine@europacellars.com.au . 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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