Dear Wine Aficionado,

This week we are continuing with our Chateauneuf du pape theme with offering the famous Henri Bonneau wines! The quantities are extremely limited so orders are processed first in best dressed. We are also offering the 2008s by Gary Farr under his By Farr label. The wine of the week will be the 2006 Michel Lafarge Bourgogne Rouge.

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, Nick, Brian, Boon, Micah and Sam

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Wine of the Week

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2006 Michel Lafarge Bourgogne Rouge
Shelf Price $55.00 Offer Price $47.00
This estate is now run by Frédéric Lafarge with help from his father Michel. The fruit for this wine is from 1.2 ha of 40+ year old bio-dynamically grown vines that were once classified as Volnay villages. Fermentation lasts up to 14 days, within a temperature bracket of 28-33° C. Barrel aging for 15-20 months follows with around 25% of wood new.
"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." 85-87 Points Burghound

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Henri Bonneau Offer

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“Bonneau's wines are the appellation's most concentrated, powerful, and ageworthy”, Robert Parker – The Wine Advocate.

Henri Bonneau (b. 1938) is from the 12th generation of a Chateauneuf-du-Pape winegrowing family. The Estate has been bottling its wines since 1927 in cellars dating back to the 17th century opposite the church in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Bonneau’s wines are among the most highly sought after in the world – for its complexity in flavor yet simplicity in creation.

“There are no secrets” says Bonneau, just the best fruit from the best plots, together with unobtrusive winemaking and handling. The wines are released when they are ready and can spend extended periods in oak. The wines are released when they are ready to drink.

Viticulture: Henry Bonneau has 6.5ha of red wine vineyards across 13 individual plots. The largest is in La Crau (arguably the finest lieu-dit in Chateauneuf-du-Pape) with smaller holdings in Le Sénéchaux, Grand Pierre, Le Pointu and La Bigote in the south.

Average age of vines is 30 years (oldest vineyard planted in 1964) which he believes is the ideal age for vines. A purist, monsieur Bonneau, does not like Syrah, trust new clones or values vines over 50 years old. Yields are very low at only 10-12hl/ha and harvest is quite late in the season. While the final blend is never truly known monsieur Bonneau believes it to be approximately 90% Grenache and 10% of Mourvédre, Syrah, Counoise and Vaccarèse.

Winemaking: Whole bunches are lightly crushed (except in difficult years) into concrete vats for 15-20 days. The wine is continuously pumped over during the beginning of fermentation/maceration. Once the wine is pressed, free run and pressings are blended and aged for 2-4 years (or however long deemed necessary) in small 20hl foudre, demi muids and small oak barrels (Burgundian oak). All Barrels are over 10 years old – intended not to impart flavor but to add texture. There is no filtration and only light egg white fining. Total annual production amounts to only 16000 bottles.

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NV Henri Bonneau Les Rouliers
Shelf Price $70.95 Offer Price $59.95

2003 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape
Shelf Price $176.00 Offer Price $149.95

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By Farr Offer

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Gary Farr has built a reputation for producing excellant Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays when he was the winemaker at Bannockburn Vineyards. Gary Farr has travelled extensively doing vintages around the world which includes 12 vintages with the prestigious Domaine Dujac in Burgundy. Gary Farr now works with his son, Nick, producing wines under the By Farr label while Nick is also producing wines under Farr Rising.

2008 Release and Tasting notes from Gary Farr

We believe we have settled into perfect timing with the release of By Farr wines at 2 years old. They are displaying their true individuality and breeding and look fantastic.

The reds have had 19 months in oak and 5 months in bottle and are just beginning to express themselves. The wines continue to be very small handmade parcels with less than 500 dozen produced. 2008 vintage produced exceptional wines of good quantities. The wines truly express our unique sites and soils, showing distinctive minerality, firmness of tannins, texture of lees and integrated oak flavours. All By Farr wines are matured in French oak.

We are releasing 3 pinot noirs again this year, from specific sites within the vineyard. Sangreal By Farr (Holy Grail) is from the original house block vineyard; Tout Pres is the second release from our 9 year old close planted vineyard at 8000 plus vines per hectare (it is quite unique); Farrside from the north end of our property (and is the wine that was initially released as ‘Pinot Noir by Farr). Enjoy the three amigos!!

2008 vintage weather conditions were warm with below average rainfall. We harvested 1.8 tons/acre over 33 acres, a perfect quantity. The wines show great replication of site and soil characteristics, with good intensity and mouth feel, complexity and length. Exceptional wines from an interesting year.

Over the years, all of our vineyards continue to be a work in progress from cover cropping and mulching to eliminating herbicides and conserving moisture, to only using organic sprays on the vines. It’s a case of hands on in the vineyard and hands off in the winery. It has evolved that we (Nick and I) have our own favourite blocks within the vineyard and from which we make our own wines.

A note on Closures: We believe that corks enhance the development of our wines, they suit our style of wine. Ageing of 1 to 2 years is for simple fruit driven wines, 2 to 8 years enables truly complex wine to evolve under this natural closure. 60 combined vintages on 3 continents and 1 island stands us in good stead to make this commitment to cork as have many of our peers around the world.

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2008 By Farr Shiraz
Shelf Price $70.95 Offer Price $59.95
Powerful nose with depth and complexity of cool climate shiraz. Spiced with pepper and minerality, leaning towards earthy. This year there is approximately 4% Viognier blended which is average over the previous years. The palate has a very pleasant sweetness to start followed by intense fruit and some earthy long tannins which complete a robustness that does not prevent the overall impression from offering a certain elegance. Drink now or keep for 5 – 10 years.

2008 By Farr Farrside Pinot Noir
Shelf Price $70.95 Offer Price $59.95
This is our choice of the newer plantings which are on the most northerly side of the vineyard. This wine was previously labelled Pinot Noir By Farr.
Floral, rich, full nose with powerful berry fruits beginning to build. The palate has sweetness followed by minerality overtones, enhanced by toasty oak, fine tannins, great structure a along and savoury finish which complete this gem. The wine combines density and precision with an ageing potential of 5-8+ years. Full bore pinot.

2008 By Farr Tout Pres Pinot Noir
Shelf Price $75.00 Offer Price $64.95
Here we have applied the meaning of this label name to the vine density of 8000 vines/Ha – ‘Tout Pres’ is French for ‘Very Cosy’. This vineyard is now up to 8 years of age and we are comfortable with the quality and complexity of the wine. It has exceptional length and aging potential.
The nose is more savoury than fruit. Fine layered delivery continually building a palate of excellent balanced rich fruit, oak and earthy to form a powerful expression of my very special site. Wow! 5-8 years of pure pleasure awaits.

2008 By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir
Shelf Price $108.00 Offer Price $91.95
This vineyard is planted on the original house block some 600 metres from the main block. It is now 15 years old and has established itself amongst Australia’s top pinot noir. ‘Sangreal’ means ‘Holy Grail’ – that’s what we’re striving for!
Great perfume on the nose, fine well integrated fruit of highly complex red berries and subtle roasted oak. Perfumed but savoury, the essence of pinot noir from our site. Strong colour, rich flavoursome palate showing weight, true length and depth. Seamless in its delivery and a joy to drink but there is good underlying material and a balance to age 8-10 years. My style of pinot, gamey and moreish!

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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