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| Europa Cellars Newsletter, 4 May 2010 |
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| (03) 9417 7220 | ||||
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| Introduction Bernard Moreau 2008 Offer Bordeaux 6-pack Offer Wine Bar News |
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Dear Wine Aficionado,
This week we are offering one of our favorite Burgundian producers, Bernard Moreau. Moreau's wines tend to be slightly more opulent than most burgundian producers but they still retain their typicity. We are also offering a Bordeaux 6-pack featuring three whites and three reds. We expect to make our first offers on the 2009 Bordeaux Primeurs campaign next week. The 2009 vintage in Bordeaux is being touted as the equal of the 2005 with some commentators claiming that 2009 eclipses the exceptional 2005. The financial crisis has tempered prices to a degree and the stronger $A improves our position somewhat compared to 2005. The first growths in particular are expected to reach new highs driven by demand from Asia, however it is expected that prices further down the pecking order will provide some excellent wines at reasonable prices. We are starting to secure wines as they become available and will begin offering them out in May through June. For news about what is happening in the wine bar - current wine flights and menus - look at the Wine Bar News section at the foot of the newsletter. Please note that the wine 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, Francisco, Nick, Brian, Boon, Micah and Sam view newsletter online view newsletter as pdf 2008 Bernard Moreau Offer Two thousand and eight is a small vintage but it is better than both 2007, and in both colours. It should not be neglected - Clive Coates, MW Comparison to other vintages? I guess an obvious handle (crutch?!) for an ‘equivalent’ vintage would be 1996, at least in terms of acidity. Versus recent vintages these 08s seem much more ‘serious’ wines than the friendly-faced 2007s, perhaps with certain peaks that may surpass even those in 2006. There are certainly quite a number of wines with the potential to astound, but rather like 1996, I don’t expect them to start unlocking those treasures before their 20th anniversary. - Burgundy-Report.com, Autumn, 2009 What would happen if you made a hypothetical blend of 2006 and 2007? I would say than in many cases you would get the 2008 vintage - minerality and acidity but with good ripeness, they are very hard to resist! - Burgundy-Report.com Bernard Moreau's son Alexandre reported that 2008 was a vintage that was "frankly terrible until the 12th of September. We had a lot of rain during the summer but much less rot here in Chassagne than in other communes. We decided to begin picking on the 25th and while there was some rot in the pinot, the primary sorting job was to eliminate the under ripe fruit. We obtained good if not great ripeness levels with sugars in the 11.5 to 12.5% range. It was interesting because the juice directly beneath the press was already quite dark, which is unusual. Moreover, despite how cool the summer was, the impression given by the aromas was a vintage of sunshine. This impression doesn't extend to the flavors because there you can tell that 2008 is not a super ripe vintage, which is why we decided to do a somewhat softer vinification. Overall, I like the reds as they are clean, fresh and have plenty of energy, which will make them a pleasure to drink." The Moreau reds were bottled in January without fining or filtration. I've said this before but it bears repeating: While the strength of the domaine is clearly its whites, they consistently fashion really lovely reds that would make excellent choices for restaurant lists or house reds as they're classic yet have enough roundness to permit them to be approached when young. Burghound.com Bernard Moreau is a very dedicated grower in Chassagne who owns an impressive array of vineyards. He aims to produce wines with excellent purity of fruit and concentration at his 10-hectare estate. Moreau produces more red Chassagne than white, but he offers more appellations in Chardonnay than for Pinot Noir. Moreau recently installed a new bladder press for better extraction of fruit and aromas, giving the wines both more intensity and finesse. After pressing, the wine runs, by means of gravity, into oak casks in the barrel cellar below the cuverie. One-third new oak, from 3 different tonneliers, is used for the white wines, and one fifth for the reds. The white wines see weekly battonage (or stirring of the lees) and are generally bottled in September, before the new harvest. In the words of Pierre Rovani (Wine Advocate #123) Moreau produces “plump, opulent, and delicious” wines. download order form 2008 Bernard Moreau Bourgogne Aligoté Shelf Price $30.00 Offer Price $25.50 "A bright and fresh nose of citrus, spice and minerality. A racy structured wine with crisp and clean acidity and focused length. A great Bourgogne at this price screaming by the glass for something that little bit different." Importer's notes 2008 Bernard Moreau Bourgogne Blanc Chardonnay Shelf Price $42.00 Offer Price $36.00 "All of the vines here are located in the village of Chassagne, and one of our favourites! The nose on the ’08 Bourgogne offers up a fresh mélange of pear, lemon, apple blossoms and really lovely minerality. On the palate the wine is medium-full, long and crisp, with lovely balance and a long and classy finish. Really a lovely example this year." Importer's notes 2008 Bernard Moreau Meursault 'Les Vireuils' Shelf Price $92.00 Offer Price $78.00 "Les Vireuils is a Meursault village parcel thats well situated behind the town towards the top of the hillside. From cool, high-elevation, east-facing vineyards on the communal border with Auxey-Duresses (above Tesson and Rougeots) This vineyard typically produces fruit that is clean and bright with a good core of minerality and freshness from the cool stoney soil compared to the big and plush Meursaults produced from vineyards further down the hill Alex takes great care with his oak handling. On the nose light pear and mineral notes with elegant wood elements. Very fresh on the palate with fantastic minerality-pear fruit and great depth. Lovely mouth feel." Importer's notes 2008 Bernard Moreau Chassagne-Montrachet 750ml Shelf Price $92.00 Offer Price $78.00 375ml Shelf Price $53.00 Offer Price $45.00 "The Chassagne villages had been racked into stainless steel tanks at the end of July and was destined to be bottled just before Christmas. This is very pure and very elegant this year, as it offers up a classy mélange of apple, lemon, a lovely base of soil tones and the faintest framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and very soil-driven, with fine mid-palate depth, lovely acids and a very long, nicely reserved finish. A fine AC." Importer's notes 2008 Bernard Moreau Bourgogne Passetoutgrains Shelf Price $39.00 Offer Price $33.00 "Only 4 barrels of this wine were made. This wine is almost exclusive to Australia. Light fresh violet aromas. This wine has amazing fruit considering the vintage. This is a lovely wine and exceptional value-Alex complained that he makes absolutely no money on this cuvee. His loss is our gain." Importer's notes 2008 Bernard Moreau Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir Shelf Price $39.00 Offer Price $33.00 "Note: from Chassagne vines and 100% barrel aged in 4 to 5 year old oak A very fresh nose of red and dark pinot fruit aromas is trimmed in warm earth notes that lead to rustic but delicious middle weight flavors that possess plenty of energy and punch on the acceptably long finish. Good if not exceptional at this level". 85 Points Burghound download order form Bordeaux 6-Pack Offer The largest wine producing region in the world, Bordeaux, produces on average 700 million bottles of wine per year. The region is notably famous for its red wines comprised of a blend predominantly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the left bank of the Gironde and Garrone Rivers that separate Bordeaux. On the Right Bank the reds are predominantly blends of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux also produces whites made from blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Bordeaux is also home to the most famous dessert wine in the world, Chateau D'Yquem from Sauternes in the Graves commune. The 6 pack includes 1 bottle each of the wines listed below Shelf Price for 6 Pack $371.00 OFFER PRICE $315.00! download order form 2008 Chateau Bonnet Blanc Entre deux Mers Shelf Price $30.00 Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon & Muscadelle. This excellent estate is a classical Entre-deux-Mers. The white wine is lively, elegant, sumptuous and clear-cut, slightly smoky over a long, crisp finish. Guide d'achat de BETTANE & DESSEAUVE 2006 Chateau Rochemorin Blanc Pessac Leognan Shelf Price $50.00 Sauvignon Blanc 100% from 15-18 year old vines planted on deep gravel slopes with limestone outcrops at the foot of the slopes to a density of between 6,500 to 8,500 vines per hectare. The grapes are harvested by hand then fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel. After settling, the wine is aged for 10 months in barrique 35% of which are new on full lees with bâtonnage. 2004 Chateau La Louviere Blanc Pessac Leognan Shelf Price $83.00 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Beautiful aromas of green apple, fennel and mineral follow through to a full body, with bright acidity and a clean, lively and refreshing finish. Drink now. 4,165 cases made. JAMES SUCKLING, Wine Spectator 2003 Chateau Courlat Lussac-St Emillion Shelf Price $36.00 One of a trio of properties under the ownership of Jean-Baptiste Bourotte, Courlat is a 17 hectare vineyard around a beautiful mansion in the north-east corner of Lussac. Jean-Baptiste is one of Bordeaux’s new wave of passionate young proprietors; grape selection is vigorous, and winemaking is under the oenological consultancy of Christian Veyrey, associate of the famous Michel Rolland. Merlot 77%, Cabernet Sauvignon 23% from 15 year old vines planted on gravel to a density of between 8,500 vines per hectare. The grapes are harvested by hand then fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel and concrete tanks. The wine is then aged for 12 months in barrique 50 - 75% of which are new. Unfiltered and fined. 2005 Chateau Rochemorin Rouge Pessac Leognan Shelf Price $68.00 Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot. Since 1973, André Lurton, purchaser of the château and 110 hectares of prime land, has been working to restore the estate to its former prestige, planting Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon and Sémillon grapes. Now entirely renovated, the vineyards at Rochemorin produce attractive, well-balanced reds and whites which bear out the estate's historic reputation. Of Château de Rochemorin’s production 87% is red and 13% white. The is an up-and-coming estate in the commune of Martillac, one whose name is believed to have been taken from the Moorish expression for a fortified château. Many Graves observers feel the vineyard is one of the best placed in the appellation, sitting on high ground with superb drainage.‘ Robert Parker, Bordeaux : The Comprehensive Guide Very pretty berry and spice character, with Indian spice undertones. Full-bodied, with soft, silky tannins and a medium fruity finish. Best red ever from here? JAMES SUCKLING 2004 Chateau Bonalgue Pomerol Shelf Price $104.00 90% Merlot 10% Cabernet Franc. 7.55 hectares of vines with an average age of 25 years, the fruit is hand harvested and manually sorted before vinification. "Richly fruity, straight forward, medium-bodied, and pure, the 2004 Bonalgue offers up aromas of smoky herbs infused with black cherries, plums, and mocha. Enjoy it over the next 5-7 years." Robert Parker download order form Wine Bar News Europa Cellars wine bar is open between 12pm and 8pm 7 days a week. Wines are available by the glass and tasting flights available enoteca style. The tasting flights consist of 3-5 wines at 25ml pours designed to allow the taster a journey into the particular wine styles of that region. You will be able to select any bottle of wine from the wine store to drink in the wine bar for a corkage fee. The Wine Bar menu is available from midday until 8pm each day. The current menu comprises: Warmed Olives $6.00; Pickled Vegetables $10.00; Chicken Terrine $10.00; Tarte Alsacienne $12.00; Antipasto Plate $14.00; Spaghetti with Veal Ragu $14.00; Braised Shoulder of Lamb with Creamed Mash $19.00. This week we will be looking at the wines from Bordeaux, France. For more information on the wines, please refer to the Bordeaux 6-Pack offer above. Tasting Flight #1 Bordeaux Blanc $10.00 2008 Chateau Bonnet Blanc Entre deux Mers 2006 Chateau Rochemorin Blanc Pessac Leognan 2004 Chateau La Louviere Blanc Pessac Leognan Tasting Flight #2 Bordeaux Rouge $12.00 2003 Chateau Courlat Lussac-St Emillion 2005 Chateau Rochemorin Rouge Pessac Leognan 2004 Chateau Bonalgue Pomerol 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 . Alternatively, if you subscribed via our website you may visit the following link to unsubscribe the same way. http://ethreemail.com/e3ds/u.php?g=a1fc2f1a |
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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 |
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