Dear Wine Aficionado,

One of the many perks in our job is the number of new wines we look at each week with the prospect of adding to our shelves. We have decided to add a new feature to our newsletter in a 'What We're Drinking' section. Here we will showcase something new to the shop with detailed information and tasting notes, and it is definately something we are drinking ourselves!

Following on from last weeks 'steering clear of Europe' ethos we are bringing you a 6-pack of elegant and sublime wines from Victoria. Included are some of the big names in Victoria as well as some true up and coming labels.

And lastly, we're doing something for all of you who like your wines a little bigger and bolder by bringing you some truly magnificent wines from South Australia. We have kept away from too much of the more 'common' varietals instead looking to Europe for varietal inspiration.

Regards,

The Europa Cellars team;
John, Aidan, Nick, Boon & Sam

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What We're Drinking 

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This is a new section we are devoting to something new we have to the shop and something we find delicious.

La Croix de l'Ermite has been selected and finished by Vincent Paris with the aim of creating modern and affordable Northern Rhone wines that still possess true regional and varietal character. The 2008 Crozes Hermitage comes from mature, low yielding vineyards near Tournon sur Rhone and Tain l'Hermitage. Winemaking is kept simple with a complete de-stemming to maximise fruit expression, slow fermentation and partial oak maturation follow and finishes with minimal fining and sulphur addition.



2008 la Croix de l'Ermite Crozes Hermitage $30
Northern Rhone, France

"100% Syrah where elegance and finesse are key, perfumed aromatics with hints of spice, vibrant black fruit with a long and minerally finish."

 

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Victorian 6-pack 

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We are going to come right out and say it, We Love Victorian Wine. Victoria has such a range of climatic environments which in turn offers a diverse range of wines and styles that are produced.

Here we have put together current vintage wines representing 6 different regions from within Victoria. Delicate riesling from Henty, funky chardonnay from the Alpine Valleys, complex gamay (an oxy-moron, we know) from Beechworth, savoury, refined pinot noir from the Yarra Valley, new world but truly varietal sangiovese from Heathcote and Rhone inspired syrah from Geelong. A plethera of great drinking.

2008 Hochkirch Riesling $27
Henty
"The nose positively exudes lemon, spice and peach/apricot stonefruit. Palate opens with a salty minerality followed by fresh riesling fruit with nervy acid, continuing into a long finish with typical fruit sweetness."

2008 Mayford Chardonnay $36
Alpine Valleys
"It tastes of hazelnuts and lees, white peaches and white flowers. The oak has been toned right down from the previous Mayford chardonnay release. And the quality stepped right up."

2009 Sorrenberg Gamay $47
Beechworth
"Aromatic fruit of red currant with a hint of cherry. This follows on to the palate to include complex elegant acid with refined tannin. All combined it produces a full middle palate with a lingering savoury finish."

2008 Riorret 'Abbey Vineyard' Pinot Noir $43
Yarra Valley
"Chalky and dry and beautifully well structured. Beautiful sour, savoury, spicy and flushed with musk and liqueur cherry and twigs through the finish. Sophisticated."

2007 Whistling Eagle Sangiovese $42
Heathcote
"Floral nose, with raspberries, dried herbs and oak adding a touch of vanilla. It performs well on the palate, with the dry tannin astringency you'd expect but without any hollowness."

2008 Shiraz By Farr $69
Geelong
"It’s a polished wine and a beautiful one. It tastes sappy and herbal, cedary and blueberried, with sweet/sour cherry notes giving it brightness, succulence and immediate appeal."

Shelf Price for 6 Pack $264.00 OFFER PRICE $237.00!

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South Australian 6-pack  

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Having banged on about the beauty and elegance of cool climate wines, it is time to share the love with our neighbouring state of South Australia.

We too can appreciate and certainly enjoy these often rich, ripe and dense wines. Come to think of it, there really is nothing more enjoyable on a cold winters night (who said spring was on the way?). Included here is a range from the very well know Clare Valley riesling, to perhaps the less familiar viognier from the Barossa Valley and hopefully the even less familiar touriga nacional from Langhorne Creek. It was with an eye to European varieties that this 6-pack was assembled. Enjoy.

2009 Grosset 'Polish Hill' Riesling $49
Clare Valley
"Extreme length. It’s not as austere as a young wine as Polish Hill riesling sometimes is, but it has so much bite through the finish that I’m not worried about it in terms of ‘developing too early’. Make no mistake, this is a smashing wine. Orange rind, lime, intense focus and a flourish to its tail."

2009 Massena 'The Surly Muse' Viognier $21
Barossa Valley
"Fresh pear and peach aromas are complemented by notes of honeysuckle and violet. Juicy, gently sweet orchard and pit fruit flavors provide very good palate coverage and are braced by a zesty mineral quality. Gains weight with air and finishes with a long resonating note of white peach."

2008 Head Wines 'The Brunette' Syrah $43
Barossa Valley
"A nose of rust, red dirt and licorice, dusted with coffee oak. The palate follows in atypically Barossan fashion, with nary a sweet fruit character in site, nor any sweetness of oak either. Instead, it's an almost perversely dry, firmly structured, red dirt dominated mouthful of meaty, licoricey extract, with tannins signing things off with serious intent."

2007 Greenock Creek Cabernet Sauvignon $47
Barossa Valley
"An aromatic array of pain grille, pencil lead, violets, black currant, and blackberry. Full-bodied, plush, and succulent, this impeccably balanced Cabernet has enough fine-grained tannin to support years of cellaring."

2007 Coates Touriga Nacional $35
Langhorne Creek
"An exoticly perfumed wine. Dense and hearty on the palate with black fruits, ripe tannins, a lick of fresh acidity and hints of baking spices."

2005 Nepenthe Zinfandel $34
Adelaide Hills
"A fragrant, intense nose of plums and preserved fruits with a dash of exotic spice and vanilla. The palate echos the intensity of the nose and is dominated by dark fruits such as prunes and dates. A wine with a rich, velvety mouth feel and a soft, lingering finish."

Shelf Price for 6 Pack $229.00 OFFER PRICE $206.00!

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Bistro & Delicatessen News

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The delicatessen is fully stocked with an array of cured meats, both local and imported, as well as a selecion of terrines, dips, pastes, chutneys and cheese for all your entertaining needs.

The Bistro & Delicatessen embraces the tradition of pre-dinner libations to transition from your stressful working day to the frivolity of friends and a great meal with our 'Aperitif Hour'. So pop in between 5pm-7pm for half price on our selection of aperitifs or a glass of champagne.

download current menu (10th August 2010)

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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

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