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(Aside to anyone from the Wine Specialist that reads this board: Your prices, on just about everything, are too high.)

they had an ad in this weeks Northwest Current offering 15% off any reg priced wine upon mention of the ad

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http://www.winecommune.com/lot.cfm/lotID/1314257.html is the link to the Wine Commune website where the 2004 Schild Estate Shiraz just sold at auction for......$75.00 per bottle.

I'm going to think twice about opening my next bottle.

Joe, thanks for NOT thinking twice, and sharing a bottle at the picnic over the weekend. Very good stuff, and very generous of you to share it.

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Joe, thanks for NOT thinking twice, and sharing a bottle at the picnic over the weekend. Very good stuff, and very generous of you to share it.

Joe also generously shared a bottle of Dal Forno valpolicella that was jaw-droppingly delicious, and an equally good amarone, the undoubtedly famous name of which I cannot recall. His shrimp remoulade was extraordinarily good, too, and disappeared within moments of being set down on the buffet. Joe is definitely the man to invite to a potluck!

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Joe also generously shared a bottle of Dal Forno valpolicella that was jaw-droppingly delicious, and an equally good amarone, the undoubtedly famous name of which I cannot recall. His shrimp remoulade was extraordinarily good, too, and disappeared within moments of being set down on the buffet. Joe is definitely the man to invite to a potluck!

And I can guaran-damn-tee that he's the only blessed soul who will ever arrive at a dr.com picnic toting his own Riedel stemware, and make it look entirely natural. Thank you Joe, for sharing your special wines with us.

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"Crackers" is a very, very sweet and giving person. Of course it could be said that she also has a major position in Bayer Aspirin of which I am still taking many, even a day later! Regardless, thank you for your nice words. They are most appreciated.

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The '04 vintage in the Barossa Valley was rated 91 points-the '05 vintage is rated 95 points with the implication that this wine may be as good as the '04. Unfortunately, the '04 had a one bottle allocation at the Vineyard and was virtually impossible to find in the U. S. There is an earlier thread on here about my efforts to find it, which I did eventually locate at a wine store in North Carolina. The wine was worth it! An extraordinary $20 wine!

Arrowine has bought out the entire Virginia allocation of this wine for Schild's '05 and is offering it for sale, first come first served for $239.99 per case ($19.99/bottle). They have 32 cases for sale and, at this writing, there are five left.

703-525-0990

___________________________

From their newsletter:

2005 Schild Estate Barossa Shiraz

2005 Schild Estate Barossa Shiraz (The 2004 was 96 points in The Wine Spectator, the 2005 is even better)

Reg. $25.99

6 bottle price: $21.99 per bottle

Case price: $19.99 per bottle

This is a great Aussie bang-for-the-buck wine. But it won't last long. As of this morning there were 32 cases of this wine in Virginia. We reserved them all and they'll be here tomorrow. We tried it and it's delicious. It is rich, full and concentrated but avoids the syrupy sweetness that shows in too many Australian shirazes. There is complexity to spare with slate-like minerality and sweet spice. The fruit is of ripe blackberries and black plums. It is delicious now, but it can be cellared until at least 2012.

This 2005 vintage has yet to be reviewed. But it's a better year in Barossa than 2004 and the 2004 scored 96 points in The Wine Spectator. The review said: "Gorgeous stuff, it practically radiates a range of aromas and flavors, balancing its ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit with hints of minerals and sweet spices that make the finish sing for days. Tempting to drink, but just wait. Best from 2008 through 2020. Highly recommended. 96 points." The Wine Spectator, Sept. 30, 2006.

96 points from the Spectator made the 2004 disappear very quickly. Luckily Parker has never rated this wine or we might never see it. But consider that Parker gave the Barossa area of Australia a general rating of 91 points in 2004 and a much better 95 points in 2005 and you'll understand why you shouldn't wait for specific reviews. This will be long gone.

To order please reply to this email or call Arrowine at (703) 525-0990. We will need your name, phone number, and Visa or MasterCard information (with expiration date).

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I understand that Paul's and Bassins bought it as well.

(By the way, $239.99 is an excellent case price for that wine.)

It is currently sold out from the distributor, but there is more coming. I'm told that it is going FAST, so if anyone is interested in it, don't hesitate - contact whomever you buy your wine from a.s.a.p.

(This has been a public service wine announcement from Ace Beverage :o )

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As I type this I am sipping on a glass of the 2005. The bottle has a screw top. The 96 point '04 did not. While the '05 is a very good wine and worth the $20 or so dollars it is selling for there is absolutely no way that it is in the league of the '04-which I have also opened a bottle of. The '04 is simply a bigger wine, perhaps MUCH bigger, a wine with more depth. If the '04 is 96 points then the '05 is 90 or 91. Again, still worth the money but no one drinking this should think for a second that it rivals or is similar to the '04. It is "thinner" than the '04, the nose is not as pronounced, the taste does not last as long in the mouth. Really, it is just not as "big" of a wine as the '04. It tastes like a very good $15-25 dollar shiraz which it is. The '04 tasted like an excellent $50+ shiraz which, for me, it should have been.

I think that for anyone who has tasted the '04 this will be a disappointment. For those who have not, they will like it and feel that it was a good investment. Perhaps the '04 was a great, an extraordinary investment that is not likely to be repeated in any wine, any time soon. Certainly not in the '05.

I should also note that a great deal of research and study went into this post with extensive "controlled" sampling amongst myself and several neighbors who sympathized with the goals of my endeavors.

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And for those fond of the blueberry syrup shiraz from Australia here is another bargain from Arrowine.

2005 Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz

Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz

Limestone Coast, Southeast Australia (Parker 91 points!)

National Retail: $14.99 (our reg. $11.99)

Sale! 6 bottle price: $10.99 per bottle

Case price: $9.99 per bottle

Only 100 cases available, arrives Wednesday.

It's coming Wednesday! Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz is a huge hit. It was a customer favorite last year because it was a real treat for the price. Just ask anyone who bought the 2004 Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz. The price was excellent, the flavors were rich and full, and it had the texture of a much more expensive wine.

Now here's the incredible news... As much as you liked the 2004 Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz, you’re going to like the 2005 Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz much, much more! It's bigger, it's bolder, and it's just plain better. The 2004 was rated 87 points by Parker.

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2005 Barossa Jack Shiraz

$12.99 and worth it...

I had several glasses of this in Boston today and cannot find it on WineZap. Wine Searcher shows several California locations but nothing in the East. Does anybody know anyone who carries it in the D. C. area? It is a very good shiraz, perhaps remarkably good for the price.

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I had several glasses of this in Boston today and cannot find it on WineZap. Wine Searcher shows several California locations but nothing in the East. Does anybody know anyone who carries it in the D. C. area? It is a very good shiraz, perhaps remarkably good for the price.
Joe, try The Curious Grape in Arlington. I don't know if it is in stock but they carry it.
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I had several glasses of this in Boston today and cannot find it on WineZap. Wine Searcher shows several California locations but nothing in the East. Does anybody know anyone who carries it in the D. C. area? It is a very good shiraz, perhaps remarkably good for the price.

Its on the shelf at Whole Foods Arlington right now. I'm not sure if Curious Grape has any right now but they should have some more in by early next week as we've got another shipment coming in.

Have you also tried Maverick, Desert Eagle or Layer Cake Shiraz? They are all part of the same project of Jayson Woodbridge in Barossa.

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Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz--highly recommended

Jip Jip Rocks ($10-$12)

Kangarilla Road

The Black Chook

Tait The Ballbuster

Craneford Allyson Parsons

Mitolo Jester

2004 is a very good vintage

2005 is an excellent vintage

Good places to find Oz Shiraz are:

Wide World of Wines

Paul's

Macarthur Beverages

The Vineyard (McLean, VA)

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If you want to nuke the site from orbit, try Tait Ballbuster. It would make Rocks cut out his tongue. :o

Are you sure that's not Taint Ballbuster? :lol:

While I'm not the original poster, thanks for all the suggestions. A friend of mine turned me onto Shiraz's awhile back. She liked them for the pricepoint and because they don't need to be aged. Both of us being fresh from college, cellar space (or closet space for that matter) wasn't in the picture.

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Are you sure that's not Taint Ballbuster? :o

While I'm not the original poster, thanks for all the suggestions. A friend of mine turned me onto Shiraz's awhile back. She liked them for the pricepoint and because they don't need to be aged. Both of us being fresh from college, cellar space (or closet space for that matter) wasn't in the picture.

There are some very good Australian reds for significantly less that $20, too.

2005 Pillar Box Red (shiraz blend), which I have seen around for as little as $8.99 ($7.99 at Costco in L.A., but Costco doesn't carry it around here, unfortunately)

2005 Penfold's Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cabernet blend (has been as low as $6.99 on sale at CW--amazingly good qpr)

Thorne-Clarke has a couple of under $10 bottlings that are also good values.

Don't let your enjoyment of Australian shiraz and shiraz blend wines be derided by some of the Eurocentric wine snobs who hang around here, making fun of people who say they like full-bodied, fruit-forward New World wines. Drink what you like and find the best wines in your price range.

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While these days I tend to prefer my syrup on pancakes rather than in my glass (sorry Zora, I couldn't resist) and lean towards French Syrah, there are a few Aussies that I like. In that price range one of the wines that has never failed me is Penfold's Bin 2. It is a blend of Shiraz and Mourvèdre. If you are willing to spend just a little bit more, Two Hand's Angel Share is very nice, powerful, but not overbearing Aussie style Shiraz.

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2005 Pillar Box Red (shiraz blend), which I have seen around for as little as $8.99 ($7.99 at Costco in L.A., but Costco doesn't carry it around here, unfortunately)

This is currently sold-out from the U.S. importer. The 2006 vintage is due in probably in May. If you are searching for it, don't neglect to include the winery name, which is "Henry's Drive", so it's "Henry's Drive Pillar Box Red", otherwise you might miss it in someone's listing.

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First of all, it's not Shiraz, it's Syrah. And the best of it comes not from Australia, but southern France. :o

Riley has lots of good stuff that's mainly Syrah from there, including one very good bottle that he sold me just recently that is 100% Syrah (the label of which is currently escaping me).

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While these days I tend to prefer my syrup on pancakes rather than in my glass (sorry Zora, I couldn't resist) and lean towards French Syrah, there are a few Aussies that I like. In that price range one of the wines that has never failed me is Penfold's Bin 2. It is a blend of Shiraz and Mourvèdre. If you are willing to spend just a little bit more, Two Hand's Angel Share is very nice, powerful, but not overbearing Aussie style Shiraz.
If you are willing to spend a lot more (i.e. $65+) 2001 or 2002 Elderton Command is jammy, mouthcoating, full bodied and absolutely sensational. One of the best shiraz I have ever had.
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If you want to nuke the site from orbit, try Tait Ballbuster. It would make Rocks cut out his tongue. :o

It really should have been Taint Ballbuster. That'd teach people to choose wines based on the picture on the label!

And +5 for the excellent "Aliens" reference

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This is currently sold-out from the U.S. importer. The 2006 vintage is due in probably in May. If you are searching for it, don't neglect to include the winery name, which is "Henry's Drive", so it's "Henry's Drive Pillar Box Red", otherwise you might miss it in someone's listing.

I've seen the '05 still around in a couple of stores recently, albeit at a bit more than $8.99. How does the '06 vintage compare in general, since '05 was called the greatest vintage year in the last 50 years in the Barossa Valley, if I'm not mistaken?

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If you are willing to spend a lot more (i.e. $65+) 2001 or 2002 Elderton Command is jammy, mouthcoating, full bodied and absolutely sensational. One of the best shiraz I have ever had.
Lord no, jam belongs on toast. For that price you can pick-up a number of the Clarendon Hill's offerings, and have wines that are similar in style to Rhone Valley wines (they even call the grape by its French name). For a little less any of the Two Hands Garden series would be a wonderful buy, but this is way off topic since none of these are even remotely below $20.
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One of my favorites is the 2004 Pirramimma. They make an excellent shiraz--WS 92, but not an ooze-monster. (I like some fruit-bombs, but this one is more elegant.) They also make a very good Petit Verdot. Price runs $20-25.

For a more intense experience, the Glen Eldon Dry Bore (2003) is very good. It's not as jammy as the Marquis Phillips or Mollydookers, but it's definitely a big wine. Price around $25. I find the stuff almost irresistable.

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On Saturday I stopped at the Wine Library in Springfield, NJ and bought two cases of wine (18 different bottles) for myself and several neighbors to sample and base future buying decisions on. My decision was based on a combination of Parker/Wine Spectator/intuition/several magazine articles and the Wine Library's wine director, Ian Dorin. Thus far we have only opened several bottles but one has clearly stood out: 2005 Massena Epsilon Shiraz which is a full bodied, jammy, mouth coating bargain @$19.99. Please note that the list price on this is $24.99; the price noted reflects the Wine Library's across the board 20% discount. This is what Parker had to say about it:

"A terrific value, the 2005 Shiraz Epsilon is fashioned from 32-year-old vines planted in the Greenock sector. Aged 12 months in old French oak hogsheads (300 liters), it exhibits an opaque purple color, abundant aromas of raspberries, blueberries, graphite, and spice box, and a full-bodied, rich, fleshy style. A hedonistic tour de force in winemaking, it can be enjoyed over the next 4-5 years."

I pass this along for anyone that likes this kind of a wine: it is outstanding and well worth looking for locally.

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