WeeklyWinePick.com » Barossa Valley

Colonial Estate Émigré, Barossa Valley, 2005

Angela Logomasini — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:27:57 +0000

If you are looking to spurge on a very big, delicious red wine this winter consider Colonial Estate Émigré, 2005 from Australia’s Barossa Valley. This is a beautifully rich blend of old-vine Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre, Muscadelle, and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2007, the Wine Advocate rated it 94, noting it will age well through 2025, which means it may be even richer now than when it was rated. The Advocate described it as: “Supple-textured and very intense, the wine exhibits spicy red and black fruits, with hints of mint and chocolate in the background. It is layered, opulent, and long while maintaining its elegant personality. Give it 5-7 years in the cellar and drink it through 2025.”

Located in Australia’s Barossa Valley, the Colonial Estates winery is owned by British winemaker Jonathan Malthus, who established himself at his winery in Bordeaux in the 1990s. At that time, Maltus was dubbed a member of the “garage movement”—one of a number of winemakers in Saint Emillion making smaller-scale, modern style wines on relatively modest budgets compared to those of the Cru Classé estates in the area. At that time, he purchased then-run-down Saint Emillion’s Château Teyssier, which is modernized and restored, making great wines that embody both old and new world style. He has taken this success to the Colonial Estate vineyard in Australia as well as to his Napa Valley vineyard called World’s End.

Émigré prices range from $50 to more than $80 a bottle (the 2005 starts at $65 a bottle and other vintages at $49.00) on Winesearcher. If you are lucky enough to live near a Total Wine, you can pick one up for $50, which is a very good deal for this wine.

2005 St. Hallett ‘Faith’ Shiraz, Barossa Valley

Derek Swanson — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:22:39 +0000

This week’s pick comes from Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein, president of Full Circle Wine Solutions in San Francisco. Evan offered the following comments about this Australian red: “This consistently rich offering from one of the most dependable Barossa Valley-based wineries delivers delightfully chewy black fruit (blackberries, plums), elements of licorice, spice, and blue flowers all enveloped by a modestly tannic mouth-filling frame. Long and tasty, this wine brings to life the old George Michael line…’you gotta have faith’! The 2007 may be what you can find right now but as stated above, it’s a very reliable wine, year in and year out and for less than $20!”

Full Circle Wine Solutions is a global wine & spirits education firm that offers tailored wine programs and effective hospitality training to clients in the food and beverage industry. The company also offers their Perfect Pairings Education Seminars, based on Evan’s book, Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier’s Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food. The St. Hallett ‘Faith’ Barossa Shiraz can be purchased from any of these retailers, and is a terrific pairing to this Korean Short Rib recipe adapted from Evan’s book.

Thorne-Clarke “Shotfire” Shiraz 2007

Angela Logomasini — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 02:31:01 +0000

Tallula Eat Bar in Arlington, Virginia. For wine lovers in the D.C. metro region, Tallula is a must visit location. Its menu includes 350 wines by the bottle and more than 70 wines by the glass. Tallula is a part of a network of food and wine establishments belonging to the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, which includes Planet Wine, the Evening Star, Rustico and Vermillion. Eat Bar is the lounge/bar of Tallula restaurant, where you can order small plates and half glasses of wine.

If you are looking for a “tremendous value wine,” Tallula’s Samuel suggests Thorne-Clarke “Shotfire” Shiraz 2007. You can order it at Eat Bar for $12 a glass/$6 for a half glass or $30 a bottle. Samuel praises this wine for its juicy, jammy character that is coupled with notes of white pepper and spice. Shotfire delivers big at a reasonable price, offering a pleasant mouth feel and tannins in check with the wine’s medium body, according to Samuel. It retails at wine shops for about $16. The Thorne Clarke website notes that all the grapes for this wine are sourced at the Kabininge Vineyard in Australia’s Barossa Valley. The Shiraz is blended with a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, and matured with oak treatments.