I have been meaning to go to Sepia for a long time...with a great reputation for food and wine, I was really looking forward to it....I won't really review the food but I will mention what I had and the wine I tried and how it matched with the food
Water - You can have Sparkling, Still or Tap. The sparkling and still are on the expensive side (9 dollars pp) but because they charge per person, this means you can keep drinking water and it really doesn't matter. People can have what they want and you don't have to split up bottles. Expensive but just one less thing you have to think about...
1st Course - Kingfish Bacon, Citrus Soy, Olive Oil, Smoked Trout Roe. No matching wine with this.
2nd Course - Sashimi Tuna, Smoked seared Ocean Trout, Poached Banana Prawn. These were a reverse nigiri...I'll let you imagine what that might be like.
Wine: (or in this case sake). Umenoyado "Gin" Junmai-Ginjo. Having had quite a bit of sake lately, I wasn't too overly impressed with this. Very nice solid, sake but I wouldn't say it was overly interesting. Good match to the food in that the sake didn't take away from the fish, which I think is its intention.
3rd Course - Beetroot butter, Goat milk Chevre, Rhubabr, apple balsamic, rye, goat milk crisp.
Wine: Felton Road "Bannockburn" Riesling 2011.
I've had a number of rieslings from New Zealand and when they have some residual sugar, they are definitely quite pleasing. To me they are distinctly different from Australian Riesling as well as German Rieslings...In this style, I think it is actually quite easy to pick it is from NZ. Nice Limes and Lemons on the nose with a whiff of sweetness. Palate has very good acidity to balance out the sugar. Almost very lime ade in nature. It has very good focus but next to my wife's riesling it seemed a bit on the simple side. Excellent match though to what was a very excellent dish.
Weiser-Kuenstler "Enkircher Ellergrub" Kabinett Riesling 2011. I thought this was absolutely fantastic. The nose on this was absolutely fantastic..Lemons, citrus, some leafy greens and nice minerality. The palate had very good acidity which was a perfect balance to the residual sugar. For whatever reason I think German rieslings seem to have a oneness when they have some RS and this is no exception. What was amazing about this is the amount of depth, each swish showed a new side to it. A little rock, a little fruit, a little sugar, which turned into a slightly different shade of fruit...I was shocked. While not part of the pairing, this might be my WOTN.
4th Course - Butter poached Port Lincol squid, Citrus scented ink, barley cured egg yolk, wild wood sorrel.
Wine - Txomin Etxaniz 2011. A combination of Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza. I've never tried this type of wine before. Very tight acidity, combined with a very apple like flavor. It was actually quite nice and definitely a food wine. By itself it was fairly decent, but maybe a bit on the simpler side. Nose was quite good...but what impressed me about this was how well it went with the food. A VERY good match because the acidity was a perfect pairing with the fattiness of the squid yolky ink.
At this point in the meal I'm already impressed by the food but really impressed with wine pairings..they're not only spot on but they all have a very nice nose....and looking into the next few wines I can see they'll be something different as well....
5th course - Roast Scampi tail, shellfish mousse, scampi shell crumb, sudachi Japanese land seaweed.
Wine - Pierre Luneau Papin "Clos des Noelles - Semper Excelsior" 2007. A muscadet that has been on lees for an extended period of time which gave it a lot of added complexity. On its own I thought this was a very interesting Muscadet..it was definitely more interesting than the ones I had in the past. I wouldn't exactly say this was anything more than a well made wine but it went very well with the food. It was a good contrast to the very rich shellfish mousse and really seemed to bring out the flavor of the scampi...At this point I'm laughing because the pairings have been really great with what are not very expensive wines..in fact, I don't think any of these go for more than 30 USD a bottle..and yet they are really singing with the food.
6th Course - South Australia Lamb, Goat Cheese and sake kuzu dumplings, black olive miso vinaigrette, fennel molasses
Wine - Gaia 14-18h Rose 2011. Made from Agiorgitiko in Greece, I was looking forward to seeing what Gaia could do when making a Rose. Overall - It was just a Rose. Well made but not overly interesting. As much as I'm trying to understand Rose, I still have a hard time understanding Rose. That said, if you're going to drink Rose, this is a fairly decent one. This was also the only wine I didn't really felt was a good match for the food. I can definitely see where this was heading though..the lamb was very delicate and lightly flavored..it did NOT come across as very lamb like and did not have overly strong flavors..but the rest of the food did have some stronger flavors. I'd say the only disappointing match of the night and probably my least favorite wine.
7th course - Seared Rolled David Blackmore Waguy Beef, Chestnut Mushroom, roasted red onion juice wasabi fried potato and kombu crum, citrus soy.
Wine - Boscarelli Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2009. Mostly Sangiovese in this. Had a wonderful nose with a very expressive oak/vanilla coming off of it. Nice red fruit and some herbs. Palate had very very nice acidity...I love reds with good acid...medium bodied, good fruit, I guess American oak but it is French/Slovenian casks..either way, it has imparted an almost fruit bomb type of oak to it but not too much and at the same time, it has carried this very medium bodied acidity that is coming across very nicely. I tried this before the food came out and I was expecting something really fatty (since we hadn't had a heavy red meat yet). This was an excellent excellent match to the Wagyu...While I think a lot of people throw big big tannic reds at meat...it was really nice to see how the wine and its composition was selected to match how the food was, to match the fatiness or the strong flavors of the food...really nice.
8th course. Lemon Verbena Curd, Alpine Strawberry caramel, crisp meringue.
No wine
9th course. Poached paradise pear, salted goat milk ice cream, maple crepe, candied waluts.
Wine - Royal Tokaji "Late Harvest" 2009. So rather than rely on botrytis this relied on a very late picking for its sweetness. I was looking forward to trying this...Nice balanced sweetness but maybe a little on the simple side. Matched very well with the 2nd pre-dessert.
10th course. "Summer Chocolate Forest". Soft Chocolate, hazelnut and almost, rose geranium cream, sour cherry sorbet, blueberry jellies, green tea licorice, chocolate twigs.
Mas Amiel "Prestige - 15 Ans dAge". Somewhere between a sherry and a port but without being too porty...this added a nice chocolate element to what was already a chocolate overload in the dessert. It was quite an interesting wine but at this point I'm well sugared out...I wouldn't mind trying this when I'm not quite as stuffed and without the food.
Overall - Food - Excellent. One of, if not the best dining experience I've had in Sydney...which includes, Quay, Tetsuyas, Marque, est. Aria, Momofuku and several others....Very "safe" food but at the same time very interesting...a nice twist on different dishes and my understanding is the degustation on Saturday is changed on a regular basis which I think is great.
Wine - I think every wine I had here was very well made and they all had one thing in common. They all had VERY good noses...The matchings were easily the best I've had in Sydney. They weren't the most expensive wines I've had in a pairing but they were paired the best, by far, than any place I've had in Sydney. The fact that they were able to do this with relatively low cost wine (again, I don't think any of these are over 30USD a bottle although they might be more expensive in Australia) and with wine that you might never have tried otherwise, speaks volumes about the quality of their sommelier. The wine list is very well thought out, a very good mix of different things to try...and you can see a lot of effort and thought is put into what it is they're selling.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Chocolate shop?
So I had the opportunity to try this wine called Chocolate Shop. It is actually a California wine..although I'm not sure it is really a wine since they artificially add chocolate to the wine..but either way, this is an even bigger step into the high residual sugar, "smooth" reds that have been gaining traction in the US and it looks like Australia as well..
Chocolate Red Wine by Chocolate Shop.
Wine definitely smells of chocolate..there is definitely a red wine there as well but you get big whiffs of chocolate and sugar but not much else. The wine is definitely "smooth" and made for non wine geeks...It lacks any tannins or any acid but it is definitely smooth. One thing I thought was surprising is that it didn't have a fake candy taste to it at all...it has a slight dark fruit profile and then this dark syrupy chocolate flavor.. It is quite sweet but I wouldn't say overly sweet. The wine itself is actually very simple very easy to drink. Again, I'm not sure I'd classify this as a wine but I'm sure this would be an enjoyable dessert drink and I has appeal to people looking for a very easy to drink sweet red. It isn't my style of wine but I do think for what they are trying to achieve, they've done a good job.
Chocolate Red Wine by Chocolate Shop.
Wine definitely smells of chocolate..there is definitely a red wine there as well but you get big whiffs of chocolate and sugar but not much else. The wine is definitely "smooth" and made for non wine geeks...It lacks any tannins or any acid but it is definitely smooth. One thing I thought was surprising is that it didn't have a fake candy taste to it at all...it has a slight dark fruit profile and then this dark syrupy chocolate flavor.. It is quite sweet but I wouldn't say overly sweet. The wine itself is actually very simple very easy to drink. Again, I'm not sure I'd classify this as a wine but I'm sure this would be an enjoyable dessert drink and I has appeal to people looking for a very easy to drink sweet red. It isn't my style of wine but I do think for what they are trying to achieve, they've done a good job.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Leasingham Bin 8 Riesling
I'm trying not to buy a lot of wine because I'm still struggling to figure out how I'm going to get what I have to the US without sacrificing my liver....but I recently came across a killer deal and I couldn't resist.
Leasingham Bin 8 K.S. Riesling 2008.
Leasingham has gone through some ownership issues and whether as a result of that or just the market, they have stopped exporting to the US although they still export to Europe.
The K.S. stands for Kabinett Style which basically means it has a bit of residual sugar. Personally I don't mind a bit of residual sugar as long as the acidity balances it out...I rarely get to see any quality Australian Rieslings (ones not made to be simple and sweet) with RS. The few I see have a very small bit of RS...this one actually has significantly more than what I might see from Lethbridge or Pressing Matters (both of which I think are great). Nose has a good amount of Petrol and lime. This smells like a typical dry Australian Riesling with some age on it. It is actually quite nice. Some people might be put off by it but I think it is quite nice. Nose is a bit simpler than I'd like I didn't really give this a chance to get a lot of air. The nose should have led me to this but the palate was actually quite surprising. The best way to describe it is a good amount of RS but that strong Australian acid backing it. Unlike German Rieslings which seem to seamlessly integrate the sugar as part of the wine...this is very much like half DRY Australian riesling, with the mouthfeel and acidity and that strong Clare Valley Riesling touch to it, combined with a Riesling that has a bit of RS. Don't get me wrong, it is actually quite nice. Lime, petrol, a bit of sweetness but it is quite balanced with very good acidity. Good minerality. I'm really enjoying the fact that this has a that aged Riesling taste (even though it is only from 2008) but a bit of sugar...
I'm of two minds on this wine..
On one hand, I can see this being liked by non wine geeks and wine geeks alike...On the other, I'm not quite sure this would compete properly in the same space as Kabinett German Rieslings...While I think this was quite enjoyable, there is something awkward about the wine. The ones I've seen with just a touch of RS feel very integrated and you can just catch the glimpse of sweetness....This one really did feel like it wanted to be dry but it wasn't. It certainly doesn't help that the Australian market thinks this would be more like a dessert wine (which it definitely is NOT..this wine wants food food). I do like this wine..I'm glad I have some bottles left...I'm also looking forward to having it with some spicy food in the near future. If you're looking for something completely different than what you might normally see as Riesling in Australia, definitely give this a go.
Leasingham Bin 8 K.S. Riesling 2008.
Leasingham has gone through some ownership issues and whether as a result of that or just the market, they have stopped exporting to the US although they still export to Europe.
The K.S. stands for Kabinett Style which basically means it has a bit of residual sugar. Personally I don't mind a bit of residual sugar as long as the acidity balances it out...I rarely get to see any quality Australian Rieslings (ones not made to be simple and sweet) with RS. The few I see have a very small bit of RS...this one actually has significantly more than what I might see from Lethbridge or Pressing Matters (both of which I think are great). Nose has a good amount of Petrol and lime. This smells like a typical dry Australian Riesling with some age on it. It is actually quite nice. Some people might be put off by it but I think it is quite nice. Nose is a bit simpler than I'd like I didn't really give this a chance to get a lot of air. The nose should have led me to this but the palate was actually quite surprising. The best way to describe it is a good amount of RS but that strong Australian acid backing it. Unlike German Rieslings which seem to seamlessly integrate the sugar as part of the wine...this is very much like half DRY Australian riesling, with the mouthfeel and acidity and that strong Clare Valley Riesling touch to it, combined with a Riesling that has a bit of RS. Don't get me wrong, it is actually quite nice. Lime, petrol, a bit of sweetness but it is quite balanced with very good acidity. Good minerality. I'm really enjoying the fact that this has a that aged Riesling taste (even though it is only from 2008) but a bit of sugar...
I'm of two minds on this wine..
On one hand, I can see this being liked by non wine geeks and wine geeks alike...On the other, I'm not quite sure this would compete properly in the same space as Kabinett German Rieslings...While I think this was quite enjoyable, there is something awkward about the wine. The ones I've seen with just a touch of RS feel very integrated and you can just catch the glimpse of sweetness....This one really did feel like it wanted to be dry but it wasn't. It certainly doesn't help that the Australian market thinks this would be more like a dessert wine (which it definitely is NOT..this wine wants food food). I do like this wine..I'm glad I have some bottles left...I'm also looking forward to having it with some spicy food in the near future. If you're looking for something completely different than what you might normally see as Riesling in Australia, definitely give this a go.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
James Halliday's iPhone Application
One of the better apps on the iPhone for wine in Australia is the James Halliday Wine Companion. While I'm not really a big fan of James Halliday's reviews, there is no doubt he has had a huge impact on the wine industry in Australia. Unfortunately, like many in the wine industry, his grasp on the current environment and technology is terrible and the way his publishing company is running his app is incompetent if not borderline thievery.
The 2012 version of the app was plagued with problems on release. It would crash, you couldn't update it to get updated notes...They finally released a stable version in March of 2012. As far as updated notes were concerned, there wasn't any since January or December and no other notes came out. So pretty poor on his part to not release a few more (why bother saying you'll do it if you don't want to or plan to). Some time in July they lowered the price because the new version of the app was to be released...ok, fair enough.
Apple then released iOS 6.0. Guess what? You could buy the app but it wouldn't work on iOS 6.0. So essentially if you had bought it in July, a couple of months later you couldn't use the app at all. Requests to update their application were ignored.
They then release the newest version of the application which is subscription based. While I have no issues with a subscription based service, what I do have issues with is they've basically had their previous version being sold after iOS 6.0 came out yet they haven't bothered to fix that (2011 still works so in many ways I feel like they broke 2012 intentionally). So you have a history of a problematic application that is now subscription based and a history of not having updated tasting notes...and why should people now subscribe to this? If they had a history of a stable application with constant updates this would be less of an issue..but since they just screwed over their customers, why should anyone trust them? Not to mention the first version of the subscription based one didn't work right...
What I find even more disgusting is because the application was getting hammered by reviewers, they put up a bunch of shill reviews. When you get reviewers talk about how they use it daily (the day the only working version came out) or how it gets updated tasting notes all the time (which is impossible at this point), you know they're shills...It is absolutely one of the most disgusting things I've seen from some that is so highly respected in Australia.
I have a hint for you James Halliday, get a new publisher. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you don't realize how much damage these guys are doing to your reputation and how much you've ripped off your loyal customers.
The 2012 version of the app was plagued with problems on release. It would crash, you couldn't update it to get updated notes...They finally released a stable version in March of 2012. As far as updated notes were concerned, there wasn't any since January or December and no other notes came out. So pretty poor on his part to not release a few more (why bother saying you'll do it if you don't want to or plan to). Some time in July they lowered the price because the new version of the app was to be released...ok, fair enough.
Apple then released iOS 6.0. Guess what? You could buy the app but it wouldn't work on iOS 6.0. So essentially if you had bought it in July, a couple of months later you couldn't use the app at all. Requests to update their application were ignored.
They then release the newest version of the application which is subscription based. While I have no issues with a subscription based service, what I do have issues with is they've basically had their previous version being sold after iOS 6.0 came out yet they haven't bothered to fix that (2011 still works so in many ways I feel like they broke 2012 intentionally). So you have a history of a problematic application that is now subscription based and a history of not having updated tasting notes...and why should people now subscribe to this? If they had a history of a stable application with constant updates this would be less of an issue..but since they just screwed over their customers, why should anyone trust them? Not to mention the first version of the subscription based one didn't work right...
What I find even more disgusting is because the application was getting hammered by reviewers, they put up a bunch of shill reviews. When you get reviewers talk about how they use it daily (the day the only working version came out) or how it gets updated tasting notes all the time (which is impossible at this point), you know they're shills...It is absolutely one of the most disgusting things I've seen from some that is so highly respected in Australia.
I have a hint for you James Halliday, get a new publisher. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you don't realize how much damage these guys are doing to your reputation and how much you've ripped off your loyal customers.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Vinturi or not to Vinturi
Most wine people are aware of a device call a Vinturi...When pouring a glass you pour the wine through the Vinturi which then aerates the wine..opening it up and doing all sorts of good things according to the company....
I have one and have used it quite a bit..but does it really work? And does it improve your wine?
Yes and Maybe.
It definitely aerates the wine...and feeding it oxygen to kick off that chemical process..There is no doubt about that...
But does it improve your wine? Maybe. Sometimes you want to see the evolution of the wine...especially with older wines, you might skip something really fantastic about the wine that is only going to last a short while...
I rarely use my Vinturi any longer...at least not when I'm drinking at home. I'd much rather just wait and swirl it around and watch the wine evolve...
There are times though..especially with guests..where you don't have time to wait for a wine that is just too tight....and it really just needs that kick in the behind to get it going. It is those times you're glad you have it and happy you're using it because it definitely helps...
I have one and have used it quite a bit..but does it really work? And does it improve your wine?
Yes and Maybe.
It definitely aerates the wine...and feeding it oxygen to kick off that chemical process..There is no doubt about that...
But does it improve your wine? Maybe. Sometimes you want to see the evolution of the wine...especially with older wines, you might skip something really fantastic about the wine that is only going to last a short while...
I rarely use my Vinturi any longer...at least not when I'm drinking at home. I'd much rather just wait and swirl it around and watch the wine evolve...
There are times though..especially with guests..where you don't have time to wait for a wine that is just too tight....and it really just needs that kick in the behind to get it going. It is those times you're glad you have it and happy you're using it because it definitely helps...
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
More Hunter Valley
Had the chance to visit the Hunter awhile back (again :)) but didn't have a chance to post about it..
On this trip we went to see a few different places plus some of the same..
Lakes Folly
Piggs Peake
Bimbadgen
Meerea Park
Pepper Tree
Lakes Folly Cabernet 2010
I remember this standing out to me because it was a very nice medium bodied, high acid Cabernet that didn't strike me as a Cabernet..it was quite nice. I can see why some people might not like this but I thought it was quite good. Nice wonderful red fruit with enough tannins for structure but just this really nice mouthfeel because of the fresh acid....This is very much a Cabernet made like a Hunter Shiraz...it's good.
Piggs Peake Cabernet 2009
Huge alcohol big brooding Cab that is almost borderline sweet. Not overly tannic, relatively good acid...nice bright fruit..but I think what stands out is you can tell the wine is highish alcohol but it doesn't come across as hot....the alcohol does give it a fair bit of weight but you can see why this would be a crowd pleaser...They say it'll age, I'm not sure as I don't have enough experience with Piggs Peake to know...but really, the way it is right now I'm not sure you want it to age...
Meerea Park Terracotta Semillon 2006
I'm not sure why I didn't buy some of this..I always tell myself to buy some...maybe it is because I have a relatively good stash of Semillon and I have very few people to share it with (actually I know this is it). Either way, my not buying it shouldn't reflect how good this is...it is very good. Wonderful acid that is still going strong...Wonderful development with Honey and Toasty notes....close to the Stevens Vineyard is what I'm told...I'm glad this wine is getting the recent recognition it deserves as it has, to me, been the pick of their Semillon...And unlike the Alexander Munro, the acid is still right there...great buy...
Ferraris Shiraz 2010
I really do wish the Boutique Winemakers Centre was still there rather than just Meerea Park...They had Ferraris, Glenguin, Chateau Pato...a lot of good stuff...In any case, Ferraris is now being carried by the Pokolbin Winemakers Outlet. The last vintage I had of this was 2007 and I thought back then it was very good value. The 2010 is no different...Very nice Red fruits...medium bodied, good acid..very Hunterish but not too Hunterish..I can see this appealing to a much larger scope of people as it lacked the really strong leather and sweat but still, this was definitely a Hunter Shiraz...I forget how much I paid but it was either 20 or 22 or something like that..Great value...
Of course there were quite a few other wines I had on this trip but these are the only ones I've bothered to mention....I think the biggest disappointment for me was Pepper Tree...it didn't have anything to do w/ the quality of their wines but the selection available for tasting was basically nothing...All of the wines I would have loved to taste weren't available..and what was really wasn't a good representation of their winery...
On this trip we went to see a few different places plus some of the same..
Lakes Folly
Piggs Peake
Bimbadgen
Meerea Park
Pepper Tree
Lakes Folly Cabernet 2010
I remember this standing out to me because it was a very nice medium bodied, high acid Cabernet that didn't strike me as a Cabernet..it was quite nice. I can see why some people might not like this but I thought it was quite good. Nice wonderful red fruit with enough tannins for structure but just this really nice mouthfeel because of the fresh acid....This is very much a Cabernet made like a Hunter Shiraz...it's good.
Piggs Peake Cabernet 2009
Huge alcohol big brooding Cab that is almost borderline sweet. Not overly tannic, relatively good acid...nice bright fruit..but I think what stands out is you can tell the wine is highish alcohol but it doesn't come across as hot....the alcohol does give it a fair bit of weight but you can see why this would be a crowd pleaser...They say it'll age, I'm not sure as I don't have enough experience with Piggs Peake to know...but really, the way it is right now I'm not sure you want it to age...
Meerea Park Terracotta Semillon 2006
I'm not sure why I didn't buy some of this..I always tell myself to buy some...maybe it is because I have a relatively good stash of Semillon and I have very few people to share it with (actually I know this is it). Either way, my not buying it shouldn't reflect how good this is...it is very good. Wonderful acid that is still going strong...Wonderful development with Honey and Toasty notes....close to the Stevens Vineyard is what I'm told...I'm glad this wine is getting the recent recognition it deserves as it has, to me, been the pick of their Semillon...And unlike the Alexander Munro, the acid is still right there...great buy...
Ferraris Shiraz 2010
I really do wish the Boutique Winemakers Centre was still there rather than just Meerea Park...They had Ferraris, Glenguin, Chateau Pato...a lot of good stuff...In any case, Ferraris is now being carried by the Pokolbin Winemakers Outlet. The last vintage I had of this was 2007 and I thought back then it was very good value. The 2010 is no different...Very nice Red fruits...medium bodied, good acid..very Hunterish but not too Hunterish..I can see this appealing to a much larger scope of people as it lacked the really strong leather and sweat but still, this was definitely a Hunter Shiraz...I forget how much I paid but it was either 20 or 22 or something like that..Great value...
Of course there were quite a few other wines I had on this trip but these are the only ones I've bothered to mention....I think the biggest disappointment for me was Pepper Tree...it didn't have anything to do w/ the quality of their wines but the selection available for tasting was basically nothing...All of the wines I would have loved to taste weren't available..and what was really wasn't a good representation of their winery...
Saturday, December 8, 2012
What would you buy with $200 AUD?
My friends here in Australia were kind enough to give me a great gift which was a gift card to Dan Murphys...
Now, on one hand, I have too much wine as it is and at some point I'll be moving back to the US so if anything, I should be getting RID of my wine. Instead I have bought 6 bottles of Leasingham Bin 8 Riesling (which is made in a Kabinett Style) because the were dirt dirt cheap from Winestar at 5 dollars each...and I figure they'd be good for Indian, Thai and my wife who likes a bit of RS. So with this very generous gift I need to think of something to get....
There are several things I know I won't get...which is stuff I have bought in the US for significantly less..so that removes any Rockford or Clonakilla from the mix.
I also don't want to buy anything that I can get overseas for less..so basically any import is automatically a no (except maybe NZ but not likely NZ).
Stuff I'm considering:
Mt. Edelstone
Bass Phillip Premium if available
Lethbridge stuff although this would be on the lower end which is not what I want...If they carried the Allegra, Mietta or Indra I'd be all over it...
If I'm going down that route I could also look at Yabby Lake, Ten Minutes by Tractor, etc...but I would like to avoid buying several bottles as I still don't know how I'd get them back to the US.
Anyone have any suggestions?
Now, on one hand, I have too much wine as it is and at some point I'll be moving back to the US so if anything, I should be getting RID of my wine. Instead I have bought 6 bottles of Leasingham Bin 8 Riesling (which is made in a Kabinett Style) because the were dirt dirt cheap from Winestar at 5 dollars each...and I figure they'd be good for Indian, Thai and my wife who likes a bit of RS. So with this very generous gift I need to think of something to get....
There are several things I know I won't get...which is stuff I have bought in the US for significantly less..so that removes any Rockford or Clonakilla from the mix.
I also don't want to buy anything that I can get overseas for less..so basically any import is automatically a no (except maybe NZ but not likely NZ).
Stuff I'm considering:
Mt. Edelstone
Bass Phillip Premium if available
Lethbridge stuff although this would be on the lower end which is not what I want...If they carried the Allegra, Mietta or Indra I'd be all over it...
If I'm going down that route I could also look at Yabby Lake, Ten Minutes by Tractor, etc...but I would like to avoid buying several bottles as I still don't know how I'd get them back to the US.
Anyone have any suggestions?
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