News, Awards and Reviews
August 2009
What's new with you?
We have had a very busy summer and we are looking ahead to our 25th Anniversary celebrations in September and October with real excitement. We are also exhibiting at several events during the next 2 months. Very busy internally and externally!
As you know we are working towards tailoring our communications to groups of contacts so that the news you receive is more relevant to you. However, in the meantime, get in touch with any comments or suggestions on the type of information you would like to receive, or indeed any stories you wish to share on what is going on in your world.
Keep in touch with Alliance Wine
Forthcoming Events and Tastings
During the next few months Alliance Wine is attending many events and tastings and hosting a few ourselves. A note of a few key events is below and is available on our website. If you want further details check out the various links below or please click here and advise which event you are interested in.
SEPTEMBER
- Decanter World Wine Awards Dinner 2009
More info
- International Wine Challenge Merchant Awards 2009
More info
- Alliance Wine Regional Tasting, London
Monday 7 September 2009 - 10.00 to 17.00 (buffet lunch will be available)
Join us to taste through our portfolio, including new wines and vintages of old favourites including: Two Hands, Latium Morini and Vina Cobos. We'll also introduce our forthcoming Christmas promotional wines.
Book your place now!
- Wines of Chile Annual Trade Tasting 2009
More info
- Wines of Argentina Trade Tasting 2009
More info
- Alliance Wine Regional Tasting, Manchester
Monday 14 September 2009 - 10.00 to 17.00 (buffet lunch will be available)
Join us to taste through our portfolio, including new wines and vintages of old favourites including: Two Hands, Latium Morini and Vina Cobos. We'll also introduce our forthcoming Christmas promotional wines.
Book your place now!
- Boutique Wineries Tasting 2009
Tuesday 22 September 2009 - BMA House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JP
This tasting offers on and off trade buyers, along with press visitors, the opportunity to taste truly outstanding wines that are available in limited quantities. Travel bursaries are available for those more than 200 miles outside of London.
Invitation here
- Alliance Wine 25th Anniversary Celebration, Mansfield Traquair, Edinburgh
Friday 25 September 2009
For more information click here
OCTOBER
- Major Buyers Tasting 2009
www.majorbuyers.org
- Wines of South Africa MEGA Tasting 2009
Invitation here
- Alliance Wine 25th Anniversary Celebration, Tate Modern, London
Wednesday 21 October 2009
For more information click here
We are also lucky to be hosting a number of our key suppliers for visits in the second half of the year. Further details are available by talking to your local Sales Manager.
Come Fly with Cecchetti!......
Cecchetti 'Redtree' wines are now being served on several prestigious airlines including: Continental, United and British Airways.
12 Best Californian Buys - Cecchetti's 'Redtree'
Food and Wine's Ray Isles listed 2008 Redtree Pinot Noir as one of the best 12 Californian buys for $15 or less.
'Pinot Noir at this price that tastes this good - with lively cherry fruit, zesty acidity and a crisp, light bodied structure - is practically an impossibility, yet the Cecchetti Wine Company manages it'.
Horse Power Propels Familia Zuccardi into Vintage Age
Familia Zuccardi, winner of the Innovative Wine Tourism Experience 2008 award, has demonstrated its natural inventiveness once again by unveiling a classic car tour of their award-winning Mendoza wine estate, Argentina.
A fleet of immaculately restored classic cars from Britain and the United States now offer tourists a novel new wine experience. Thirsty motorists can choose to be chauffeured around the vineyards in a range of vintage and antique automobiles, all lovingly restored, some dating back to the late1920s.
The two-hour programme includes three Sip Stops en route through the Zuccardi estate, stopping beside the very vines from which the Zuccardis’ award-winning wines originate.
Director of Familia Zuccardi José Alberto Zuccardi explains:
“The CLASSIC WINE TOUR was born from our involvement in the annual Rally de las Bodegas (the Rally of the Wineries). We offer balloon flight tastings over our vineyards to show the origin of the wines in a wonderful way that people will never forget and wanted to introduce something similarly unusual that no other producer is doing. That’s when the idea of a fleet of classic cars came to me.”
Zephyr Slick and Online
Zephr have updated their website viewed by clicking on their logo or family symbol. The website contains useful information on the winery and has additional product information too. Check it out!
What's rated and reviewed this month?
We like to bring you a note of some of the key ratings each month. See some references to our wines, for August, below:
Decanter RED WINE of the week - August 2009
Odfjell, Armador Carmenère, Maipo-Rapel, Chile 2006
'This boasts a slight herbal edge, offering a pleasing counterpoint to the coffee-kissed purple berries. The fruit is nicely weighted, knitting with the smooth tannins to produce a good glass of red that is mercifully not overblown. Drink 2009.
Odfjell - The Best of Maule
In August 2009, Wine Enthusiast (September 2009 issue) reviewed:
Odfjell 2006 Orzada Carignan and awarded it 90 points.
'Not one the market yet (the 88 point 2005 is the current release), but this is the first Orzada to promote Cauquenes on the label. It's even-keeled and wide in scope, with plum, raspberry, freshness, good tannins and lots of body. A leader among new-wave Maule Carignan.'
'Argentina's Superstar Reds'
Jancis Robinson MW rated Zuccardi Zeta 2006 in an article entitled 'Argentina’s Superstar Reds' published on www.jancisrobinson.com on the 27th of July 2009.
Zuccardi, Zeta 2006, Mendoza
'Thick, sweet, rich, a little heavy but with that moustache breathing authenticity into it. Savoury finish. Well done! The blend works really well - not too sweet. Velvety texture.'
James Halliday's Wine Companion 2010
Alliance Wine is proud to boast 3 wineries with ratings of 5 stars: Shelmerdine, Two Hands and Stella Bella.
Shelmerdine 5 RED STARS
5 stars are generally awarded to those ‘wineries with a particularly distinguished track record over the past three years’, this reaffirms Shelmerdine’s postion as one of the most highly regarded producers in the Heathcote region.
2007 Heathcote Shiraz – due for release in early 2010
Lifted blueberry bouquet with elements of mint, oak and slightly dusty complexity; the palate is very firm, with an abundance of tannin and acid; a complex wine that needs time to fully integrate, and especially for the tannin to soften. Screwcap. 13.5% alc. Rating 94 Drink 2020
2007 Heathcote Cabernet Sauvignon – due for release early 2010
Pure blueberry bouquet with sage thrown in for good measure; the palate is forceful and rich, with a strong tannin and bright acid presence on the long and firm finish. Screwcap. 13% alc. Rating 93 Drink 2015
2006 Merindoc Vineyard Shiraz – current release
A strong minty bouquet, but the palate offers a different experience: red fruits intermingle with spice and earth; while medium-bodied, has a firm and fine-grained tannin finish, acidity leaving the wine fresh and vibrant. Screwcap. 13.5% alc. Rating 94 Drink 2016
Merindoc Vineyard Heathcote Shiraz 2007 – due for release in September 2009
Deep and concentrated, there is rich blackberry and fruitcake on the bouquet; the palate is dense and long, with multiple layers of licorice and blackberry fruit balanced by firm tannins. Screwcap.13.5% alc. Rating 95 Drink 2014
And 5 RED STARS for PHI too…
The quality of the Lusatia Park Vineyard was again recognised, with the highest rating given to PHI (the winegrowing and winemaking partnership between the Shelmerdine and DeBortoli families). The 2007 PHI Chardonnay was awarded 96 points, the second highest rating for any Chardonnay in the book.
James commented that: ‘the outcome has been wines of the highest quality, and a joint venture that will last for many years’.
PHI 2007 Chardonnay – current release
A complex and restrained wine, exhibiting, pear, mineral and a hint of citrus character on the bouquet; the palateis tightly wound with refined texture, and a delicate use of oak that merely acts as seasoning; long, fine and worthy of serious consideration for ageing. Screwcap. 12% alc. Rating 96 Drink 2018
PHI 2008 Sauvignon – due for release in October 2009
Has the incisive palate which is the mark of this wine, relying on texture, structure and length rather than primary fruit; echoes of top quality Sancerre. Screwcap. 12% alc. Rating 94 Drink 2012
PHI 2007 Pinot Noir – current release
Vibrant colour; fresh red fruits, elements of spice and even a suggestion of fresh cut herbs; the palate is incredibly fine, supple, focused and long, with savoury, almost gamey, complexity showing through on the fan-likefinish. Screwcap. 12.5% alc. Rating 94 Drink 2014
Stella Bella - five star!
James Halliday also rated Stella Bella as an outstanding winery producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity. Stella Bella have at least two wines rated 94 points or above and have had a five star rating for the last two years.
James said: “This enormously successful privately owned winemaking business produces wines of true regional expression with fruit sourced from the central and southern parts of Margaret River. It’s hard to imagine the wines getting better, but we shall see.”
Rating 94 to 100 points – Outstanding – Wines of the highest quality, usually with a distinguished pedigree.
- Suckfizzle Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2006 ~ 96pts
A distinguished blend in full White Bordeaux fashion, the fruit and oak seamless, the length and aftertaste impeccable.
- Stella Bella Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ~ 94pts
A fragrant, flowery bouquet and a lissom palate, with passionfruit, kiwi fruit and redcurrant flavours; has vibrancy and thrust, with a long clean finish.
- Stella Bella Shiraz 2007 ~ 94pts
A highly fragrant and spicy bouquet leads into a medium-bodied palate with a display of red and black fruits, the tannins fine, the oak perfectly weighted.
- Stella Bella Sangiovese Cabernet 2007 ~ 94pts
A masterly blend of the two varieties that flow seamlessly together in a stream of red fruits, the tannins silky and fine. Totally delicious, and a must on any Italian restaurant wine list worthy of the name.
Highly recommended 90 to 93 points – Wines of great quality, style and character, worthy of a place in any cellar.
- Skuttlebutt Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008 ~ 92pts
- Stella Bella Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ~ 91pts
- Stella Bella Viognier 2007 ~ 91pts
- Suckfizzle Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ~ 91pts
Majella rated at www.wineanorak.com/blog
Jamie Goode writes:
'Australian Cabernet Sauvignon is sometimes underrated. Coonawarra and Margaret River are the two regions acknowledged to do best with this variety, but I'd plead for the inclusion of the Clare Valley into this list, because I just love Clare Cab.
I used to think I could tell the difference between Margaret River and Coonawarra, but after the Landmark Tutorial, where we had a few wines blind, I'm not so sure. Anyway, here's a fairly serious Coonawarra Cabernet. It's beautifully expressive with the Coonawarra character in spades, but for some it may be just a little too extreme and full-on. This level of intensity seems to be the Majella style.'
Majella Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
'14.5% alcohol. Very sweet brooding blackcurrant and berry fruit nose with some savoury, gravelly, spicy notes. Rich but still distinctly Coonawarra in style. The palate is dense and spicy with fresh lemony acidity under the ripe, sweet fruit, which has a savoury, earthy character. A delicious wine with real impact. 91/100'.
Decanter Dry Rose - 'Pretty in Pink' The Results
Decanter tasting of 'Dry Rose' threw up a few recommendations of our own wines. 211 wines were tasted. Recommendations were:
- Largesse Shiraz, Vin de Pays d'Oc, France 2008 (recommended)
'Fine red berry fruits . Well balanced, with good flavours and length.'
- Zuccardi Serie A Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 2008 (recommended)
' Soft strawberries. Slightly confected, but good concentration and strawberry flavour.'
- Finca Manzanos, Rioja, Spain 2008 (fair)
- Stella Bella, Skuttlebutt, Western Australia 2007 (fair)
- Los Pecadillos Pereza (Sloth) Old Vine Garnacha, Campo de Borja, Spain 2008 (fair)
7 Beechfield Road, Willowyard Estate, Beith, Ayrshire KA15 1LN
Tel: 01505 506 060 Fax: 01505 506 066
Email: sales@alliancewine.co.uk Web: www.alliancewine.co.uk