(EVANS & TATE Sauvignon Blanc) Monday DEAL Dear Friends, This deal came about in one of the more circuitous routes in a while and (the price is so good) I could have saved it for a Friday slot. The problem is it’s now or never - we lose the allocation tomorrow if I don’t take it. This is as good of a deal as some of the Hay Shed Hill wines we offered last year so take note. I had this wine in (of all places) London, and I was pleasantly shocked. To be brief, this wine has the chance to introduce the populace to just how great Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc can be, an area that was supposed to be the New Zealand of the Southern Hemisphere before New Zealand became, well, New Zealand. With the emergence of New Zealand, much of Margaret River turned their focus to Cabernet, a varietal that has found a much deserved terroir-tinged home in the region. With the ascent of Cabernet as king, the white wines have taken a back seat in Margaret River, but that’s not the fault of the quality. It can be argued that pound for pound the area produces the finest and longest lived Chardonnay outside of Burgundy (see my TN’s for the 1981 Leeuwin Chardonnay and other classics from the 1980’s that are still going strong). Margaret River is equally adept at Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon and both typically prove the point that the wines from this far westerly region have nothing to do with the rest of Australia. They are influenced by winds off the Indian Ocean and the Antarctic Ocean and the climate has more to do with a toned-down (read: cooler) Santa Barbara than anything else. There tends to be less alcohol, more structure and a lot more minerality than anywhere else in the New World. You can forget about candied, overdone white wine - this is the place for dreamy, mineral-infused wine of promise. ...Back to our beverage of choice, the 2006 Evans and Tate Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc - a wine I only tried because the restaurant had few selections from Europe and the wine steward assured me this was on the list because it was the best example he found for the tarrif (better than any New Zealand example) - he was right. I constantly have to remind myself that prejudice is just that - prejudice. While I pride myself on looking at every wine as an open book, there are times when a personal bias creeps in and you have to cast it aside to review everything from a center position. This wine was one of those occurrences where missing out would have been a big mistake. After tasting it, I’m sure others will chime in and I’m not going to be alone in my praise - this wine has hit the big time with the 2006 and the tarrif is so low, most will think it’s a mistake (it’s not). Regal breed with a lovely fine structure and stony white citric fruits that are eminently balanced and cleansing on the palate - long and fine textured with very low alcohol (12.5-13.0%) and a lingering freshness and pleasing clean personality that is cut from vines tended with the utmost care and attention. There are few wines in the world with this level of detail (at this price) and I set out to find a parcel for all of you as soon as I retreated into the depths of my hotel. How about directly from the source at low price? At this price, I urge everyone to experiment with this wine as it has all of the good graces of Sauvignon but none of the hard, green cat-pee or weedy qualities that can offend. It is focused on the mineral tone and sifted texture of the varietal instead. Just a lovely wine that does not sacrifice power with its feminine style. This is a perfect wedding or summer wine - with that in mind, I will relax the per person amounts to 36/person - first come first served (the margin is too on this item to spend time allocating it). VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a crazy bargain and ideal summer sipper that will have a very wide ranging appeal. FIRST COME FIRST SERVED up to 36/person until we run out. This parcel has the finest provenance available. 2006 Evans and Tate Sauvignon Blanc Margaret River Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Aus7754
By Jon Rimmerman
(EVANS & TATE Sauvignon Blanc) Monday DEAL Dear Friends, This deal came about in one of the more circuitous routes in a while and (the price is so good) I could have saved it for a Friday slot. The problem is it’s now or never - we lose the allocation tomorrow if I don’t take it. This is as good of a deal as some of the Hay Shed Hill wines we offered last year so take note. I had this wine in (of all places) London, and I was pleasantly shocked. To be brief, this wine has the chance to introduce the populace to just how great Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc can be, an area that was supposed to be the New Zealand of the Southern Hemisphere before New Zealand became, well, New Zealand. With the emergence of New Zealand, much of Margaret River turned their focus to Cabernet, a varietal that has found a much deserved terroir-tinged home in the region. With the ascent of Cabernet as king, the white wines have taken a back seat in Margaret River, but that’s not the fault of the quality. It can be argued that pound for pound the area produces the finest and longest lived Chardonnay outside of Burgundy (see my TN’s for the 1981 Leeuwin Chardonnay and other classics from the 1980’s that are still going strong). Margaret River is equally adept at Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon and both typically prove the point that the wines from this far westerly region have nothing to do with the rest of Australia. They are influenced by winds off the Indian Ocean and the Antarctic Ocean and the climate has more to do with a toned-down (read: cooler) Santa Barbara than anything else. There tends to be less alcohol, more structure and a lot more minerality than anywhere else in the New World. You can forget about candied, overdone white wine - this is the place for dreamy, mineral-infused wine of promise. ...Back to our beverage of choice, the 2006 Evans and Tate Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc - a wine I only tried because the restaurant had few selections from Europe and the wine steward assured me this was on the list because it was the best example he found for the tarrif (better than any New Zealand example) - he was right. I constantly have to remind myself that prejudice is just that - prejudice. While I pride myself on looking at every wine as an open book, there are times when a personal bias creeps in and you have to cast it aside to review everything from a center position. This wine was one of those occurrences where missing out would have been a big mistake. After tasting it, I’m sure others will chime in and I’m not going to be alone in my praise - this wine has hit the big time with the 2006 and the tarrif is so low, most will think it’s a mistake (it’s not). Regal breed with a lovely fine structure and stony white citric fruits that are eminently balanced and cleansing on the palate - long and fine textured with very low alcohol (12.5-13.0%) and a lingering freshness and pleasing clean personality that is cut from vines tended with the utmost care and attention. There are few wines in the world with this level of detail (at this price) and I set out to find a parcel for all of you as soon as I retreated into the depths of my hotel. How about directly from the source at low price? At this price, I urge everyone to experiment with this wine as it has all of the good graces of Sauvignon but none of the hard, green cat-pee or weedy qualities that can offend. It is focused on the mineral tone and sifted texture of the varietal instead. Just a lovely wine that does not sacrifice power with its feminine style. This is a perfect wedding or summer wine - with that in mind, I will relax the per person amounts to 36/person - first come first served (the margin is too on this item to spend time allocating it). VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a crazy bargain and ideal summer sipper that will have a very wide ranging appeal. FIRST COME FIRST SERVED up to 36/person until we run out. This parcel has the finest provenance available. 2006 Evans and Tate Sauvignon Blanc Margaret River Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Aus77544/14/2008, (See more on Garagiste...)