I received this from a friend, Gavin Trott, who toured me around McLaren Vale in July, 2002 and from whom I have bought a number of wines. I sent this to Stemor, who thought it would be of interest to this group.

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2001 Oliverhill Jimmys Section Shiraz- Sometimes even Robert Parker gets it right. He says "When
tasting this wine one person referred to it as 'liquid sex'. You get the
idea. This is sensationally voluptuous, rich, full-bodied, highly extracted
yet velvety textured, old vine Shiraz with an opaque blue/purple color,
a spectacularly aromatic nose (black and blue fruits, creosote, smoke and
graphite), huge body, great concentration and a compelling seamlessness.
Given today's wine prices it is an unequivocal bargain." 93 points
Wine Advocate

Well, he missed the hint of classic McLaren Vale dark chocolate,
and I'm not sure about the wine and sex, but he did pick the quality and
the great value for money! Lovely stuff, all blue and black fruits, and
without doubt one of the best young Shiraz I've had for a while, provided
you like the full fruited and intense style, - subtle it is not - but a
great bargain, it most definitely is. - Gavin $30 pb, but buy a case and get it for $312, that's $26 per bottle
only (we can export it too).

Click Here to see What's New in store

Hello all

Almost all wine lovers read the wine reviews that abound
in the industry. These come from publications like Winestate, from books
like the Penguin Best Australian Wine Guide and James Halliday's Australian
Wine Companion, through to newspaper columns in every capital city, and
even the odd retailer!

Everyone has their favourite writer, but overall one of
the best regarded critics seems to be James Halliday. He writes of course
on Wine Pros and in the Weekend Australian, but at the end of every year
he also releases the long awaited Top 100 list, and today is that
day. This is his list of the best wines released throughout 2002, in both
style and price brackets, such as the best $20 white, best $25 red
etc.

He tasted 1022 wines and must break it down to only 100,
no mean feat. Often the best wines have long sold out by the time this list
is released, but this year many of the best wines are still available, as
you can see below.

Stock up on these wines for the coming Christmas and Summer,
or just because they are so good, stocks won't last once this list is widely
read.

Gavin

Halliday's Top 100 of 2002

Featured Wines

2002 Sevenhill Cellars Riesling -
A new label design for this wine echoes its 150 year old Jesuitical
winery home. And boy, what a wine this is. The ultra-classic tight bouquet
has a steely spine and lemon-lime fruit, the palate with deliciously full
flavour while retaining finesse and a crunchy dry finish. Faith not required."
95 points James Halliday Top 100 $19. BTW this made Phillip White's
best Australian wines too! $16 pb,
or only $96 for a 6 pack

2002 Leo Buring Clare Valley Riesling
- Repackaged and repositioned in the market but still the same gold
medal (Adelaide Wine Show) quality, and a stelvin cap to boot. Pale, bright
colour, then aromas of herb, citrus and mineral are followed by a lively,
long, and well balanced palate with ripe citrus and touches of CO2 and toast.
94 points James Halliday Top 100 $15 . $ 13.50 pb, or only $81 for a 6 pack

2002 Grosset Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
- I know it ought to be one of Jeffrey Grosset's superb Rieslings
to gain selection; it just happened this way (and not for the first time).
Lively, pristine aromas of gooseberry and Green apple introduce a wine that
dances on the tongue through to a long finish. All class 95 points
James Halliday Top 100 $29.50 . $26.50
pb, or only $159 for a 6 pack

2001 Stonehaven Stepping Stone Cabernet
- Made at Hardys Stonehaven Winery in Padthaway and another remarkable
bargain. Strong red-purple, its bouquet has abundant sweet cassis and blackcurrant
fruit, the palate replicating this fruit spectrum. Oak has been used less
lavishly than in many Hardy family reds, which is all to the good.
91 points James Halliday Top 100 $12 . $12 pb, or only $72 for a 6 pack

2000 Lake Breeze Bernoota - Another
wine to have flourished in bottle over the past year. A blend of 60 per
cent Shiraz, 40 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine's complex bouquet
has a range of dark small berries, spice, chocolate and cedar, the palate
evolving into even greater richness of dark fruits, chocolate and ripe tannins.
Irresistible. 94 points James Halliday Top 100 $21. $18 pb, or only $108 for a 6 pack

2000 Hahn Shiraz Prestige - A
hair's breath separated this wine and the Haan Wilhelmus bordeaux blend,
also very fine. Dark deep red colour with complex spicy-cedary overtones
to the ripe plum of the bouquet, which unfolds into a luscious plum and
prune flavoured palate. Expert wine making has avoided over-extraction.
95 points James Halliday Top 100. $52 pb, or only $312 for a 6 pack

1998 Seppelt St Peters Shiraz - From
the vineyard adjacent to the Great western Winery planted in the 1920's.
Deep red-purple colour. Rich blackberry, black cherry and spice aromas are
matched by controlled French oak, flowing into an opulently rich and luscious
palate flooded with black cherry fruit. Ripe tannins sustain the long finish.
97 points James Halliday Top 100 $41. $35 pb, or only $210 for a 6 pack

2000 Turkey Flat Shiraz - Made
from 1847 estate plantings and must surely contend for historical pride
of place, not withstanding the claims of others. Smooth, plum and black
cherry fruit on the bouquet, then a supple smooth palate with black fruits,
spice, cedar and vanilla. A masterpiece of understatement. 95 points
James Halliday Top 100 $42 . $36
pb, or only $216 for a 6 pack

1999 Tatachilla Foundation Shiraz
- The top wine (from 127 entries) and trophy winner at the 2002 Visy
Board Great Australian Shiraz Challenge. A year ago the slightly assertive
oak stood out, but no more. Great colour. Dark berry, liquorice, leather
and spice aromas flow into a rich, complex palate with fruit, oak and tannins
in harmonious abundance. 96 points James Halliday Top 100 $49.50
. $42 pb, or only $252 for a 6 pack

2000 Hanging Rock Heathcote Shiraz
- One of the gold medal winners at the 2002 Visy Board Great Australian
Shiraz Challenge. Deeply coloured; abundant dark plum, black cherry and
vanilla aromas swirl from the glass, the palate rich in raspberry and plum
fruit, the oak (very obvious at the start of the year) settling down impressively
." 95 points James Halliday Top 100 $55 . $50 pb, or only $300 for a 6 pack (2 6 packs only left)

Gavin's Choice.

2002 Isabel Estates Sauvignon Blanc-
My favourite SB from the 2001 vintage is now out in 2002, and its better!
Wine Maker's Comments
Open a bottle of this little ripper and the
scent will bring your neighbours over for a glass. The nose is an intense
explosion of fresh herbaceous gooseberry, grassy aromas. A fresh front palate
full of herbaceous fruit leads into a more ripe textural mid and back palate.
Acidity holds the wine together and gives length. A perfect match for summer
salads and seafood. - Gavin $20
pb $120 for the 6 pack

Featured Wines- All under Stelvin Cap

I'm always happy to support those wine
makers willing to put their best wines under stelvin closure, and its so
much easier when the wine is actually very very good indeed. This is the
case with the below wines.

2001 Mitchells Peppertree Shiraz - ...
Andrew Mitchell's made a wild feral red here, and trapped all its mad wonder
beneath a clinical screw cap, which fills me with joy. The wine smells like
wheaten straw decaying in molasses, like sileage, with mushroomy earth and
moss entangled in those ripe hedgerow berries. The flavours are heady, smooth,
mulchy and delicious. Jump on this one. Phillip White's Top 100 $25 pb, or only $150 for a 6 pack

2002 Knappstein Hand Picked Riesling -
This naughty bargain's more thick and syrupy than most of the new Clare's,
and amongst all the fragrant blossom, peach and lime in the bouquet there's
a hint of smoky bacon too, almost like a particularly fine, wooded chardonnay.
There's an illusion of sweetness in that viscous palate, which finishes
dry, but oh-so gradually, with lovely pithy tannin. Give it a few years
under that screw cap. Phillip White's Top 100 $18.50 pb, or only $111 for a 6 pack

2002 Wirra Wirra Scrubby Rise Sav Blanc Semillon Viognier
- At first this beautiful
blend seems very closed and frail, with alluring hints of pasture grass
and hessian sack. But as it wakes, clean crisp apples and fresh white peach
come to mind, in a long syrupy texture reminiscent of chicken stock - a
new found but ancient flavour we call unami, after its Japanese discovery.
Its a devilishly elegant, rewarding feeling. The after taste is appropriately
dry, with a perfect mealy tannins, all in happy balance. Phillip White,
the Top 100 wines, the Advertiser 93 points Best Value White Wine
$14.50 pb, or only $87 for a 6 pack

Coming soon

2001 Tin Shed Shiraz
Other Cascabel wines
Gemtree Shiraz
Mr Riggs


Still in stock, for now!

2000 Kay Brothers Block 6 Shiraz $65
pb
2000
Kay Brothers Hillside Shiraz $37 pb


Don't forget the wine forum on my site, the auswine forum.
It is the world's best and busiest Australian wine forum, and one of the
busiest wine forums in the world. Drop in and visit, post notes, ask questions,
or just chat, available 24/7.

Click
here to visit the forum

I also have access to most of the rare and cult Australian
wines for those who are interested, all vintages of Grange and Hill of Grace,
and the very hardest to find wines.

Currently available for export, the 2001 Noons wines,
more Roennfeldt Road, Rockfords Basket Press and more.

Please email me for details if you're interested.

Bye for now

Gavin Trott
http://www.auswine.com.au
gtrott@auswine.com.au
US retail outlet at http://www.the-wine-center.com

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DISCLAIMER

This document and its attachments
are definitely not confidential! You are positively required to pass them
on to absolutely anyone who enjoys the flavours of ripe Barossa Shiraz,
delicious Coonawarra Cabernet, aged Hunter Semillon, Penfolds Grange and
much, much more ... ahhh Australian wine!