Secret Cellar opens door to red wines from Barossa, Clare, McLaren Vale and Victoria
Four gold-medal winning wines, each scoring at least 95 points, are on the table in a one-off special offer.
The door to our Secret Cellar has been forced ajar for a third time.
Regular readers of this column may recall how our Secret Cellar works: premium wine offered at scarcely believable prices but without the names of the wines revealed. We could call it the Big Blind as it’s the ultimate leap of faith but with trust comes rewards and our previous two Secret Cellar deals stand as our biggest-selling offers of the year.
The Australian Wine Club this week is offering four gold-medal winning wines, which normally sell for an average price of $56.25 a bottle, for $29.99 each. That’s a saving of about $315 across the dozen. We’ll also cover the freight to your door. Three of the wines have been awarded 96-point ratings by reputable critics, while the other scored 95 points.
It adds up to superb value for high-class wines created by outstanding wineries but you can only receive this price as part of the mixed dozen offer – not in straight dozens of one particular wine. To give you a little more comfort, our club also provides a money-back guarantee – just in case you purchase a wine that fails to live up to your expectations.
The wineries are taking part in this special offer at a time when export markets are under pressure, mainly due to China’s punishing ban on Australian wines.
While most wineries are working hard to build new markets, it will take years to replace the $1 billion in lost sales that were being generated in China each year.
We’re helping to take off a little of that pressure by setting up the Secret Cellar system so that wineries’ normal prices aren’t permanently eroded by selling their wines so cheaply on these occasions. At the Wine Club, we take seriously the responsibility these wineries are putting in us to protect their brands. But to help you put your trust in us, I’ll give you as much information about these wines as I can without giving their identity away.
Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Sourced from vines with more than 50 years of age, this is a full-bodied expressive wine that shows the Barossa can produce generous fruit-forward cabernet with defined structure. You’ll find lifted aromatics of mulberry and blackcurrant, along with roasted coffee and mocha notes. The lavish palate will please Barossa fans and, along with the blackcurrants and fruits of forest flavours, comes savoury spice, cedar and mineral notes. Plenty of energy and the tannins are finely woven. The wine was matured in new and seasoned French barriques for 18 months. This producer adopts old-fashioned winemaking techniques and the wine is not fined or filtered. Will cellar well until 2030 but drinking beautifully now. Serious investment has been made in this historic winery over the years and the operation’s overall wine quality reflects this commitment. This wine won Gold at the Berliner Wine Trophy and scored 96 points from one of Australia’s Masters of Wine. 14% alc; RRP $80 a bottle.
SPECIAL $29.99 a bottle in the Secret Cellar dozen
Clare Valley Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
An internationally renowned Clare Valley producer has created this claret-style blend which has scored several gold medals, including at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Intense plum and blackberry aromas mingle with savoury spice, liquorice and dark chocolate. Black forest fruit flavours drive the palate with olive tapenade and pepper in the background, supported by firm, fine-grained tannins. A nice balance of savouriness and the quality fruit speaks to the wine’s sophistication. Scored 96 points from Ray Jordan at Winepilot. Great drinking now but will further evolve with good cellaring over the next decade. 14.5% alc; RRP $55 a bottle.
SPECIAL $29.99 a bottle in the Secret Cellar dozen
From a five-star McLaren producer whose reputation for detailed, brilliant winemaking has grown quickly over the past 20 years. Dark blackberry, plums and black cherries power a silky smooth engine, with violets and liquorice nuances. The fruit was drawn from dry-grown old vines which have delivered a real intensity of flavour. Wild fermented; matured for 16 months in mostly seasoned American and Bulgarian oak barrels. Scored 96 points and a red star for exceptional value from Tyson Stelzer, whose reputation as an exacting critic has only grown since being named as the Halliday Wine Companion’s chief editor. Won five international gold medals.14.5% alc; RRP $40 a bottle.
SPECIAL $29.99 a bottle in the Secret Cellar dozen
Victorian Cabernet/Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend 2018
Pure elegance from a five-star winery with loads of character and a history stretching back to the 1800s. This Bordeaux-style blend brings together the berry flavours and fine tannins of cabernet sauvignon (52%), the rich, round midpalate of merlot (41%) and the lifted floral aromatics of cabernet franc (7%). Medium-bodied, with violet, musk and red and black berry characters. Fermented separately in open-top concrete vats, basket pressed and matured 14 months in mainly seasoned French oak. A study in excellent winemaking. Decant well. 95 points from Team Halliday. 14.1% alc; RRP $50 a bottle.
Order online or telephone 1300 765 359 Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm AEST. Deals only available while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine.
More Coverage
This risotto is a new take on an old favourite
This dish is a sensational balance of sweet and salty. It’s like a hug in a bowl.
This budget chicken dish will become a weekly favourite
A classic takeaway dish at home and on a budget. These sticky sesame nuggets of gold will have you wanting more.