2005 Bacchantes 'The Dancer' Shiraz Gomersal Vineyard (Barossa) 14.99

No contest. This fat and juicy shiraz wine knows it can dance tonight and 10 years from now. And leap and twirl, wearing a perfume of blackberry, fennel and pepper, surprisingly delicate and poised for such a voluptuous wine with strong backbone. Credit that to its single-vineyard roots in 120-year old Gomersal and young partner Ben Glaetzer, Oz winemaker of the year in many books, and the first Aussie to collect 100 pts. from Parker. A rich taste of Glatezer style for pennies.

91 Points, Chris Sherman
Staff Selection, July 2010

2009 Kung Fu Girl Riesling Evergreen Vineyard $11.99

“Kung Fu Girl Riesling. Laugh not, grasshopper. Inside the bottle is an orchard where all the fruit is ripe now. Taste of the peach, the mango and the lime. Splash in the bubbling brook. Only then will you know pure riesling and find the path to the valley of Columbia. And bliss.”

93 Points, Chris Sherman
Staff Selection, June 2010

2009 Crossings Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) $9.99

“New Zealand sauvignon blanc at fighting varietal prices and it has all the crispness of its neighbors. This packs tropical fruit and melons as well as telltale grapefruit zing and rippling creekbed minerality. Easy to drink, bouncy body, but not a lightweight. Buy a case for your next fish fry, clam bake or Chinese wedding banquet.”

89 Points, Chris Sherman
Staff Selection, May 2010

2008 Morse Code Shiraz (Padthaway, Australia) $8.99

“The latest dispatch from the good-hearted folks on Henry’s Drive (the home of Pillar Box) is more fruit basket than telegram, very ripe fruit, and at bumper crop prices. All shiraz in old fashioned, no- pretense Oz fashion, well-met all around the barbie, Intense concentration of cherries, blueberries and all that razz is spiced with a touch of pepper and mint,. unhindered by oak. Smooth and happy on the tongue and all the way on. You’ll go through a case in a month. Buy now STOP Drink now STOP Buy more STOP.

91 Points, Chris Sherman
Staff Selection, April 2010

Jacob's Creek Riesling Reserve ($9.99)

Cool, cool, cool Riesling so bracing you’d think it was from the Mosel not the Barossa. Jacob’s Creek, the giant of Oz, handled these South Australian grapes with great care, night-harvests and cold fermentation so the wine bursts with juice, the tang of a lemon-lime gelato with a sprinkle of almonds. The structure and acidity is as refreshing, like a shower in a mountain waterfall. Critics who overlook mass market wineries couldn’t ignore this limey blast. It’s 73 on the WS Top 100 list, one of the best bargains – and all the harder to find. We’ve got plenty for every pad Thai, oyster fry and shrimp salad you can eat this year. Get a case for the boat or beach – and set a bottle aside one for 3-4 years to watch it mellow and sweeten up.

91 Points, Chris Sherman
Staff Selection, March 2010

2006 Kaesler Stonehorse GSM (Barossa, Australia) – 14.99

92 Points, Chris Sherman
Ferbuary 2010

2008 Stump Jump Shiraz ($8.99)

This is the juice to last you all winter, a $10 bottle with a bushel of flavor. This Aussie Shiraz has more plums than most fruit pies, jammy from the nose all the way through the palate to the end, as if they’d come off the trees and berry bushes at the last minute. Ripe with hints of cinnamon, pepper and licorice, the favorite candy of Oz, and surprisingly soft. Maybe D’Arry and Chester Osborne got your attention with a Top 100 nod from Wine Spectator (No. 82), Winery of the Year honors from Wine & Spirits or just the great names; it’s a teddy bear in a red ribbon, and a great value.

92 Points, Chris Sherman
January 2010

2007 Tablas Creek Cotes de Tablas Rouge (Paso Robles, California)  ($19.99)

- 91 Points, Chris Sherman, Email: Chris@b-21.com