Friday Fix

The Friday Fix (formerly the Weekly Bargain Alert) is the lifeblood of BWU$20.

This is where we list the best wines we’ve found this week with links to merchants with the best prices. It’s what subscribers say they hang out for every week. (That’s why we changed the name).

Here’s a sample Friday Fix with 6 of the best per wine type – to give you a taste.

To access the latest Friday Fix with every wine and merchant plus latest news and blog posts – and to access our Best Wines lists by type and price, and our straight-talking reviews – why not try out BWU$20 for 30 days or join us for $3 a month or just $30 for a year. You’ll save more than than on your first purchase!

1. Winery of the Week

Calabria Family Wines (known as Westend until recently). This family from Griffith in the Riverina is producing a broad range of quality wines at very sharp prices – our kinds of people. They’re sourcing fruit from the Hilltops, Tumbarumba and Canberra regions, and have bought 12 hectares if vineyard in the Barossa. Several ranges of wines are made under the Richland, 3 Bridges and Cool Climate series labels.

2. Wine of the Week

Richland Pinot Grigio 2013 – $10 at OurCellar. 3 gold medals, 92 points from Campbell Mattinson, better than many PGs at much higher prices, ludicrous value.

3. Best Whites

Edward Gleeson Wine Estates ‘Donnybrook’ Clare Valley Riesling 2013 – $9 at GLUG. This is good, typical Clare Riesling at a bargain price from David Farmer’s small operation in the Barossa.

Elefante Blanco 2013 – $11 at Cloudwine. Last week we featured the red, this week it’s the white. These are smart wines from Spain, this one a blend of Macabeo, Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc.

Hidden Label Reserve Tasmanian Sauvignon Blanc 2013 – $13 at Kemenys. Terrific savvy, ripe, full flavoured, herbaceous and integrated like a Mozart string quartet. The kind of white that makes you come back for more. CPR: 9 out 10 (Crowd Pleaser Rating)

Tyrrells Brookdale Hunter Semillon 2013 – $15 at Winestar. We’re not great fans of young Hunter Semillon but this is a bit more approachable than most due to slighter riper fruit and 5g/l of residual sugar keeping the acid in check. Gets 94 from Halliday and 93 from the Winefront.

Wickhams Road Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2013 – $15 at Barrique wine store. Made by Franco d’Anna at Hoddles Creek from bought in fruit. Lighter, more forward style, good drinking now, good value anytime.

Lenton Brae Semillon Sauvignon Blanc – $21 at Dan M’s. Small Margaret River boutique with a big reputation. This wine shows why. It’s a classic example of the style with a touch of oak adding more interest.

4. Best Roses

We’ve been asked more than once lately when we’re going to list some good Roses under $20, so we’ve made a start this week. We’ll do a Rose tasting when the weather warms up a bit.

Yalumba Y Series Sangiovese Rosé – $10 at Dan M’s. Off-dry but well done
NEW – Hidden Label McLaren Vale Sangiovese Rosé 2014 – $13 at Kemenys.
Geoff Merrill Grenache Rose 2013 – $16 at Kemenys. Made by an old pro
Paxton Biodynamic Single Vineyard Shiraz Rose 2014 – $16 at Kemenys. Surprise packet
Woods Crampton Mataro Rose 2013 – $17.50 at North Sydney Cellars. Mataro? Different.
Charles Melton Rose of Virginia 2014 – $22 at WSD The champ

The boys at Different Drop have a couple of ROSE sampler packs if you feel like getting into pink in a serious way: the basic sampler six pack for $90 or The Masterclass Mixed Six for $135. Use promo code RoseRevolution at the checkout for an extra $10 off.

5. Best Reds
Westend Richland Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 – $10 at OurCellar. Polished drinking red for a pittance. Your friends will think you’re a genius when you tell them the price. 93 points from Mattinson, 91 from us. What a bargain.

Hidden Label Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 – $12 at Kemenys. This is Wynns The Siding Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, another Cabernet punching way above its price group and one of our super bargains of 2014. We’re not alone here – Mattinson at the Winefront gives it 93 points, Halliday gives it 95, and Matthew Dukes gives it 18.5/20 (gold). Grab some before it’s all gone.

Hidden Label Reserve Tasmanian Pinot Noir 2012 – $15 at Kemenys. Another crowd pleaser under a hidden label. Not exactly textbook Pinot but a lovely light red for the summer. Good colour, medium body, gentle sweet fruit, smooth finish.

Head Wines ‘NOUVEAU’ Touriga Montepulciano Grenache 2013 – $18 at North Sydney Cellars. A really smart bistro wine, a red for summer drinking. Not complex but plenty of interest and charm. Better than your average Beaujolais or Cote-du-Rhone.

Woods Crampton Mataro 2012 – $18 at Kemenys. These guys are turning out some great under $20 reds. Mataro can produce superb reds in the right hands, and this is a big, bold beauty. The fruit comes from 80-year-old vines off an organically farmed vineyard. Great food wine.

SC Pannell Tempranillo Touriga 2013 – $22 at MyCellars. Another winner from Steve Pannell in McLaren Vale. Haven’t tried this vintage but the 2013 has won 4 trophies and gained big raves from reliable sources. Please note that this merchant ships any quantity of wines at full discount and free freight to BWU$20 subscribers. Use promo code BWU20 (No $)

6. Best Sparkling

Hardy’s Sir James Brut De Brut – $8 at OurCellar . Very sharp price for a drinkable bubbly.

Azahara Chardonnay Pinot Noir Nv – $9 at Graysonline in an unbroken 6-pack, perfect for a big party. Can’t believe how good this is for the price. $10 at Winestar .

Yarra Burn Premium Cuvee Brut NV $13 at WSD. The junior bubbly from the big stable overseen by Ed Carr. Yarra Burn is owned by Accolade along with Aras, Hardy’s and countless other labels. Super value.

Madame Coco Brut NV $14 at Kemenys. Smart bubbly with a smarter label and a French accent.

Sieur d’Arques Grande Cuvée 1531 de Aimery – $14 at Dan M’s. This is a Cremant de Limoux from the South of France (the oldest sparkling wine region in the world, and cremant means the bubbles are subdued and the wine feels more creamy in the mouth. Crowd pleaser.

Petaluma Croser NV – $17 at OurCellar. One of the best bubblies in Oz around the $20+ mark, and this is the sharpest price around the traps this week.

7. Best Dessert Wines

TasterChoice Botrytis Semillon 2010 375mL – $8.50 at Dan M’s. This hits all the right notes of orange rind and marmalade, but with a bit more subtlety than the de Bortoli. Nice dessert wine.

De Bortoli Deen Vat 5 Botrytis Semillon 2009 375mL – $10.50 at Dan M’s. This is a little less rich than the 2008 but has more finesse and length, and will fill out given time.

Hidden Label Noble Botrytis Semillon 2008 375ml – $13 at Kemenys. Can’t work out the label on this one, but hey – it’s a lovely sticky, not ultra sweet but layers of apricot and orange flavours.

2012 Heggies Eden Valley Botrytis Riesling – $18 at Sixty Darling Street. Wonderful sticky, great price – 02 9818 307 – sales@wineroom.com.au

NEW – Yalumba FSW 8B Botrytis Viognier 2012 375ml – $25 at Dan M’s. A rare Viognier sticky made from Wrattonbully fruit. Haven’t tried it but Huon Hooke gives it 95 points and a big rave.

Get the full Friday Fix

The Friday Fix (formerly the Weekly Bargain Alert) is the lifeblood of BWU$20. This is where we find the best wines at the very best prices, with links to merchants with the best prices.

In a recent survey, many subscribers told us they were addicted to their ‘Friday Fix‘ so we changed the name.

Each Friday, we cover reds, whites, roses, sparkling and dessert wines, we highlight a wine and winery of the week, and we include some regular best deals (always good value) and throw in a few new blog posts for good measure.