**SOLD OUT**

Wednesday May 23, 2012- 6:30pm – 9:00pm

Peter Bourne will be joined by Michael Hill Smith Master of Wine of Shaw and Smith fame. Michael is a great presenter and the theme is Chardonnay with a swath of benchmark top Australian chardonnays and benchmarks from Burgundy. The renaissance of Chardonnay in Australia has been exciting and no-one has been more important than Michael Hill Smith, and his winemaking cousin and business partner, Martin Shaw. This will be an eye-opening night.

Venue: Oak Barrel, 152 Elizabeth Street, Sydney

Cost: $110 incl GST

Bookings online here or phone Peter Bourne Events on 02 9552 2366 for more information

**FREE TASTING: Thursday May 24th, 6pm**

Mas Fabregous – Languedoc
Established:  1610
Viticulture: Organic Principles
Area under Vine: 13 Hectares

** SPECIAL OFFER ** For the month of May 2012, we’re offering special pricing when you buy two of the selected Mas Fabregous wines below (+ members will still receive their additional 10%).  Can’t think of a better way for you to get in and try the wines….

Mas Fabregous is situated in the foothills of Larzac in the appellation of ‘Coteaux du Languedoc’ Terrasses du Larzac. It is a small fifteen acres, scattered in twenty plots on the slopes surrounding the village of Soubès. The family have owned the land since 1610.

This is beautiful scrub covered mountainous land, the soil composed of angular limestone fragments where water storage is remarkable making for profound vine rooting. Each plot has been hard-won from the stony ground. On this clay and limestone soil, the walls built with these stones are as thick as the walls of a castle. They do not serve to protect or enclose these fields strewn with rock debris they are simply used to store the stones. “Here we have the culture of the stones for centuries,” says Philippe Gros. To make the last plot several years ago, Philippe took out 1500 tonnes of stones in less than a year.

The very cool nights allow the grapes to mature slowly. The average age of the vines is 30 years. Philip cultivates his vineyards in a biodynamic manner with respect for the land and the environment. He does not use herbicides and instead controls weeds by plowing by hand, he prunes the vines by hand, uses composting and organic sulphur when necessary for disease control.

With their Fabregous Mas, Philippe Gros and Corinne are fine representatives of the vineyards of the Terraces of Larzac. Their wines are fresh and exciting. Moreover, with the Pic Saint Loup and La Clape, the Terrasses du Larzac is among the vineyard areas of the Coteaux du Languedoc most quoted and noticed especially by the International wine press.

Croquignol Vin de Pays des Coteaux du Salagou Rouge 2010
Mainly alicante bouschet, with some syrah and grenache. This wine has aromas and flavours of cherry and blackberry supported by spice plant notes. On the palate it is fresh and fruity with soft tannin and a crisp finish. A light and fresh wine that can be served slightly chilled for summer. Deliciously easy to drink. Special offer this month: 2 for $30

Cuvée Trinque-Fougasse Coteaux du Salagou Rouge 2006
A blend of Merlot 70%, with 30% grenache. Half of the wine is aged in wood. This is much denser and more solid.  Cassis and wood on the nose and a broad sturdy palate, with rounded blackberry fruit and a tannic backbone. Special offer this month: 2 for $40

Cuvee Jardin de Gregorie Coteaux du Languedoc Rouge 2008
60% cinsault, with some syrah, carignan and grenache.  Fairly light colour, spicy nose with soft seductive fruit and the scents of the garrigues, beautiful, savoury, herbal notes.  Light and fresh with a long crisp acid finish.  Serve slightly chilled as a summer red. Special offer this month: 2 for $35

Cuvee Sentier Botanique Terrasses du Larzac Rouge 2007
A blend of syrah 60%, grenache 30% and carignan 10%, half of which is aged in oak.  Fresh red and black fruit.  Broad complex palate with lush mouthfeel.  Firm tannins with long finish.  This wine will definitely appeal to a broad range of wine drinkers.  Special offer this month: 2 for $50

It wasn’t until the single bottle license was bought in by the NSW government in 1956 that bottle shops as we know them were legally allowed to operate, and The Oak Barrel was born. We believe the original owners Nick and Burt opened their store at 154 Elizabeth Street, next door to the current location in 1956. They traded there until moving into the ground floor of what’s now known as the Kaplan Building just around the corner on Goulburn street in the mid 70′s.

The name, The Oak Barrel, originated from the large barrels of bulk table wine that were sourced from various wineries around Australia. Customers would come in to fill up their flagons with wine, apparently the norm back in the 50′s before bottles took off.

Every year for 4-6 weeks, the men would go on a road trip looking for great small wineries who produced exceptional wine to bring back to Sydney and promote in their store. To this day we still sell bulk fortified wines from cask, and we continue to promote the small winemakers we discover from both here in Australia and abroad.

A legacy to the original store.

In the 1980′s, Valerie & Camillo Hermida purchased the shop and owned it until 2008 when Paul Downie saw it for sale and in a moment of nostalgia, bought it with the intention to return it to it’s grand heritage.

Our mantra is ‘the trusted authority’ come, share our passion.

The corner of Elizabeth and Goulburn Streets c. 1938. We're not sure which corner... are you?

Cnr Goulburn & George Street traffic, c. 1956

“With the rise of so many excellent winemakers in the region, one might have supposed that J.J. Prüm, with its profound conservatism, might have been overtaken and left behind. Not a bit of it. The Estate remains where it has been for decades: at the summit.” - Stephen Brook, The Wines of Germany

2010 Mosel Vintage
The extraordinary 2010 season brought in the smallest crop the Mosel has seen in decades, delivering tiny quantities of wine that combine an electric energy with an otherworldly intensity of fruit. The off-the-chart concentration of fruit and freakishly high levels of (ripe) acidity in 2010 resulted in an extraordinarily sensual set of wines, skewed firmly toward the Auslesen level.

Even by the standards of this impeccable Estate, it is clear we have a very special set of Rieslings on our hands. Anyone who has met winemaker Katharina Prum will know she avoids hyperbole, yet she describes these as, “…very exciting wines with a lot of tension: 2010 vintage combines high Oechsle weights with high, but ripe, spicy acidity in a way never experienced before.” The power yet clarity across the entire range is remarkable and unique. This is a once in 50-year vintage in terms of the style of wines produced.

Kabinett ($54.95 or $47.95 in any six). Only 8 bottles available.
The 2010 Kabinett is not quite an off dry wine. It is a deliciously juicy, tense and nervy wine with ample fruit. This wine’s astounding concentration is balanced by the classic Prüm keynotes of exquisite balance, delicacy and lightness. It’s finely detailed, pure and refreshing with a spotless, spicy, dry finish. A remarkably intense Kabinett.

“Racy, with a tightly wound core of fresh-cut apple and grapefruit flavors that vibrate with acidity. The long finish is very crisp and clean. Drink now through 2024.” - 90 points,www.winespectator.com, Mar 31, 2012

Food Match: Seafood, spicy asian, Thai, sushi with wasabi, garlic, lighter poultry or pork dishes

Auslese ($100 a bottle). Only 3 bottles available.
This is simply a great wine. Tasting notes will always struggle to do justice to such a wine but this is so fine, so intense, so long. The 2010 is off dry with wonderfully potent and cool aromatics of jasmine, fresh dew, stone fruit essence and fragrant smoke. This leads, without seam, to a wonderfully vivacious pithy and apricot/peach laden palate. Its balance is delicate yet confident with those pulsating fruit notes, carried to the long finish by 2010’s electrically charged acidity. In a word: dreamy!

“A Prüm 2010 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese A.P. #17 allies ennobled richness of vanilla- and honey-tinged apple and alluring creaminess of texture to juicy vivacity of citrus; low alcohol levity; and transparency to nuances of honeysuckle and heliotrope perfume, crushed stone and brown spices. The palpably high extract here and hint of chewy fruit skin do not detract from an overriding sense of polish and buoyancy. While it’s at once soothing and stimulating long finish is ravishingly long, it will take time for this Auslese to reveal what is probably an advantage in nascent, nuanced complexity vis-a-vis the corresponding Bernkasteler. Time will as always be on its side, and I would not recommend seriously tucking into bottles of this for at least 12-15 years, with expectations for it to hit age 40 acting youthful.” - 93 points, David Schildknecht, eRobertParker.com #199, Feb 2012

Food Match: Oysters, truffles, foie gras, Crab, rich cheeses (e.g blue, goat), many other rich or decadent foods

2004 Joh Jos Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese
“Aromas of Granny Smith apple, cinnamon, lime, honeydew melon, and vanilla pour from a glass of the Prum 2004 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese A.P. #23. Saturating the palate with juicy spiced apple, melon, and lime fruit while remaining delicate to the touch, this Riesling finishes with persistent fruit augmented by distinctive wet stone, salt, green tea, fresh lemon, and a pleasantly pungent note akin to peppermint. A light hint of primary yeastiness, mingled with CO2, had considerably diminished between the time when I first tasted this wine in August and then re-tasted it in November, and its personality will continue to grow short term, as well as inviting a dozen and more years of cellaring.” - 91 points, David Schildknecht, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate #163 (Tasted August 2005)

2004 Joh Jos Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese
“Reduced aromas overall, this is un-evolved and angular now. It’s rich and intense, with bracing acidity that leaves a tart impression. Be patient, this is a baby that needs plenty of time. Best from 2008 through 2025. 2,000 cases made.” – 92 Points, Wine Spectator – 92 Points David Schildknecht – The Wine Advocate (Tasted August 2005)

These wines are available on allocation only, and we only have a few left in stock. Order now so you don’t miss out….

From a humble beginning at the Chichigalpa San Antonio Sugar Mill in 1890, this Nicaraguan company has grown to be one of the leading lights of central South American Rum. It has grown on the back of fantastically crafted rum which has been overseen by five generations of the Pellas family. The only distillery in Nicaragua, Flor de Cana still operates from Chichigalpa on the Pacific side of the country. This means it is not a Caribbean Rum; the heat is drier, the climate less humid and maturation rates are slower.

Flor de Caña is the most-awarded rum in the world, and is recognized for fusing the advanced distillation technology with traditional craftsmanship. The traditions upheld can be seen in the selection of natural ingredients, true-aging process, and the single-blending of rums. It is the only rum on the market that is 100% aged, meaning the age statement on the bottle accounts for 100% of the rum in the bottle. The Flor de Cana rums are distilled 5 times on continuous stills. The rum is ‘slow aged’ at sea level in traditional barrelhouses without air conditioning, electrical ventilation, fast maturing additives or humidifiers. Flor de Cana has come to be reknowned for producing some of the most balanced, clean and elegant rums on the market.

Flor de Cana 4 year old
At only 4 years of age, the Flor de Cana 4 year old Gold is not only complex for its age but at only a few dollars more than regular house pours, it represents outstanding value. This rum is fantastic on the rocks, in fruit cocktails or mixed with coke. 

On the nose the Flor de Cana 4 year old Gold is immediately clean and pure offering very refined and precise flavours. The nose opens with top notes of apple peel, pear drops that make way for caramel, slight smoky oak, vanilla, roasted nuts and background spice notes. The addition of water yields baked cinnamon apple, nutmeg and sweeter tones in what is principally a dry rum. The palate mirrors the nose with a clean and surefooted lightness. The finish leaves lingering notes of baked apple smoky demarera sugar. A beautifully balanced rum of great value to any personal bar.

Flor de cana 7 year old
The Flor de Cana 7 year old Grande Reserve is a clean and precise style of rum. The nose opens on notes of vanilla tinged red apple which seem to pick up toffee and honey accents deeper in the nose. Flavours of roasted nuts (almonds and hazelnuts), marmalade, dried fruits and caramel dominate the fine boned nose. The palate has real weight and richness with smooth textures that highlight toasted nuts, burnt sugar and medicinal spices. The finish shows tannic cinnamon and a buttery coconut fade. A fantastically clean and balanced rum.

Flor de Cana 12 year old
90-95 points from Wine Enthusiast and winner of over 13 International Awards including San Francisco and International Wine and Spirits Competition.

The Flor de Cana 12 year old is a fantastically complex rum which showcases the elegance, poise and power that this great distillery is renowned for. On the nose this rum shows clean and precise scents, which are neither heavy nor cloying. The opening nose yields an almost dizzying myriad of aromas including roasted nuts, toffee, crème brulee, mild spices (nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice) and hints of chocolate. The aromas carry through to the palate with a semi sweet element that adds rounded weight and supple personality. Flavours of dried fruits, dark brown sugar, nougat, pie spices and white pepper seem not to compete but complement one another, with effortless grace and elegance. The finish is near flawless with lingering spices and molasses accents leaving a haunting impression of this fine elixir. A truly remarkable rum.

Date: Wednesday 16th May, 6.30pm

This May the Oak Barrel will be hosting a French wine tasting on the wines of the Southern Rhone. Join us as we taste through the different styles, appellations and terroir’s of this world famous wine region. From the great value village wines up to the regions top Cru’s, including the world famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape, plus a couple of northern Rhone beauties for a special treat…

• 2008 Domaine le Sang des Cailloux ‘Cuvee Doucinello’, Vacqueyras
• 2009 Domaine le Sang des Cailloux ‘Un Sang Blanc’, Vacqueyras
• 2009 Domaine du Trapadis ‘Les Adres’, Rasteau
• 2009 Dauvergne Ranvier ‘Vin Rare’ Gigondas
• 2007 Catherine le Goeuil ‘Cuvee Les Felsch’ Cote du Rhone Village, Cairanne
• 2010 Domaine la Grande Bellane Blanc
• 2009 Domaine la Grande Bellane ‘Reserve’ Cote du Rhone Village, Valreas
• 2007 Chateau de Vaudieu, Chateauneuf du Pape

Additional wines will be added below as they are confirmed…

When: Wednesday 16th May, 6.30pm
Where: OB Cellar Room
Price: $50 ($40 for members)
Booking: contact events at 02 9264 3022 or by email us at events@oakbarrel.com.au or BUY TICKETS ONLINE