Stanley Lambert Winery - Tasting Notes

Stanley Lambert Winery

Barossa Valley Way

PO Box 459
Tanunda SA 5352

I attended a wine tasting at the Wine Cellar of Wisconsin on the only Sunday of the year the store is open.  The Sunday before Christmas, also known as "last second Sunday",  offered a chance to shop, sip and save on wine purchases.

Stanley Lambert wines were on sale with try before you buy samples available.    There was also a Sparkling Shiraz to try, not made by them.

I will focus on the three wines I really enjoyed in the order of my preference.

1. Choc-a- Bloc:   - chocolate infused fortified wine.  I could drink this alone, add to coffee, add to cake, and to ice cream.  It is oozing with chocolate and warmth.  I do not usually drink foritifited wine, but this was well worth the try.  A bottle came home with me and it will be used in more than one way during the stay in my home. 
2. Family Tree Shiraz: - Flagship Shiraz.... full, no wait,  a really full body of guilty voluptous pleasure.  The wine was decanted for about an hour when it really started to open up, like most reds, it requires patience.   The reward of patience is obvious when the nose hits you and you remember why you love red wine.  Black cherry, blueberry, and hints of despair.  Drink now through 2015.
3. Three's Company GSM:  This is a Rhone style blend consisting of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre.  They play well together proving that reds can play with each other.  They offer a nose of faint licorice, smooth tannins and rich red fruit.    This is a fun wine, although a three some is not for me every day, it is a nice to try new things now and then....

Enjoy them soon.

Decanting Mature Red Wines

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHFmFKGpYKI

Wine Budget

As the New Year is almost upon us, corporate America is doing their budgets and forecasting for the next fiscal year. The same can be said for many individuals in this tough economic time. No salary increase again this year? We can only wait and see.

This brings me to the question of wine budgeting for the year. How many people actually budget for wine? Do you have an amount set aside for purchases in 2010? Is it just going to be "shooting from the hip" and buy it when the spirit moves you, or when you find a deal?

I have some personal goals for the year as far as wine purchases fit into my budget. I want to buy the 2000 vintage of Penfolds Grange to share with my son when he is older, and 2000 is his birth year. It will set me back around $200 or so, but to me it is worth it.

I understand that the concept of budgeting for wine may be an odd one, but I ask the questions:

1. Do you budget for wine?
2. What percentage of your income to you set aside?
3. What is the high-end amount you will spend on one bottle?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.