£0.00

View trolley | Check out

• Argentina

• New Zealand

• Australia

• Portugal

• Chile

• South Africa

• France

• Spain

• Germany

• United Kingdom

• Hungary

• USA

• Italy

• Whisky

• Cognac

• Sherry

• Port

• Beer & Cider

• Coffee

Search For Your Wine

Name Country/Region Any Argentina Australia Chile France Germany Hungary Italy New Zealand Organic Portugal South Africa Spain United Kingdom USA Type Any Red Rose Sparkling White Style Any 100% Arabica Ground Coffee 227g x 2 per pack 5 aromatic Aromatic white Baltic Imported Cider big round red brandy Chameleon champagne Cognac Complex red crisp dry white crisp white Crisp, dry white Dry white dry white sparklig dry white sparkling Dry, fruity rose Elegant red floral and fresh Fresh and fruity full bodied red Full bodied rose full fruity red Full, fruity red full-bodied red Hampers will be sent out from the first week of December Light, fruity red Light, fruity rose Light, fruity white medium bodied medium bodied red medium bodied red wine medium Dry medium dry white medium red Medium rose Medium sweet medium sweet white medium white Medium-bodied red Off dry white port Powerful red red Rich Rose Rich, buttery white rose sherry Show smooth dry red smooth round smooth round red Smooth, mellow red soft red soft round red sparkling Sparkling Rose sweet white sweet, fruity red tawney port vibrant and fruity white white Aromatic white port Price Range Any £0-£10 £10-£20 £20-£30 £30-£40 £40-£50 £50+

Clive's Cracking Reviews

When it comes to buying and enjoying wine, there are only 3 things you need to know:

 What wine do I like?

How much does it cost?

What temperature do I serve it at?

Add to that another factor by considering the most important piece of information on the wine label - the name of the producer - to help you choose between Bottle A and Bottle B. When you get 2 different producers making a similar style of wine from the same grape(s) in a picturesque little valley somewhere, one of them is bound to be doing it better. And finally, you might like to ask what food to pair the wine with. Let's apply these principles to the Turkey Flat Butcher's Block 2009, a cracking little wine recently introduced to me by the Cracking Little Wine Company (based in Manchester and Macclesfield). This is, infact, a cracking big wine! - and they don't come any bigger. 

If you like blockbuster red wines then this one is for you. The Barossa Valley in South Australia is the home of the venerable Australian Shiraz and the hub of the country's wine industry. But in this Turkey Flat we see Shiraz (or Syrah) teamed up to great effect with Grenache and Mourvedre. In these parts and also in McLaren Vale just down the road we have seen the emergence of the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre (GSM) blend which has developed into a classic Barossa style. So is this creation greater than the sum of it's constituent parts? - we shall see! Shiraz (Syrah) comes from the Southern Rhone in France and typically, adds a certain spiciness and structure to the piece. Grenache (or Garnacha in Spain where it originates from) we perhaps are familiar with as a rich, spicy and alcoholic contributor to the Rioja blend - but again we find it in the Southern Rhone. Mourvedre (aka Monastrell and Mataro) from Southern France, is the force behind the outrageously gamey and excellent reds of Bandol. Put them together in the Southern Rhone then you have the constituents for many a good classic version of the venerable Chateauneuf-du- Pape - although, of course, you could add for good measure any of the other 10 permitted grapes in this appellation - in the Barossa, they chose not to - so where does this lead us? The Barossa has taken its own bold steps to create a similar style of wine by sticking to the 3 aforementioned grapes of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape mix.

Coupled with the use of grapes from low-yielding old vines and Barossa innovation, we have a resulting wine of great intensity and impact. Being a big fan of the Syrah styles from around the world, where I could speak from experience, I was eager to put this classic blend to the test. However, not having tasted one of these beauties before, I was about to venture into the unknown, something that those who prefer single varietals might find a bit daunting - but I had forgotten to read the script! 

The nose of the wine was truly wonderful with a marvelously floral and intensely fruit-filled profile, with black cherry, raspberry, black currant, a hint of oak and the scent of a Christmas dark fruits richness very much to the fore, and superbly underpinned by the veritable spice of the Shiraz and the separate oak-aging of the 3 varietals.

The spice of the Shiraz shines through unmistakably in the bouquet and the wine has a beautiful, deep ruby-like hue, with pink tones as only good full-bodied red wines have - but for me the impact of the Shiraz has to be the star of the show. I believe that the wine maker varies the proportions of the 3 varietals from vintage to vintage - this particular blend seems to have captured the best of all 3. It also has a good rasp of acidity and firm, yet approachable tannins, which will mellow and improve greatly with bottle aging. The wine has a great structure and smooth finish. In terms of quality against price, it is a fine example of the genre. This wine will go extremely well with game, hearty stews, red meat dishes and the barbecue. I tried it with Indian-spiced roast chicken with all the trimmings served with a red onion jus made from the spicy sauce, and the spiciness and fruit-packed profile stood up well to the challenge - it was an excellent match and the 3 grape varieties seem to work very well together.

Turkey Flat with your Christmas Turkey, anyone? 

In the finest traditions of Australian wine making, we see another example of a trademark, fabulously wacky name for a wine that the Schulz family and Barossa community should be rightly proud of. This is a serious, full-on wine and definitely one for the diehard rather than the shrinking violet - but hey, let's all give it a try!

Bearing in mind the constituent grapes, the wine has earthy yet warm attributes and should be served at the 18c mark - it really needs this treatment to appreciate the wine at its very best. In terms of price, £12.39 down from £13.39 represents extremely good value and compares very favorably with typical Barossa GSMs at the £16 mark and from between £16 - 20 for a benchmark Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Jose Mourinho was recently heard to say: 'I ask my team for 100% - if it gives me more is OK too!' This wine gives you more, a lot more! 

See More >>Selection of our Special Offers