Where can I purchase the desert wine from the current selection?
Nov 12, 2018, 4:23 am
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 818
Where can I purchase the desert wine from the current selection?
I recently flew from FUK-HNL in DeltaOne and tried the delicious De Bortoli Vat 5 Botrytis Semillon, Australia 2016
desert wine. Is there a central site DL has where I can purchase? The French Pinot was also very good too.
desert wine. Is there a central site DL has where I can purchase? The French Pinot was also very good too.
Nov 12, 2018, 4:37 am
#2
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Are you a U.S. resident? Alcohol purchase laws vary by state. You may be required to buy it from a distributor or directly from the vineyard. Google it, and see if you find a seller willing to ship to your state.
Nov 12, 2018, 9:09 am
#3
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Ask your local wine store if they can order it for you. They should be able to check availability and price (no discounts or sale prices normally on special orders) on line very quickly and see whether one of their distributors has the wine in stock or can order it.
Depending on state laws, you might be able to order it from the winery (complicated as it's foreign) or a wine retailer located in another state, but this could be more complicated.
Depending on state laws, you might be able to order it from the winery (complicated as it's foreign) or a wine retailer located in another state, but this could be more complicated.
Nov 12, 2018, 9:33 am
#5
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De Bortoli wines sadly don’t get a ton of distribution in the USA, which is a shame. I share your love of this stuff - a much older vintage on a BusinessElite flight years ago sparked my love of botrytized dessert wines.
Vat 5 is actually their value wine, and while I’d stock up on cases if I lived in Australia, it doesn’t seem to see much importing into the States. Its flagship sister wine, Noble One, is sometimes possible to find because of its stellar reputation, and tastes similar but more refined (at a higher price point, alas.). I also really like Black Noble - totally different style, a Port-like fortified wine derived from Noble One, but may be my favorite of all their dessert wines.
De Bortoli has several “cellar doors” (Aussie for tasting room) you can visit down under, including one in the Yarra River Valley that is very convenient to visit during a trip to Melbourne. Perhaps you’d like to redeem some Skymiles? Shipping to the US is so cost prohibitive that it’s barely worth contemplating, but that elite luggage allowance could come in handy...
If this was your first dessert wine of this style, you should know that the primary originators were the French, and - much like Champagne is to sparkling wine - the appellation most known for producing this type of dessert wine is Sauternes. You can pay as much as you like for a fine Sauternes, including nearly four digit pricing for some vintages of Chateau d’Yquem, so approach developing a habit with some caution. But your local wine merchant will likely have a number of delightful and affordable choices that compare nicely with the Vat 5, even if they aren’t quite as stellar value for money.
Vat 5 is actually their value wine, and while I’d stock up on cases if I lived in Australia, it doesn’t seem to see much importing into the States. Its flagship sister wine, Noble One, is sometimes possible to find because of its stellar reputation, and tastes similar but more refined (at a higher price point, alas.). I also really like Black Noble - totally different style, a Port-like fortified wine derived from Noble One, but may be my favorite of all their dessert wines.
De Bortoli has several “cellar doors” (Aussie for tasting room) you can visit down under, including one in the Yarra River Valley that is very convenient to visit during a trip to Melbourne. Perhaps you’d like to redeem some Skymiles? Shipping to the US is so cost prohibitive that it’s barely worth contemplating, but that elite luggage allowance could come in handy...
If this was your first dessert wine of this style, you should know that the primary originators were the French, and - much like Champagne is to sparkling wine - the appellation most known for producing this type of dessert wine is Sauternes. You can pay as much as you like for a fine Sauternes, including nearly four digit pricing for some vintages of Chateau d’Yquem, so approach developing a habit with some caution. But your local wine merchant will likely have a number of delightful and affordable choices that compare nicely with the Vat 5, even if they aren’t quite as stellar value for money.
Last edited by BenA; Nov 12, 2018 at 9:37 am Reason: :s/shopping/shipping :wq!