Posted: March 7, 2019
Powerful complexity of oak and fruit aromas. The oak is tending to dominate the palate at the moment but there is plenty of fruit power and drive pushing its way through.
Comments Off on Fermoy Estate Reserve Margaret River Chardonnay 2016 / 0 View / March 7, 2019
Posted: March 7, 2019
“A benchmark chardonnay,” said one judge. “The definition of quality,” said another. A complex and delightfully estery bouquet with a slightly greener cool climate style of palate.
Comments Off on Gralyn Estate Reserve Margaret River Chardonnay 2016 / 0 View / March 7, 2019
Posted: March 7, 2019
An uncomplicated toasty buttery oak driven chardonnay. “Has style and quality.”
Comments Off on Sirromet Wines Le Sauvage Granite Belt Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / March 7, 2019
Posted: March 7, 2019
An enticing rich complexity of creamy buttery layers here. “Made with love,” thought one judge! Ageing beautifully.
Comments Off on Sirromet Wines Le Sauvage Granite Belt Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / March 7, 2019
Posted: March 7, 2019
A subtle chocolate cake of a nose and a fresh and very youthful palate that has a lovely balance of raisined black fruits and tannins. “True to style,” noted one judge.
Comments Off on 919 Wines Limited Release Riverland Vintage Fortified 2013 / 0 View / March 7, 2019
Posted: March 7, 2019
A lovely complex wine that has interesting earthy, tarry and dark berry aromas and flavours.
Comments Off on Henschke The Rose Grower Eden Valley Nebbiolo 2014 / 0 View / March 7, 2019
Posted: January 12, 2019
Lifted fresh fragrances and well structured palate. Good varietal fruit/oak balance and excellent varietal spiciness.
Comments Off on Gala Estate Estate Black Tasmania Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / January 12, 2019
Posted: January 12, 2019
A wine with a massive colour, syrupy fruit, huge oak characters, attractive spiciness, bacon fat like savoury notes and big tannins.
Comments Off on Lindsay Wine Estate Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 / 0 View / January 12, 2019
Posted: January 12, 2019
“An awesome wine!” It is tight and elegant showing incredible depth of red hues with lifted complexity of rich ripe shiraz fruit and well handled cedary oak.
Comments Off on Bendbrook Wines Goat Track Reserve Single Vineyard Adelaide Hills Shiraz 2015 / 0 View / January 12, 2019
Posted: January 12, 2019
Subtle menthol notes to the chocolaty aromas and a rich “complete” palate showing great varietal fruit expression with some lovely fine tannins. An excellent wine.
Comments Off on Bendbrook Wines Section 19 Single Vineyard Adelaide Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 / 0 View / January 12, 2019
Posted: January 12, 2019
A massive super ripe, super thick, dark red wine with an abundance of serious shiraz fruit matched by a huge amount of oak. “So much to like!” A classic.
Comments Off on Mollydooker Wines Carnival of Love McLaren Vale Shiraz 2017 / 0 View / January 12, 2019
Posted: January 12, 2019
A really lovely wine that’s complex and very classy with a big oaky lift to the nose and generous sweet fruit flavours with oak adding complexity. Very well made.
Comments Off on Mollydooker Wines Enchanted Path McLaren Vale Shiraz Cabernet 2017 / 0 View / January 12, 2019
Posted: January 12, 2019
Smoky toasty nose with some hints of pineapple and a creamy rich palate; loads of spiciness.
Comments Off on Weingut Loimer Langenlois Ried Spiegel Erste Lage Kamptal DAC Gruner Veltliner 2016 / 0 View / January 12, 2019
Posted: November 7, 2018
A big raw and grippy style with a mix of red and dark fruits and savoury notes. In need of food! 3-5
Comments Off on d’Arenberg The Ironstone Pressings McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
An excellent, well focussed core of powerful dark cherry/berry fruit enveloped by savoury oak with lovely lift of pepper and spice. It is concentrated and powerful but balanced. 5+
Comments Off on Ekhidna Linchpin McLaren Vale Shiraz 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
A light and tightly coiled shiraz with lifted perfumed floral fruit, classy oak and tarry/soy-like secondary characters. A blockbuster that needs more time to evolve. 5+
Comments Off on Eisenstone Ebenezer Barossa Valley Shiraz 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
A massive super ripe style of shiraz that’s a powerful mix of tar, licorice, burnt fig and some blackberry fruit characters. Lots of oak and lashings of tannins. 5+
Comments Off on Eisenstone Greenock Barossa Valley Shiraz 2015 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
A huge old fashioned, jammy, tannic and syrupy style with a dark thread of savoury fruit evolving.
Comments Off on Eisenstone Greenock Barossa Valley Shiraz 2014 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Dark and inky with lovely sweet cassis-like varietal fruit, excellent oak and savoury meaty elements. Has strength and structure.
Comments Off on Shingleback D Block Reserve McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Big ripe sweet varietal fruit showing a hint of crème brulee-like characters with more sweetness from the oak.
Comments Off on Riversdale Estate Centaurus Block 1 Coal River Valley Pinot Noir 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Showing mature colour, this hand-harvested, French oak-matured red is ready to roll. It has very good depth of ripe cherry and plum flavours, showing some nutty, savoury complexity, and a well-rounded finish. $85
Comments Off on Osawa Winemaker’s Collection Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
This blended red is named after the Spanish word for quarry (cantera). Deep and purple-flushed in colour, it is mouthfilling and vibrant, with concentrated, plummy, gently spicy flavours, oaky, savoury notes adding complexity and a moderately firm, sustained finish. Still…
Comments Off on Smith & Sheth Cru Cantera Hawke’s Bay Red Blend 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Built for cellaring, this ‘old vine’ Gimblett Gravels red was barrique-matured. Deep and bright in colour, with a fragrant, plummy, peppery bouquet, it is a full-bodied, clearly varietal wine, concentrated, savoury, complex and structured. Best drinking 2021+. $55
Comments Off on Smith & Sheth Cru Omahu Syrah 2015 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
This classy young red was grown in the Cornerstone Vineyard, hand-picked, fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured for 15 months in French oak barriques. Dark and purple-flushed, with fragrant plum and spice aromas, it is sturdy and well structured, with…
Comments Off on Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Grown at Mangatahi and maturing gracefully, this fleshy, full-flavoured red was matured for 20 months in French oak casks (65% new). Still moderately youthful, it is concentrated, with blackcurrant and plum characters, savoury and complex, and good tannin backbone. Drink…
Comments Off on Osawa Prestige Collection Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Still a baby, this dark, purple-flushed red has a slightly earthy bouquet, leading into a dense, structured palate. A single-vineyard wine, it is full-bodied and highly concentrated, with cassis, plum and spice flavours. Open 2021+. $60
Comments Off on Coopers Creek Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Still a baby, this is a very elegant red, set for a long life. Dark and purple-flushed, it is mouthfilling, with vibrant, well-ripened blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, showing excellent density, and a seamless, persistent finish. Open 2021+. $60
Comments Off on Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Gimblett Gravels /Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
This very refined, savoury Gimblett Gravels red is a blend of cabernet sauvignon (51%), merlot (27%) and malbec (22%), estate-grown in the Irongate Vineyard. Dark and highly fragrant, it is full-bodied, with concentrated, ripe blackcurrant, plum, spice and nutty oak…
Comments Off on Babich The Patriarch Cabernet Merlot Malbec 2015 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Maturing well, this hand-harvested, barrel-aged wine is bright, light lemon/green, fresh and full-bodied. Mouthfilling, it has good intensity of ripe peach and nectarine flavours, oak-derived complexity and a tightly structured finish. Drink now or cellar. $65
Comments Off on Osawa Winemaker’s Collection Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Maturing gracefully, this full-bodied, sweet-fruited wine was hand-picked and French oak-aged. It has good concentration of citrusy, peachy flavours, with well-integrated oak and some bottle-aged complexity. $85
Comments Off on Osawa Winemaker’s Collection Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Highly enjoyable now, this bright, light yellow/green wine was estate-grown at Mangatahi. Fragrant, it has rich citrus and stonefruit flavours, oak complexity and a slightly buttery, very harmonious finish. $55
Comments Off on Osawa Prestige Collection Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Full of personality, this classy wine was hand-picked from mature vines in the elevated, inland district of Mangatahi and fermented and aged for 11 months in French oak barriques (35% new). Drinking well now, but worth cellaring, it has a…
Comments Off on Smith & Sheth Cru Mangatahi Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
From mature vines in the Bridge Pa Triangle, this debut vintage was hand-harvested and fermented and matured for 11 months in French oak barriques (67% new). Light lemon/green, it has a fragrant, complex, slightly buttery bouquet. Still youthful, it is…
Comments Off on Smith & Sheth Cru Howell Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
This stylish sparkling was matured for 3 ½ years on its yeast lees, with base wine dating back to 2009. Bright, light lemon/green, it has an invitingly fragrant, lively, yeasty bouquet. Crisp and lively, with citrusy, biscuity flavours, it shows…
Comments Off on Osawa Prestige Collection NV Methode Traditionnelle NV / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Still a baby, this estate-grown, Gibbston red was hand-picked and matured in French oak casks (40% new). Floral and deeply coloured, it is sweet-fruited, with fine-grained tannins and bold red berry, plum, spice and dried herb flavours. Best drinking 2021+….
Comments Off on Coal Pit Tiwha Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
All class! Excellent oak aromas laced with dark juicy red fruits. Lovely freshness and richness of fruit flavours balanced by the oak with beefy-like nuances.
Comments Off on Three Ponds Holman Hunter Valley Shiraz 2017 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
A very stylish wine that has balance and length and is a delicious combination of dark plums fruit and sweet caramel-like oak showing a dash of spice.
Comments Off on Grampians Estate Streeton Reserve Grampians Shiraz 2017 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Nicely varietal; a melange of strawberries, florals and forest floor characters. Some smoky notes and tight acidity.
Comments Off on Anderson Hill Reserve Lenswood Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
An old fashioned style of chardonnay showing plenty of artefact but a real crowd pleaser! Excellent integrated complexity of rich fruit, oak and savoury characters. Creamy in the mouth.
Comments Off on McGuigan Personal Reserve Hunter Valley Chardonnay 2017 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
A traditional Aussie style of shiraz with a powerful hit of toasty oak and rich berry fruit aromas and a huge palate that’s a complexity of dark berry fruits with lots of sweet oak. 5+
Comments Off on McGuigan Personal Reserve Hunter Valley Shiraz 2017 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Excellent delicate lemon curd aromas – still amazingly youthful. Beautifully aged palate with mouthfilling toasty citrus flavours. Years left in it yet! 5+
Comments Off on Paulett Wines Polish Hill River Aged Release Clare Valley Riesling 2012 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Lovely toastiness to the honeyed citrus nose. Nice balance of fresh citrus and bottle age. 5+
Comments Off on Paulett Wines Antonina Clare Valley Riesling 2015 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Firm, grippy and well balanced style with succulent varietal fruit characters and layered with drying tannins.
Comments Off on Grove Estate Sommita Hilltops Nebbiolo 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Tarry cherry nose with hints of violets and herbs. Savoury grippy palate with spicy herbal notes.
Comments Off on Castagna La Chiave Beechworth Sangiovese 2015 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Vibrant cherry aromas with a powerful spiciness. Rich and thick in the mouth with generous fruit flavours. Good length of tannins. 3-5
Comments Off on Symphony Hill Wines Reserve Riverland SA Lagrein 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Cherry bouquet with a herbal edge and savoury notes. The palate is dense, tannic and “serious” with plum, cherry and meaty flavours.
Comments Off on Symphony Hill Wines Reserve Heathcote Vic Nero D’Avola 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2018
Typical cherry and red berry bouquet with a drying tarry/leathery cherry palate. Tannins dominate.
Comments Off on Symphony Hill Wines Reserve Granite Belt QLD Sangiovese 2016 / 0 View / November 7, 2018