Mandala Butterfly Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Classic Yarra Cabernet from a vintage prime for delivering the odd finessed wine. It's like the Yarra's version of a luncheon claret, just riper and more immediately attractive. There's HB pencil, …
This edition of the Almost Club is a few days late as I was busily not doing much in Noosa (photo attached. We love Noosa). Here than are 20 wines that almost hit the mark in …
Eldorado Road Luminoso Rosè 2017 Another high quality release from Eldorado Road. The 2018 may well be out soon, but I'm in catchup mode and anyway this is looking good. A blend of Nero d'Avola and …
Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy Malbec 2016 Langhorne Creek Malbec done well. Lavish, purple fruit with a plush open, modern Aussie form. Really purple with an oak sweetness. Slightly sausagey purple fruit on the palate, with …
From Shaw + Smith's prospective project to consistent quality wine in the space of just a few vintages - the Tolpuddle Vineyard has come a long long way. The Chardonnay, in particular, is so very good every …
John Duval Annexus Mataro 2016 Would you believe that this is ex-Penfolds winemaker John Duval's first ever straight Mataro? Like Grenache, Barossa Mataro/Mourvedre/Monastrell/choose your name is enjoying a well earned revival and I'm all for it. This …
Vinea Marson Rosè 2015 Amidst the clamour for rosé (one of the fastest growing segments in the wine industry) it's always great to know that not everyone ascribes to the 'must taste like Provence rosé' theory. …
Bellvale Athena’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2015 From the Ellis families dry-grown Gippsland family vineyard. There's an intensity here that you often see in dry-grown vineyards - like the grapes hit another gear in the flavour-per-berry stakes. For …
Brave Souls The Able Seaman GSM 2016 My pick from the Brave Souls releases. Just to recap, Brave Souls is ulia Weirich with the Sons of Eden crew making quite classic Barossan wines in good packaging …
Tim Adams Semillon 2014 Nice to see an aged Semillon from somewhere not the Hunter. Likely a tricky sell though. A textural style that hasn't lost its lustre, there's lots of lemon citrus, it's broad through …
Yangarra Shiraz 2016 Astounding to think this is the 'entry level' Yangarra Shiraz. Pete 'Midas' Fraser is all over it. Wild ferment and matured in 25% new oak, it's a plush and perfectly weighted wine. Plump, chocolate-gilt …
At 18 I started working in a small suburban bottleshop, largely to buy cheap beer. It was my first year of university, doing a degree that I didn't really like, and a liquor shop seemed like fun. Needless to say I discovered wine, my uni degree morphed into something completely different and wine/beer took over my life.
Almost twenty years later and I currently spend my days wearing many (wine) hats, mostly as a writer, presenter and marketer.
While wearing my writer cap I write features for the likes of National Liquor News, Gourmet Traveller WINE and the RAS plus I'm a Lifestyle FOOD channel wine expert. Read more about me here or get in touch to book your next wine event with me here.