Of all the Hickinbotham Wines, this Merlot is probably the least naturally convincing. Still quality Merlot, just that its brothers are exceptional. The winemaking, as ever, is a-grade. Wild fermented. 21 …
It seems this celebrity wine thing isn't going away. Following closely on the release of Ricky Ponting's new wines, comes another celeb drinks project backed by the same group. This time, however, it's …
'I want to make the vineyards the story, and not the winemaker'. That's not your usual Barossan winemaker line. Not in a region where the mantra is about blending, and often …
Not all wines can be great. Plenty are just ok drinks. And some are just bad. Here then is a selection of wines that almost made it to a pass mark …
The evolution of Angove's premium wine push continues. This McLaren Vale red comes off the now certified organic, circa 90yo Warboys vineyard and it looks every bit the artisan Vale …
My not-so-hot-take - Mencia can make profound red wines and I can't wait until we get the vine age/clones/site selection etc etc for it to align for quality. This La …
Puglian Primitivo can be delicious. But mostly it's either a bit too ripe and Zin-light (which is a serious trend), or it's a lean, and lightly herbal dry red. Sometimes …
I struggled with this Tapanappa Foggy Hill Pinot Noir 2018. It’s powerfully built, a muscular Pinot of brawn, deep-set oak and tannins, but the fruit generosity seems missing, the mid …
After such a shit year, surely it's time you spoilt yourself this Christmas? An excuse to open something even more special? Something, like the exceptional Hickinbotham The Peake Cabernet Shiraz …
Trophy winning wine, vindicated. This Soumah Equilibrio Chardonnay 2018 took out the award for Chardonnay 'Best In Show' at the Decanter Wine Awards. Now I'm always sceptical about any wine that wins …
Fun fact: Shiraz makes up over 25% of all winegrapes crushed in Australia, and South Australia has the largest vineyard area with 76,292ha (Wine Australia figures 19/20). But what I want …
Allan Varney's Grenache-based reds are uniformly good. All of them. Let's call it a talent. This Varney GSM 2018 is my pick of the lot. Handling-wise it ticks all the boxes. …
This Yangarra Roux Beaute Roussanne 2018 is challenging white wine. Clever, ambitious, and built for the long term. But it almost needs to come with a disclaimer - 'read winemaking …
Australian Chardonnay is in the midst of a purple patch, with quality - and value - as good as it has ever been, as this collection of the 16 best …
I am very here for the new wave of McLaren Vale Nero. So black. So juicy, so much flavour. This Lino Ramble Tom Bowler Nero d’Avola 2018 comes from two …
I missed most of the Zoom Virtual Tasting for this St Hallett Blackwell Shiraz 2018 so I'm missing a little context. But suffice to say it's ala very different wine …
Rusty Mutt is the label of Geoff Merrill Wines winemaker Scott Heidrich, who crafts generous, warm-hearted McLaren Vale reds (and a chunky Viognier). This Rusty Mutt Rocky Ox Grenache Shiraz …
The Calabria family’s more recent premium red releases are now Barossa, with a step up in quality expectations (and price). This Calabria Three Bridges Grenache 2018 leans a little too …
"Three varieties very well suited to McLaren Vale. Bush Vine Grenache provides aromatic lift and bright red fruit characters. Shiraz lends powdery tannin, spice and mid-palate weight, while Mourvèdre rounds …
Corton or Yarra Valley? Yes, those Burgundy comparisons are cliché and boring, but the quality analogue isn't. This Oakridge 864 Henk Chardonnay 2018 is absolute top flight Chardonnay at a …
At 18, I started working in a small suburban bottleshop, largely to buy cheap beer. It was my first year of university, slogging through physics and chemistry, so a liquor shop seemed like fun. Needless to say, I discovered wine, and my life evolved with a unique dual focus - wine and environment.
Twenty years later and I spend my days wearing many (wine) hats, mostly as a writer, presenter and marketer.
I now judge at wine shows around the world, sit on the Australian Wine List of the Year awards panel and was once a Wine Journalism Young Gun (but baby that was years ago).
Currently, I write features for a variety of publications including National Liquor News, Gourmet Traveller WINE and the RAS, plus I'm a former Lifestyle FOOD channel wine expert.
In 2019 and 2020 I was voted in the Top 30 Best Wine Critics in The World, and in my spare time, I'm a sucker for punishment and run trail ultra marathons, much to the delight of my long-suffering family. Read more about me here or get in touch to book your next wine event with me here