This is just a taste of the finest big reds that passed the desk this November. Background notes in italics. Oakridge Original Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 Spends 3 weeks on skins post …
Torzi Matthews Schist Rock Shiraz 2018 The second label to the glorious '18 Frost Dodger and is basically the non dried fruit portion and aged in ex-Frost Dodger barrels. What a $25 …
Why stop at just 10 great Shiraz for the month? Here is the follow on list of the best 11-34 Shiraz to pass the desk in October 2019. Terre à Terre …
Always a pleasure to check in one of the benchmarks of Australian wine and the Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2018 is a beauty. This was only a very quick taste as …
Not all wines can be great. Plenty are just ok drinks. And some are just bad. Here’s a selection of wines that almost made it in October 2019. I like plenty …
Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon. The icon. A blue-chip Australian red with a history of glory spanning back decades to the beginning of Margaret River wine. Or at least that's the pitch. …
Pikes Los Campeneros Shiraz Tempranillo 2016 Clare Valley red blend that manages to be easily delicious (much like the Tempranillo). Exuberant and bright red fruited style that doesn’t feel forced. The …
Classic Marlborough Sauv under the Nautilus 2nd label. It’s quite ripe really, loaded with passionfruit, the grassy herbaceousnsss swapped for genuine fruit. It’s correct, the acidity is soft enough, and …
This month, it's all about Pinot Noir here at Graham HQ, just because we like drinking it. And you'd have to argue that the best Pinot Noir in Australia almost …
Pikes Luccio Sangiovese 2018 Honestly, there isn't much local Sangiovese that floats my boat. Pizzini, Coriole, Castagna, Greenstone... It's a small pool of talent. Which makes this Sangiovese a welcome entrant. From …
Torzi Matthews Frost Dodger Shiraz 2018 Yesterday I was banging on about how I prefer drinking Chardonnay over Shiraz, but here's an exception. An Eden Valley Shiraz from Dom Torzi that …
Sure, Shiraz gets all the attention, but for my money, Australia's most consistently drinkable premium variety is Chardonnay. That's simply a result of style. So much top tier Australian Shiraz - …
In what has become something of a tradition (posts here, here, here, here and here for starters), I went to this year's 2019 Sydney Royal Wine Show exhibitor event tasting …
I love textured white wines. Alsace field blends? Gimme. Barrel fermented Margaret River Sauv? Yes please. But every year, the 'textural white' segment disappoints. I get that it's a balancing act to …
Not all wines can be great. Plenty are just ok drinks. And some are just bad… Here’s a selection of wines that almost made it in July 2019. I like plenty …
Matt East from Rouleur popped by the other day with this new Rouleur Shiraz 2018 in his bag. Strangely, he was reticent to show it thinking it might be a …
Tim Smith Barossa Mataro Grenache Shiraz 2018 Old vines, old barrels, unfined and unfiltered. Tim Smith delivers another lively, generous and affordable Barossan red and I like it. Dark purple red, it's …
Lou Miranda Estate Old Vine Grenache 2018 One of the better wines from the Lou Miranda stable for mine. Nails the old vine Grenache mode with generous fruit and no oak. From …
Bugalugs Shiraz 2018 This is good, inexpensive, bright and juicy modern Barossa Shiraz. Plum juice aplenty in an affable style. Minimal oak, minimal tannins, just genuine, simple Barossa Shiraz. A bit …
Soumah Al Fiori Rosato 2018 Soumah can make decent Italian rosé too. This Rosato is a blend of Yarra Valley Nebbiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon wild fermented in barrel with a little …
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, 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.
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.