While I struggle through the man flu and can't smell anything, here are a few Shiraz/Syrah to pass the desk recently. Leeuwin Estate Art Series Margaret River Shiraz 2014 This is the best Art Series Shiraz I've …
Brands Laira Blockers Coonawarra Chardonnay 2016 Coonawarra - not the first place you'd go looking for premium Chardonnay. This is in an odd place too, with minimal oak, and lots of ripe peachy fruit. It's broad, …
Brand's Laira Old Station Coonawarra Rosé 2016 No idea of the variety here, but it comes in a Riesling bottle. Cabernet is my first guess. Coppery light orange coloured, this has a whisper of musk, a flash …
Lindemans St George Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 I imagine there's still loads of '98 reds sitting out there dormant in wine cellar land; everyone convinced that the wines will live forever. This St George definitely could. That …
Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 You've got to like the mint and eucalypt of traditional Coonawarra Cabernet to enjoy this. Driven by tannins, with a cassis and oak sweetness over the bones, it's very much a …
Can you make Coonawarra sexy? (Gary Walsh kicked off a great conversation this week with his review of the Zema Estate Cabernet when he noted that Coonawarra has gone from one of his most covered regions …
St Hugo Cabernet Shiraz 2013 Curiously, this is a very different beast to the straight Cabernet Sauvignon. This is seriously eucalypt-y for a start. Just jumps out and tackles you. Didn't spot that in the Cab. …
St Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 By my reckoning, this is the 33rd vintage of St Hugo released. That's impressive no matter which way you look at it. Indeed, that record is important because the label has looked …
What an impressive evolution that Leconfield has undergone. Once known for some of the meanest, greenest wines in Coonawarra (not helped by the fact that they didn't have a working destemmer for a while there), Leconfield's reputation …
For a quick Ottelia intro, start here. Riesling is the standout, the other three slightly underwhelming... Ottelia Mount Gambier Riesling 2015 Sourced from the Ellis Family vineyard to the SW of Mt Gambier. Numbers: pH 2.9, TA …
Always surprises me how much Sauvignon Blanc is planted in Coonawarra. Chardonnay too. Seems like a wasted opportunity for more Cabernet does Coonawarra Chardonnay. Or Merlot, which could be great. Heck, make rose if you're …
'Arguably the best value variety from Australia in decades' That's the Decanter opinion on Australian dry Riesling, a wine that - despite endless coaxing from wine writers, sommeliers, retailers and producers - continues to not grow …
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.
More than fifteen years later and I currently spend my days wearing many (wine) hats, mostly as a writer, presenter and marketer.
While wearing my writer hat I contribute to the likes of The Retiree; Gourmet Traveller WINE, National Liquor News and the RAS plus I'm a Lifestyle FOOD channel wine expert.
Crowned the 2009/10 WCA Wine Journalism 'Young Gun', in my spare time I'm a wine judge and recently graduated with a Masters in Wine Technology & Viticulture from Melbourne University.
This site (Australian Wine Review or ozwinereview for short) is dedicated to talking about wine, beer and other good things. Largely focused on Australian wine, but with a healthy dose of tasty vino from NZ, France, Italy, Spain.. oh hell, if it's good, I'm in.
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Also check out my other project, Sydney's best wine tasting business The Tasting Glass.