It always feels like you're stepping back in time with these Zema reds, harking back to the early noughties in winemaking style. That's not necessarily a bad thing mind you, …
While the Jaraman Shiraz was a bit OTT for my tastes (and ended up in the Almost Club as a result), this proper hearty Taylors Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is …
Not all wines can be great. Plenty are just ok drinks. And some are just bad. Here is a selection of wine that almost made it in October and November 2021. As …
I like these Masterstroke wines. Hearty. Substantial. Intriguing that this Taylors Masterstroke Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 feels more balanced than the St Andrews Cab tasted in the big dog Shiraz & …
An 'Exploration of Australia’s Distinguished Sites'. What a lofty title for this Zoom tasting, held last week by a group of prominent Australian family winemakers (all of whom are in the …
Not all wines can be great. Plenty are just ok drinks. And some are just bad. Here is a selection of wines that almost made it in May and June 2021. We're …
So many luxury wines end up as disappointments. Too often, wines with AUD$100+ pricetags and unfettered ambitions turn out to be bulldust and oak tannins. Wines that speak of ego, of …
14% alcohol. It's a mark in the sand. One of those (unconscious) ripeness expectations, where anything north of 14% is going to have ripe fruit (in table wine) with minimal …
Cabernet is probably the least appreciated grape in the Graham household, even though I have a cellar full of Margaret River, Coonawarra & Hawke's Bay reds. Cab's unpopularity is purely a …
I haven't been tasting as much this week after Miss 2 brought home a virus from daycare and took out the whole house like a rogue wave at a Nippers …
Longtime readers will know that I have a soft spot for sparkling red. Especially grand old Seppelt Great Western, or any disgorgement of Primo Joseph. Great sparkling red I'd happily …
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 …
I feel like a broken record, but here is another ‘good’ Coonawarra red that might have been great with less oak. This Patrick of Coonawarra Home Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 …
I wish these Zema wines were just a little less overt. More elegance, tone down the oak and alcohol. This Zema Estate Family Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, for instance, is …
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 the environment.
Twenty one years later and I spend my days wearing many (wine) hats, mostly as a writer, presenter and marketer. and judge at wine shows around the world...Read more