I missed December's Almost Club edition (holidays), so this is a huge crop of almostness... As the name suggests, here are the wines that almost hit the mark for me in January. Some are just nice …
After last week's feedback I'm going to be sticking to just one roundup a month on site going forward (thanks everyone for the feedback). This roundup features a kaleidoscope of Australian Shiraz to have passed the …
Every time you look, the range of wines from Hunter Valley-based winemaker Gundog Estate keeps expanding, now with more Hunter & Canberra wines than ever. Gundog recently took over the old Capital Wines cellar door in …
It’s that time of the month again – time to collate a range of wines that didn’t quite make the grade. Plenty opened this month, which is why this list is longer than usual… Bremerton Langhorne Creek …
It's that time again! These wines haven't quite made it into full review status this month. I'm a bit behind (living out of a suitcase does that), hence why this list is longer than normal. Ten Minutes …
While I am slowly wearing down the mountain of samples that have arrived at Graham HQ over the past few weeks, it has still required frequent raiding, and today's target was alternate reds. As ever when …
Moppity Vineyards Reserve Shiraz 2013 I'm in Rioja today (more on that later) and whilst the Hilltops seems a whole other world away, it's nice to have an Aussie reference point. This Moppity won the Shiraz Challenge …
8 fine Aussie and Italian Nebbiolo I'll be the first to admit that Australia is yet to 'crack' the Nebbiolo formula. Sure, as some of the wines in this tasting show, we're producing good wines. Real good …
Moppity Lock & Key Reserve Shiraz 2012 The Moppity Shiraz wines are typically festooned with medals and, judging by this bottle I can see why. It's the sort of style that wins show medals. And fans. Purple …
Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2013 (Hilltops, NSW)14%, Screwcap, $28 I've never quite loved the Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz, simply because it isn't as sexy and svelte as the Canberra wines above it (often a bit ripe and gruff …
Manners Shiraz 2013 (Hilltops, NSW)14.5%, Screwcap, $45 I first met James Manners back in 2010 when he was a winemaker at Robert Oatley. At the time he was very proud to show off his latest Mudgee …
A.Retief 'The Alias' Mataro 2010 (Hilltops, NSW) 14%, Screwcap, $45Source: Sample www.aretief.com.au From the ever-smiling Alex Retief, this is one of very few straight NSW sourced Mataro/Mourevdre and presents as a quite interesting foil to the dark, richer …
Freeman Secco 2009 (Hilltops, NSW)14.5%, Screwcap, $35Source: Sample www.freemanvineyards.com.au The only 'real' Amarone homage in Australia (real as it is a blend of Rondinella and Corvina) and always a wine that needs some air-time to come together. …
Freeman Vineyards 'Rondo' Rosé 2012 (Hilltops, NSW) 13.5%, Screwcap, $20 from the Freeman website Source: Sample www.freemanvineyards.com.au 'You don’t have to have a Charles Sturt University wine science degree to realise Australian drinkers don’t necessarily need another cool climate …
Tulloch Cellar Door Release Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (Hilltops, NSW)13.4%, Screwcap, $25Source: Samplewww.tullochwines.com.au A cellar door only wine drawn from the vineyards around Young.Super dark colour on this. Carries that dark choc/mint mulberry eucalypt Hilltops Cabernet all …
Tyrrells Private Bin releases - the 2011 version 2011 Tyrrell's Private Bin releases It's always an impressive snapshot this tasting, a litmus test for the vintage if you will, illustrating with some clarity exactly what can be …
Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2010 (Hilltops, NSW)14%, Screwcap, $25Source: Cellar Doorwww.clonakilla.com.au This has no right to be this good. I mean, the 2010 vintage was a hard one in Canberra/Hilltops (though slightly easier in the Hilltops) and …
A mid-weight Shiraz comparison One of the challenges of being an unpaid wine blogger is that you don't have minions. Minions to catalogue your samples, clean glassware, take photos, give backrubs and open bottles for you. …
Moppity Shiraz 2009 (Hilltops, NSW) 13.9%, Screwcap, $28 Source: Sample www.moppity.com.au It's something of a personal conundrum this wine, if purely on the scoring front, but also in the context of personal objectivity. Put simply, I don't really like this …
Rise Vineyards Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (Coonawarra, SA) $22, Screwcap, 14% Source: Sample www.risevineyards.com.au After some initial indecision (noted here) I have finally decided that the 2008 vintage was a pretty average one in Coonawarra. That's a terribly broad, …
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.