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 …
Ahhh, the perpetual love-hate relationship. I love textural white wines so much, with the intoxicating sensuality of a mouthfilling Gewurz or the absorbing contrasts of a classic Bordeaux blend something bloody …
More McLaren Vale than Cab Franc, but who cares when it's an enjoyable drink? Then again, everything Hickinbotham is unwaveringly great, and this is no exception. From a 0.9ha vineyard planted …
What a pleasure to watch the continued evolution of Australian Grenache. No longer just a blending component, or the bridesmaid, on the undercard. Australian Grenache in 2021 is now the main …
I aimed high, I really did. I wanted a snapshot of good new release rosé for your spring drinking pleasure. But, there were so many big misses that I couldn't …
Welcome to NSW Freedom Day! While that is yet another half-arsed slogan, in an era of half-arsed slogans, after 4 months of lockdown nobody cares. There is, instead, a pulsating desire …
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 September 2021. Thanks, also, to …
It would be fascinating to put this Hickinbotham Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 up against 707 or the like. It sure has the guts. An absolute top shelf McLaren Vale Cabernet, …
What is this? Australian Shiraz Review? I can't help that I get sent a lot of Shiraz, and nor am I discounting it. Please, send me your good Shiraz, winemakers of …
One of the more challenging releases, this Yangarra Ovitelli Grenache 2019 is a fascinating, layered wine, if not as loveable as the current release High Sands. From the 2ha Block 30, …
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 July and August 2021. Sometimes …
While this Yangarra High Sands Grenache 2018 is the pinnacle of the Yangarra Grenache tree in price, it's not always my favourite wine in the lineup. Call it personal tastes, …
The winemaking has shifted only slightly, but this Yangarra Roux Beaute Roussanne 2019 feels different. More pith, more complexity, more layers. It's a Roussanne like you want it to be, …
They're playing swapsies at Yangarra and Hickinbotham, with the Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard Grenache fruit going over to its McLaren vale brethren for the first time in 2019. Given that Peter …
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