After cracking the lid on this resoundingly good Grenache, I was tempted to text Juxtaposed winemaker Wes Pearson and tell him to put his prices up. Which I've done for …
Allan Varney's Grenache-based reds are uniformly good. All of them. Let's call it a talent. This Varney GSM 2018 is my pick of the lot. Handling-wise it ticks all the boxes. …
The first-ever 'serious' red wine I bought was a 1998 St Hallett Faith Shiraz back in 2000. I had just turned 19 and was working in a bottle shop where …
Australian Chardonnay is in the midst of a purple patch, with quality - and value - as good as it has ever been, as this collection of the 16 best …
Packaged up in a huge bottle, with its own presentation case, this Taltarni The Patron 2016 is unashamedly ambitious wine. But is it delicious? Let's get some background bits out of …
Notch up this Oates Ends Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 as another top shelf Margaret River Cabernet from Cath Oates, just like previous high quality releases (like this one). Maybe a little more …
"Three varieties very well suited to McLaren Vale. Bush Vine Grenache provides aromatic lift and bright red fruit characters. Shiraz lends powdery tannin, spice and mid-palate weight, while Mourvèdre rounds …
Corton or Yarra Valley? Yes, those Burgundy comparisons are cliché and boring, but the quality analogue isn't. This Oakridge 864 Henk Chardonnay 2018 is absolute top flight Chardonnay at a …
I didn't try this Yangarra Old Vine Grenache 2019 side-by-side with the High Sands and I wish I did, as this apprentice would really take it up to the old …
Its easy to become a Yangarra Grenache fanboy. Every wine has an unquestioned charisma, a sense of 'round peg in round hole' correctness about them that is unmistakable. This '17 …
I'm now officially back from holidays and have spent too many hours staring out the window and thinking about where I was just a few days ago - this beach …
Matt East from Rouleur normally comes and visits at this time of year with all of his new releases in tow. We talk about wine, a bit of cycling, the …
Mark this Forty Paces Pinot Noir 2017 on the 'try me ' sheet. Setup by Jason Peasley in 2001, Forty Paces is a 1.5ha plot at Pipers Creek in the Macedon …
This Hickinbotham The Nest Cabernet Franc 2018 or the regal Cab Sauv? It’s a toss-up on first glance as both wines are so impressive. The straight Cabernet ultimate rises above, …
Today is Cabernet Day, which, like all the other days, no one cares about bar a handful of marketers. But you know that already. Rather than stew on why we need …
Stylistically akin to the best Hunter Semillon, this Tahbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne 2014 is a fascinating piece. Sourced from a patch of Marsanne vines that dates back to 1927 (who knew!) …
This is now the third bottle of Tapanappa Tiers Chardonnay 2018 and each time it gets better. Now officially at 'phwoar' level. For a little context about Tiers, you need to …
As the name suggests, these are the Top 20 Shiraz of August 2020. There was more Shiraz this month, there always is. But these are the wines I want to …
This year, Xavier Bizot & Lucy Croser have made the decision to rationalise the Terre à Terre range to a trio of red blends (and a Sauvignon Blanc). This Terre …
This Hickinbotham Vineyard Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is irrepressibly fine wine. The Porsche 911 of the McLaren Vale Cabernet world. And not just 4S - this is Turbo level. Actually, I …
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 environment.
Twenty years later and I spend my days wearing many (wine) hats, mostly as a writer, presenter and marketer.
I now judge at wine shows around the world, sit on the Australian Wine List of the Year awards panel and was once a Wine Journalism Young Gun (but baby that was years ago).
Currently, I write features for a variety of publications including National Liquor News, Gourmet Traveller WINE and the RAS, plus I'm a former Lifestyle FOOD channel wine expert.
In 2019 and 2020 I was voted in the Top 30 Best Wine Critics in The World, and in my spare time, I'm a sucker for punishment and run trail ultra marathons, much to the delight of my long-suffering family. Read more about me here or get in touch to book your next wine event with me here