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 …
We are incredibly spoilt for great Chardonnay in Australia. Sure, old mate Chardie is an early ripening weed of a grape variety that flourishes everywhere, but so often the 'Australian Chardonnay …
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've never been to Alsace. Like Corsica, It is a missing page in my French wine region passport. I've got as far as Neuchâtel, circa 2hrs south, but Gamaret plots …
Broad vintage generalisations anywhere are fraught with danger. They're so problematic given just how much a harvest can vary from variety to variety and vineyard to vineyard. Like 2011 in …
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 …
Chardonnay - aka the king of white wines (which makes Riesling the queen) - gets pride of place in the Graham household, regularly jumping the barrier from 'tasting' to 'drinking' …
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, …
Enter, the latest majestic McLaren Vale red the Hickinbotham stable, the Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard Brooks Road Shiraz 2019. For anyone who loves Penfolds Shiraz, this is the alternate choice - a …
One of the country’s best Neros in fine form. This Eldorado Road Comrade Nero d’Avola 2019 is a success because it's deceptively complex. In the vineyard, Paul & Laurie have now …
I always find it fascinating when a brand gets a PR agency. While previously it would just be a winemaker reaching out to say 'want to try my wines?', now …
Oh boy. If you like the standard Dalrymple Pinot (which I did), then you need to try this Dalrymple Cottage Block Pinot Noir 2019. The Cottage Block is one of the …
Reviewing young Hunter Valley Semillon built in the 'traditional' style (low alcohol, high acid, usually bottled with plenty of SO2) is typically hard work. Green apples, and teeth-cleaning acidity. But …
New labels, and this latest crop of wines from Tim Smith have been uniformly excellent. Just make the Halliday scores look even more ridiculous (although Tim is not alone). Anyway, this …
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