16 Best Chardonnay of November 2020
November 12, 2020
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 …
Review: Oakridge 864 Henk Chardonnay 2018. Magnificent.
November 2, 2020
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 …
Review: Levantine Hill Chardonnay 2017
October 30, 2020
Always sexy oak on these Levantine wines. Another fine release is this Levantine Hill Chardonnay 2017 is too, lightly mealy with lemon butter, a coiffed palate of perfectly even fruit …
The Top 12 Rosé of Spring 2020
October 20, 2020
It's halfway through spring. Already. That escalated quickly... As the name suggests, these are the best pink/blush/salmon orange/reddish coloured Australian rosé to pass the Australian Wine Review tasting bench this springtime. …
Review: Seville Estate Pinot Noir 2019
September 16, 2020
Modern Yarra Pinot be damned, this Seville Estate Pinot Noir 2019 is smoky, smouldering, meaty and tangy, the style lifted by acidity and morello cherry with a little bacon on …
Review: In Dreams Chardonnay 2019. $25 Chardonnay steal.
September 5, 2020
On recent form, I like everything Anthony Fikkers touches (like the Gamay). and this In Dreams Chardonnay 2019 is compelling wine. From vineyards all over the Yarra with a smorgasbord of …
Cabernet Day: Four flagships from Levantine Hill, Maverick, Blue Pyrenees & Terre à Terre
September 3, 2020
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 …
The Top 20 Shiraz of August 2020
August 28, 2020
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 …
Review: Alkimi Whole Bunched Marsanne 2019
August 27, 2020
Getting skin contact/orange wines right is harder than you think. Phenolics, minimal filtration, minimal additions. Many things that can go wrong, and then you need someone to understand the style. …
All Pinot, no filler. Top 10 Pinot Noir of August 2020
August 16, 2020
It's only the 16th August but this has been one glorious month for Pinot Noir. Each and every one of these wines went down well at Australian Wine Review HQ, with …
Review: Steels Gate Home Block Blanc de Blancs 2016
August 3, 2020
Like all of the Steels Gate wines, this Steels Gate Home Block Blanc de Blancs 2016 is a model of delicacy. Pure and vital, it's all white flowers and marzipan, the …
Review: Oakridge Original Vineyard Cabernet 2018
August 1, 2020
Pure class. This Oakridge Original Vineyard Cabernet 2018 is a somewhat shy - but deadly correct - Yarra Cabernet. Bright, leafy and relatively high acid style. Cool and pencily, the palate …
Review: Bird on a Wire Chardonnay 2017
July 30, 2020
Caroline Mooney's latest Bird on a Wire Chardonnay 2017 is a masterful wine. Sourced from the Willowlake vineyard, it's whole bunch pressed, wild fermented and 30% of the blend goes …
Review: Levantine Hill Katherine’s Paddock Chardonnay 2017. Filigreed Yarra white.
July 28, 2020
Every time. Every wine. There's a detail in all of the Levantine Hill 'Paddock' wines that is hard to ignore. It's a nod to winemaking skill (hat tip Paul Bridgeman), to …
Review: Burton McMahon George’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018
July 16, 2020
Burton McMahon George’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018The latest release from Matt Burton & Dylan McMahon's Yarra project. Sometimes these wines have looked a little too lean, but this release looks …
The Almost Club Lockdown edition: 68 wines that almost made it over the past 3 months
July 8, 2020
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 over the past few …
Review: Oakridge Vineyard Series Henk Pinot Noir 2018
June 26, 2020
There are relatively few Australian wineries that can boast consistent high level quality like Oakridge. More to the point, these are wines I want to drink. On a normal day …
Review: Steels Gate Home Block Pinot Noir 2017
June 18, 2020
Immediately attractive Yarra Pinot from Brad Atkins & Matthew Davis' Dixon's Creek vineyard. All the Steels Gate wines are sapid and vital but this is a step up in weight. Sappy, …
Review: Rising Pinot Noir 2019
June 17, 2020
First came the Gamay, now meet the Rising Pinot Noir 2019. This release comes from the rocky soils of the Rising Vineyard, and from the outset it aims high. 33% whole …
Review: Rising Gamay 2019
June 9, 2020
Rising is an offshoot from the Sticks winery, centred around a vineyard in the Christmas Hills subregion of the Yarra Valley. As an aside, what a great name for an (unofficial) …
About me – Andrew Graham
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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
