Yarra Yering, with its distinctive labels, is one of my favourite Australian wineries. I drank this gem last night: probably well before its time, but it was lovely. [Read more…
Mac Forbes EB18 ‘P3’ Pinot Gris/Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier 2015
Mac Forbes is a bit of a legend. He’s been a pioneer of lighter, lower alcohol, naturally made wines from the Yarra Valley. As well as his regular wines, he…
In the Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley. It was almost a decade ago that I first visited, back in March 2006. It was a lovely trip owing much to the generosity of Tony Jordan,…
Lunch with Mac Forbes
Mac Forbes was in town so we lunched at 28:50 in Maddox Street. I’ve long been a fan of his wines, and wrote about him at length here. But I can’t…
Luke Lambert Nebbiolo, a new Australian classic
This is amazing! Nebbiolo is a difficult traveller – a grape variety that really struggles to perform well away from its Piedmont home. But Luke Lambert has created a new…
Two superb Chardonnays, Yarra and Burgundy
I was presented with these two wines blind by my brother-in-law Beavington. It was a fascinating challenge: both were clearly serious expressions of Chardonnay (we share an appreciation for great…
Two super Australian Chardonnays: Oakridge and Yalumba
Australian Chardonnay is probably the wine style that has changed most in the last decade. The best examples are totally brilliant, and while I still have a nostalgic fondness for…
De Bortoli Shiraz Viognier 2004, the benefits of cellaring
There’s something to be said for buying a few bottles of the same wine, then cellaring them, and revisiting them at intervals. It’s tremendously rewarding if the wine ages well. This…
Oakridge Lusatia Park Chardonnay 2011
I love this wine. It typifies what is happening with high-end Aussie Chardonnay at the moment – the embrace of elegance and freshness over weight and richness – picking earlier…