Tom Carson is one of the bright hopes of Australian wine. He was previously with Yering Station in the Yarra Valley, but a few years back moved to a much…
A serious Aussie Chardonnay: Eldridge Estate
Australian Chardonnay doesn’t have a great image these days. But, as the Landmark Tutorial last year showed, it’s a serious category. Here’s a new wine to me, which I really…
The Wanderer: impressive Shiraz and Pinot from the Yarra Valley
Two very nice wines from a new (to me, at least) producer in the Yarra Valley, Andrew Marks’ The Wanderer. The story of Australian wine isn’t actually about big brands,…
Sweet wine season, 11: Turkey Flat Pedro Ximenez
I haven’t finished my sweet wine season yet. Not by any measure. Here’s number 11, and we’re off to Australia’s Barossa Valley for a bit of a rarity: an Australian…
Petaluma Croser 2006 Adelaide Hills
Aussie fizz can be really good, as the sparkling wine session at last year’s Landmark Australia Tutorial showed. This is one of Australia’s more ambitious sparklers, and it’s quite impressive,…
Sweet wine season, 8: Tamar Ridge Kayena Botrytis Riesling
Having a lot of fun with sweet wines, still. Here’s another cracker from Tasmania. So pure. Tamar Ridge Kayena Vineyard Botrytis Riesling 2007 Tasmania 9% alcohol. Highly aromatic with notes…
An incredible Barossa Shiraz – one of the best ever?
I was blown away by this wine. I’ve tasted lots and lots of Barossa reds, and of those, this is perhaps the best – or at least very close to…
Penfolds Koonunga Hill revived – retro delights
Penfolds have revived their Koonunga Hill label by releasing two new wines in retro packaging. Back in 1976, the Koonunga Hill red was first released. It was cheap, but surprisingly…
Two contrasting Rhone-style wines from California and Australia
Two rather different takes on the Rhone here, one tending towards old world elegance; the other, unashamedly ripe and new world in style. They’re both from UK supermarket (or, to…