Wow. It’s not often that I try a wine for the first time and immediately search for descriptive superlatives, but the Deisen Barossa Grenache 2010 left me in an adjective free zone and bordering on speechless. Grenache is a style that is normally used in Bordeaux blends which on its own can be floral and…
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Maybe it was the cheap Chianti cloaked in a straw basket that we drank in the ‘90s that gave me such a poor first impression of Italian wines but having recently tried some of their modern-day reds, I am glad I gave their viticulture a second chance! Where the old-style Chianti was very dry, loaded…
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Australia’s most widely recognized wine brand, Penfolds, have generally made their wines in three different styles. There’s the single vineyard approach (like the Magill Estate Shiraz), the single region (aka Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz) and the multi-region blends such as their iconic Grange and Bin 707. But since 2008, winemaker Peter Gago has also been…
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It may just be a conversation starter, but if I had a dollar for every time I’ve been asked, “So, what’s your favourite wine”, I’d almost be able to give up my day job! And while it’s a little unfair to compare premium and pricey collectible wines to their commercially produced cousins which sell at…
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There’s no better place to source Cabernet than in Western Australia’s Margaret River region and you’ll have to search high and low to find a more approachable example than the 2010 Killerby Cabernet Sauvignon. I can’t help but enjoy the slightly dusty mintiness that hits you on the nose, but it’s the full-bodied blackcurrants and…
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If Barossa Shiraz tickles your taste buds but jammy, over-ripe styles overwhelm your senses, then the Westlake Albert’s Block Shiraz 2010 will be right up your alley. The crimson coloured Albert’s Block shows the typically fragrant Barossa nose and the regionally synonymous dark berried fruit up front, but rather than explode across the palate there…
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I’ve regularly given a big “thumbs up” to Hunter Valley whites like their Verdelho, Semillon and even Chardonnay, but rarely have red wines from the region captured the attention of my taste buds like the recently released Meerea Park ‘Hell Hole’ Shiraz 2010. While the Hunter reds are typically “dirty” on the nose and forest…
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It feels a little like insider trading, but I happen to know a bloke who knows a bloke and suddenly, a bottle of the soon to be released Deisen Backblock Shiraz 2010 fell onto my desk last week. This little-known vineyard nestled in between some of the Barossa’s most highly regarded winemakers like Rockford and…
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It seems that Chardonnay has had its day as the white wine of choice for the chic and trendy, and the sun may be setting on Sauvignon Blanc’s stellar run as Australia’s biggest selling varietal. And it may be nothing more than optimism on my part, but I can’t help but think that the stage…
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Although Merlot is the most common variety of grape grown in France, it’s never really hit its straps as a single varietal in the Australian wine market. Perhaps that’s because Merlot grapes tend to ripen too quickly in warm climates, or because Aussies just prefer the softness that it brings when blended with Cabernet and…
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