We’ve always been ‘the Lucky Country’, but if you ever needed to be reminded just how lucky…grab a bottle of the Shingleback 2010 Chardonnay and see for yourself! The wine hails from the McLaren Vale region in South Australia, which is renowned for its uncanny resemblance to the Mediterranean climate with wet winters, dry summers…
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I’m normally a sucker for a Margaret River Chardonnay, but they really should have called this one “The Verse 1 Doughnut”, because I reckon there’s a really big hole in the middle. The French Oak and yeast lees are evident on the nose from the moment that you raise your glass. At first, the front…
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If you’re a fan of McLaren Vale Shiraz, but don’t appreciate the overwhelming “sweetness” that can creep into some South Australian versions of the style, then this may be a wine for you. The fruit is full and rich and offers a hint of smokey chocolate; the texture is more glide than chew; and the…
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Bob Oatley has made some great calls in his time. Firstly, in 2003 there was the sale of his Rosemount Estate empire to Southcorp for $1.5 billion; then there was his Wild Oats II yachting team which won five line honours in the Sydney to Hobart Race and remain race record holder to this day;…
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There really is something fishy about the 2008 Fat Fish Shiraz from the irrepressible Barossa Valley. It’s not the dark (if not almost black!) colour of the wine that beguiles the palate. And there’s nothing unusual about a wine conceived in the region showing such deep ripe berries that rise to a crescendo on the…
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If you ask a dozen wine critics to prepare a list of their “top 10” iconic Australian wines, there’s little doubt that the Giaconda Chardonnay from Rick Kinzbrunner’s vineyard in Beechworth, Victoria would feature prominently on almost all of them. Just ask James Halliday who consistently rates it as a 95 plus pointer. Its richness…
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Although you’d expect it at the $70.00 plus price point, winemaker Rick Kinzbrunner has crafted another cracker of a wine with his current release 2008 Giaconda Pinot Noir. The blend of Yarra Valley and Beechworth (Victoria) grapes strikes the perfect balance of structure and fruit. It’s mid-ruby in the glass, gamey on the nose but…
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The west of this great land may best be renowned for its mineral riches, the Kimberleys and wildflowers, but in years to come, I suspect that its SSB (Semillon Sauvignon Blanc) will become just as well known. The Margaret River region is perhaps the State’s premier wine district and along with its Cabernet, the SSB…
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Life is full of surprises, and there has been no bigger surprise this year than when a member of our wine club, known affectionately as “Mr Vinegar”, brought an exceptional wine to share at last week’s regular club dinner. Best known for his corked chardonnays and aged white burgundys that are beyond creating even a…
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If there’s one thing better than finding the perfectly fitting bargain at a Boxing Day sale, it’s stumbling across an exceptionally good wine at a price point that means you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to enjoy it. Australians are blessed to have so many really good wines available at budget price…
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