When West Australian wines grace my table it’s normally the Margaret River Cabernet that grabs the attention of my tastebuds but having recently tried the Shelton “Calem Blue” Shiraz 2012, I think I might have to broaden my horizons! The Calem Blue sits at the budget end of the spectrum but shows the ripeness of…
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The 2011 vintage of the Shingleback The Davey Estate Shiraz is finally on the shelves and given the quality of the latest offering from one of McLaren Vale’s best-known producers, it may soon be in short supply. Over the last few years, I have been fortunate enough to sample the majority of the Shingleback range…
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There’s little doubt that bad wines make the good ones seem great and vice versa, but if you ever try the Aramis “The Governor” Syrah 2006 after a glass of poorly crafted Pinot from the Yarra (like I did), you’ll seriously believe that you’ve received manna from heaven! The “Governor” is probably Aramis’ flagship wine,…
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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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Pinot Noir is undoubtedly one of the world’s most versatile food wines and outside of Burgundy in France, the Central Otago region in New Zealand’s South Island is probably the world’s premier Pinot producing region. The hallmarks of a good Central Otago Pinot include a savoury nose, sweet cherried fruit and a smooth smoky finish…
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Growing Pinot Noir in Australia is always a bit hit and miss. After all, it’s a grape that shows its best in a cool climate, but even the so-called “cool climate” regions in our sunburnt land can be subject to significant seasonal variations. And the Adelaide Hills region in South Australia is no different despite…
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While it may be the French who can lay claim to producing the best “Méthode Champenoise” (sparkling white that is bottle fermented) white wines in their “Champagne” region, I doubt that many countries can produce a better sparkling red than Australia. After all, our Shiraz and Cabernet grapes are amongst the world’s best and with…
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Unless you’re related to one of its 685 residents, you’re unlikely to have heard of Greenock, a town nestled in the northwestern edge of the Barossa Valley, but you’ll certainly be hearing a lot more about their wine if they can replicate vintages like the 2009 Laughing Jack Greenock Shiraz! Owner and vigneron Shaun Kalleske…
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I’ve often said that there’s no such thing as a good cheap Pinot Noir but having tried the Jardim Do Bomfim 2009 Pinot Noir, I suspect that I might have to accept that I could have been wrong! The unusual name “Jardim Do Bomfim” means “Garden of Good End” and the name is fitting for…
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