IT’S been a while (perhaps 15 years or so) since Wynns released a single vineyard “Harold” Cabernet. But after a lengthy hiatus, the 2013 iteration is bottled, labelled and soon to hit the shelves. And it seems that winemaker Sue Hodder is taking a new direction with the fruit from this premium parcel of Coonawarra vines. Where…
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Australian wine consumers are a fortunate bunch. Not only do we have a wide range of varietals to choose from, but we are blessed with remarkable quality for the prices we are asked to pay. And no more so than amongst our vigneron’s Shiraz offerings where the Brockenchack Zip Line Shiraz 2014 is one of…
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Call it pink, salmon, pale red or rosy, the Bird in Hand Pinot Rosé is certainly a light and lively rosé colour in the glass and wears its strawberry cloak from the nose right through to a semi-dry finish. Hailing from the cool Adelaide Hills vineyards of Bird in Hand, the Pinot Noir grapes were…
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The Wrattonbully wine region is sandwiched between Coonawarra and Padthaway in South Eastern South Australia and, just like its neighbouring districts, enjoys regionally distinctive terroir and abundant underground water. The Terra Rossa soils and limestone ridges have proven to be an ideal environment for growing Cabernet and Shiraz, but also Merlot wines of unusual power…
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Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon, like the Shiraz and red wine blends, is renowned for its high quality, but notorious for its exorbitant price tag. Their Bin 407 retails at close to $100.00 a bottle while its big brother, the Bin 707 sits in a Grange-esque range of around $300 to $500, depending on the vintage. Against…
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I’ve always had tremendous respect for Mitchell Taylor and the wine-making team at the family-owned Taylors Wines in South Australia’s Clare Valley, but with a St Andrews Reserve Cabernet pitched at around $55, I struggle to understand the reason for recently releasing a “Reserve Parcel” Cabernet at its $25 price point! Perhaps it’s just the…
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As the festive season approaches, our thoughts turn to Christmas parties, entertaining and family reunions, and if mine is anything to go by, our palates tend to recalibrate themselves away from the heavy reds of winter in favour of cold, refreshing, crisp whites and at times, a salutary (and at times, celebratory) glass of bubbles.…
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The simple tricks of clever winemakers can create mouth-watering styles of wine that often defy their traditional characters. And there aren’t too many better examples of uncomplicated viticultural stratagem paying handsome dividends in the bottle, than the Deviation Road Pinot Gris 2014. Winemakers, Hamish and Kate Laurie, realised that Pinot Gris can be tightly wound…
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Whether you’re a wine novice, occasional tippler or even a connoisseur, we all have very different palates when it comes to the type and style of wine we find most appealing. As they say, one man’s meat is another man’s poison, and in wine, there is no more divisive style than Riesling. It’s a grape…
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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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