Tag: Victoria

A GOOD DROP: Seville Hill No. 8 Shiraz Review

A Good Drop – Seville Hill No. 8 Shiraz

What was once a small apple and cherry orchard near Seville in Victoria’s Yarra Valley is now Seville Hill Estate; a six-hectare vineyard producing low volumes of high-quality pinot gris, chardonnay, cabernet and shiraz grapes. Agriculturalists John and Josie D’Alosio removed the fruit trees and planted cabernet sauvignon vines in 1991, then expanded their range…
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Henri Bourgeois - Pouilly-Fume en Travertin 2013 Review

TarraWarra Estate, Chardonnay 2013

It may be a style that waxes and wanes in its popularity, but at least from my palate’s perspective, good Chardonnay never goes out of style. And I accept that at times Chardonnay can be pricey and occasionally become over-oaked and sometimes even fall flat, but if you stick to cool climate regions, you’ll seldom…
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Sticks, Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2011 Review

Sticks, Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2011

Pinot Noir is probably my favourite red varietal, but my penchant for the style is tempered somewhat by the price point of most good examples of the style. So, when I recently cracked a bottle of the Sticks Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2011 that a friend had left after a Sunday lunch, I assumed, given…
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Baileys of Glenrowan , Organic Shiraz 2012 Review

Baileys of Glenrowan , Organic Shiraz 2012

I’m the first to admit that I was probably a little judgmental, but I’d always thought that any creator of Certified Organic and preservative free wines would have dreadlocked hair, red beaded necklaces and have a proclivity to wear ripped T-shirts with five-leafed clover emblazoned across the front, and tie themselves to trees as the…
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PHI, Lusatia Park Pinot Noir 2011 Review

PHI, Lusatia Pinot Noir 2011

Having a bottle of the PHI Lusatia Park Pinot Noir 2011 fall into my hands courtesy of winning a bet with a mate (thanks Bloodlines), it was always going to have a certain sweetness on the palate. But who could have guessed that such a highly perfumed nose could have carried such rose petal prettiness…
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T'Gallant, Tribute Pinot Gris 2006 Review

T’Gallant, Tribute Pinot Gris 2006

Pinot Gris is generally a richer and more opulent style than its much leaner Italian Pinot Grigio cousin, which is made using the same grape. And if ever there was a complex and decadent Alsacian style of Pinot Gris, it is the T’Gallant Tribute Pinot Gris 2008. I really like the dried fruit and herbaceous…
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Balgownie Estate, Black Label Sparkling Shiraz 2008 Review

Balgownie Estate, Black Label Sparkling Shiraz 2008

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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Balgownie Estate, Shiraz 2008 Review

Balgownie Estate, Shiraz 2008

I may be biased, or it may just be personal preference, but I’ve never been terribly keen on Bendigo as a wine producing region. At least that was the case until a friend slipped me a bottle of the Balgownie Estate 2008 Shiraz ($30-35) from none other than Maiden Gully in the Bendigo region of…
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Hanging Rock, Macedon Cuvee Brut X11 NV Review

Hanging Rock, Macedon Cuvee Brut X11 NV

There aren’t a lot of Australian made sparkling whites that rival those of the Champagne region in France, but the Hanging Rock Macedon Cuvée XII is certainly one such creature. Being from outside the famous French appellation, we can’t refer to it as “champagne”, but the rich characters, creamy texture and lingering yeastiness bear all…
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Giaconda Chardonnay Review

Giaconda Chardonnay

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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