A refined and pretty sauvignon with lemon blossom and guava aromas and a palate of tangy passionfruit, lime zest and subtle green pea notes. It finishes long, clean and zesty, with a vibrant acid line. A value offering in the vast Marlborough sauvignon category. $15 at Templestowe Cellars.

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An approachable lunch time claret style of fragrant cabernet of violet perfume and blackcurrant and cassis fruit, sourced from Mandala’s estate vineyard established at Dixon’s Creek 25 years ago. It presents impressive fruit concentration for an elegant and low alcohol cabernet, with notes of lead pencil oak hovering in the background, wrapped in graphite-fine, softly […]

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The cool 2011 season has coaxed out the finest chardonnay I can recall from the high vineyard of Heggies. It’s delightfully refined, producing a restrained and honed wine of wonderfully fine texture and considerable persistence. Elegant white peach, grapefruit and fresh fig fruit is nuanced with notes of almond and vanilla, with oak and fruit […]

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One of the greatest sparkling shirazes of all, with considerable concentration, leading out rich and full, fanning out into a tightly defined palate, finishing savoury, honed and impeccably constrained. It’s laced together with very fine, firm tannins, yet never aggressive nor obvious, melding seamlessly with black and blue fruits and gentle sweetness. Old Wendouree vines […]

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This is a long-ageing vintage for Peregrine, representative of the rustic style of the vintage, bolstered in no small part by firm oak tannins, though showing more confident balance than most from this warm season. The palate is honed and taut, with black cherry/berry fruit pulled in tight by a band of firm, robust tannins. […]

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In smart livery of ceramic printing and pewter logo, The Angelus is looking as suave as ever, inside and out. The essence of McLaren Vale cabernet is captured here, with tremendous concentration, while maintaining its purity at every moment. Deep black fruits and liquorice pull into a gracefully honed finish of refreshing acidity and fine-tuned, […]

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Kupe represents the best corner of the Escarpment estate vineyard, planted at three times the usual density of New Zealand pinot noir, yielding just a kilogram per vine. The result is wonderfully firm, fine and textural in structure, with silky tannins; a savoury and focused wine of wonderful acid vibrancy and persistent finish. Layered complexity […]

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A triumph of a sensational vintage, a wine of impressive depth of fruit concentration of black cherries, cherry kernel, anise, vanilla, even plum pudding, yet at every instant graceful and restrained, holding impeccable freshness and primary purity even at more than a decade of age. A wine of incredible detail and lingering poise. I have […]

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The back label says concentrated, robust and full bodied. Don’t believe a word of it. This is a restrained and spice-accented vintage for McPherson, a wine that encapsulates the cool, pepper-laden 2011 season remarkably well for its price. Its bright rhubarb and mixed berry compote flavours are supported by finely textured, softly structured tannins. Great […]

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La Bise is what Fox Gordon winemaker Tash Mooney describes as her “just for fun, selfish winemaking” project. Hand-made in miniscule volumes, this Macclesfield sangiovese is intended to be clearly varietal, yet friendly and easy to drink – a balance that she admits is hard to achieve. She’s nailed it here, capturing the vibrancy, refreshing […]

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