Cliff Royle is one of WA’s most astute and intuitive winemakers, capturing the essence of Margaret River Cabernet even in his easy-drinking quaffer. Its primary, crunchy blackcurrants taste like cabernet straight out of the fermenter, speaking volumes of the juicy appeal of this warm vintage. Fine, rustic fruit tannins provide some structure to the finish, […]

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Auntsfield doesn’t make sauvignon like everyone else in Marlborough. The point here is expressing the mineral texture of this old site, achieved through all manner of clever winemaking tricks including use of a bit of old oak and months of lees ageing and stirring. The result is released later, will live longer and speaks more […]

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There’s always been an authentic, hand made feel to Troy and Tony Kalleske’s wines, but it seems the lads have refined a sense of polish in recent years, reinforced by the advent of their ultra-slick, retro, embossed bottles. There’s nothing shy about the second release of their foray into single vineyard cabernet, a concentrated and […]

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Domaine Chandon has built its fame on sparking wines, but with Mount Langi Ghiran legend Dan Buckle recently taking the reins, watch this estate transform into a still wine epicentre of Victoria. It already has plenty to show for itself, as this wine exemplifies. An alluring core of black plums, perfectly ripe blackberries, anise and […]

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Love it or loathe it, the moscato revolution is in full swing, and why fork out $25 when you could spend $7 at Winesaver? OK, so it’s short, simple and a little lacking in fruit concentration – but it’s grapey, with all the right flavours of honey, ginger, cane sugar and lemon. And, hey, you’re drinking […]

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D’Arenberg is setting new Olympic records in the number of new super-premium wines to emerge in one year, but it’s at the value end of the league that this grand estate showcases its true prowess. D’Arry’s is an even mix of shiraz and grenache, with a touch of carbonic maceration for bubblegum complexity. Berry compote […]

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Whoever said 2011 was a disastrous red wine vintage? It’s a captivating sport to find the exceptions, and here’s another! I love the touch of the 2011 vintage in this wine, increasing its tangy vibrancy, texture and elegance. The result is an impressively refined and textural fruit focus of rhubarb, plum and blackberries, with notes […]

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There’s no question that the wizards at Yalumba have mastered this challenging variety more skilfully than anyone in the country, and they have worked their craft with special magic in 2011. A delightfully restrained and texture-focused vintage, with fine nuances of apricot kernel, ginger, white pepper and fennel. The palate is quite sophisticated, honed and […]

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The great vintages expose the poor winemakers but it takes a tough season to define the most skilful. Sandro Mosele needs to prove nothing, but his masterful talent is certainly on parade in a delicately focused Clonale of pristine grapefruit blossom and white peach purity, underlined by fresh almond nuances. The complexity of lees contact […]

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Don’t let the name slow you down, this is one of the great and age-worthy wines of the Eden Valley, and 2009 is a sensational rendition, a wine of immaculate varietal definition, structure and detail, capturing both the restrained, structural focus of the vintage and the generosity of Eden Valley cabernet and shiraz. Cabernet leads […]

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