2011 was a game-changing vintage across south-eastern Australia, a tough, cool season that worked magic with some vineyards. Bella Coppia is cooler, calmer and fresher than ever, a wine of dazzling acidity and mouthfilling texture. Crunchy lemons, grapefruit zest, a hint of almost ripe honeydew and a varietal note of dried grass are all part […]

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The expertise of Croser’s impeccably crafted vintage wines has filtered down to its bargain-priced non-vintage. This is a fruit-focused style of wild strawberries, golden delicious apples, wild honey and notes of mixed spice. A zesty acid cut and a fine bead make for a clean and refreshing aperitif style. $19 at Discount Wines and Jim’s […]

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Confession time. I wasn’t a big fan of the last two vintages of the Adelaide Hills’ most famous wine, eclipsed by the Chardonnay and Shiraz of the same estate. But the brand new 2012 is nothing less than stunning, returning to the classic purity that first put this wine on the map. Its citrus profile […]

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Mark my words: Grüner Veltliner is the next big thing for the Adelaide Hills. New plantings, regional think tanks and experiments are playing out behind the scenes, but Hahndorf Hill was the first to take it to market two years ago. The 2012 will land shortly and it’s the most refined yet. Displaying impressive, primary […]

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Such elegance and purity is rarely found in Australian sparkling wine, and after experiencing this wine it’s no surprise to learn that its maker Kate Laurie learnt her skill in the heart of Champagne. Her expertise is on display in this refreshing aperitif style. It’s spent 18 months on lees, and it’s only lacking the […]

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Tim Knappstein clearly still has Clare flowing in his blood, because even from his base in the Adelaide Hills he’s conjured a quintessential Clare Riesling of articulate expression. It’s racy, clean and refreshing with a wonderful lift of lemon blossom and talcum powder, accurate granny smith apple and lime zest fruit, chalky mineral structure and […]

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Adam Marks is one of the most reflective minds in Australian wine right now, and this is his finest pinot yet. Elegantly poised, silky structured, fragrantly lifted, gorgeously perfumed and hauntingly persistent. It unites rose petals, red cherries, wild strawberries, dried herbs and exotic spice into a seamlessly flowing stream which rolls over a tannin […]

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2010 is an exceptional season for Yeringberg’s cabernet blend, presenting impeccably ripe fruit of immaculate blackcurrant refinement and fragrant violet lift, wrapped intricately in high cocoa dark chocolate and vibrant acidity. Its tannin framework is nothing less than profound, perfectly gauged to provide mouthfilling presence and confident control, yet at every moment integrated, finely textured, […]

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A beautifully poised and graceful Yeringberg of effortless harmony, possessing that elusive trait of truly great pinot noir: seductive approachability with great longevity. Pure, beguiling character of red cherries, rose hip, wild strawberries, brambles and undergrowth, restrained yet pronounced. Tannins are silky and superfine, already seamlessly integrated yet possessing a structural assuredness that will make […]

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It perplexes me that a wine of average age twenty-five years can sell at a price which, by world standards, is no more than tiny. After a generation in a solera of small barrels, it has concentrated down to an incredibly dark, dense and viscous thing, decadently thick, potently concentrated, lusciously sweet and mind-blowingly persistent. […]

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