Brad has set a benchmark in bargain Margaret River cabernet for years, and this outstanding vintage perpetuates the legacy with more confidence than ever. Varietal and regional precision are accented with red- and blackcurrants, tobacco and capsicum. Vibrant fruit purity carries from start to finish, supported by soft, finely textured tannins. $17 at No Frills […]

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Argentina is a fast-ascending force in the wine world but the Catena family has been hand harvesting its vineyards on the Andean foothills of Mendoza for more than a century. Argentina’s talents with malbec are widely celebrated, and this is a particularly refined introduction. Impressively supple black fruit density is toned by refreshingly low alcohol […]

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Rosé in Provence is lively, savoury, fresh and young, and it’s refreshing to find it reach Australia sufficiently youthful to hold its captivating vibe. Don’t be put off by this strangely curvaceous bottle, because its contents are enticingly pure, alive with crunchy pomegranate and pink grapefruit, finishing long, textural, chalky and mineral.

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There is a dense, sumptuous richness and a refined fruit purity to all of Wayne Dutschke’s 2010 reds, rising to the expectation of one of the most handsome labels in the Barossa. It begins right here in his blend of his neighbours’ vineyards. Wonderfully concentrated black plum, blueberry, black cherry and liquorice fruit is at once […]

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Seville Estate is one of the mainstays of Upper Yarra viticulture, and the outstanding 2010 vintage has elevated its Estate Chardonnay to new heights of textural minerality, seamless precision, pristine fruit clarity and expertly crafted styling. Pure, focused and fresh grapefruit and white peach are beautifully integrated with cashew nut French oak, finishing with outstanding […]

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Shiraz master Wayne Dutschke proved his skill with varietal cabernet under his ‘Sami’ label in recent times, but for years this has been his secret weapon in subtly tweaking shiraz. We have awaited his first cabernet shiraz in trembling, child-like anticipation. It has landed at last, and, boy oh boy, does it meet expectation. The […]

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St Jak is Dutschke’s most important wine, and 2010 is as exactingly crafted and wonderfully generous as ever. It’s packed with opulent layers of black cherries and plums of warm, supple concentration yet precise definition. The finish carries seamless and exact, with supportive dark chocolate oak meshing with fine, supple tannins, warming alcohol and lingering […]

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Last week Domaine Wine Shippers lined up the big guns of Domaine Raveneau and Domaine Laroche with the new guy, Patrick Piuze, from precocious Petit Chablis to profound Grand Cru Les Clos. After an hour of intensive interrogation, Raveneau claimed three of my top five wines and Piuze snared two. Terroir de Courgis is a […]

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I’ve been tracking a container of Dumangin destined for our shores for months, having seen a sneak preview of its contents last July. I spent the second half of last year pleading with Coles to treat us to the most refined sub-$60 champagne rosé around. The wait is finally over because the call came on […]

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2010 is an Oscar of lush concentration yet consummate precision, a flagship for all that is wonderful about Barossa shiraz. In depth of colour and palate concentration, it is nothing less than immense, ricocheting with powerful blackberries, blueberries, plums and liquorice that seem to coast just under the surface. The crucial secret that elevates Oscar […]

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