“Almost perfect conditions” in Magill produced what Penfolds Senior Red Winemaker Steve Lienert as one of the best Magill Estates. Winter rain, warm Dec and Jan, pristine conditions for mid-Feb harvest. Blueberry and mulberry fruits are framed in firm oak structure (71% new French oak and 24% new American), making for a slightly astringent oak […]

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2013 is a blockbuster vintage for RWT, a dry, warm season of lower yields and heightened concentration of black fruits and liquorice, confidently met by the prominent dark chocolate and vanilla custard mood of French oak and a towering wall of firm, fine tannins. Fruit, oak and tannins ascend in unison, maintaining balance and form, […]

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A blend of three Coonawarra vineyards, 2013 brings an altogether different personality to Bin 169 than 2008 (two blocks) and 2010 (one block). This impressive season in Coonawarra delivered a warm December and January and a cool to mild autumn, furnishing conditions for a classic Coonawarra cabernet of fragrance, vibrancy and tang. It’s built on […]

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An earlier release date and the earliest media preview tasting yet do little to flatter the long-ageing Penfolds red style. This year the cabernets reflected this most emphatically, and none more than 707. I hung back at the tasting, long after everyone else had retired for Billecart-Salmon and consequently for lunch, just to give these […]

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2015 marks the 100th anniversary of Max Schubert’s birth. There’s something more than a little nostalgic about this release, and I feel Schubert would be proud. Not just because it’s the blend he championed, or because it has such polish that defines the modern era of Penfolds, but that it harks back to the toned […]

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Grange is made every year, in spite of the season, and while the price went up for the great vintage of 2008, it’s not coming down for the lesser 2011. This is the sixth Grange in as many decades to be 100% shiraz, and the focus is on warmer regions in this cool, wet season, […]

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This tastes exactly as it says on the tin, Limestone Coast merlot with bubbles. It’s tangy and lively, filled with crunchy red- and blackcurrant fruit and leaf, and fine, well gauged tannin grip and a lick of dark chocolate oak on the finish. It showcases the fruit from Di Giorgio’s estate vineyards. Great value, and […]

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The personality of Coonawarra shiraz in all of its elegant, fine-boned and peppery character is presented in this deep and vibrantly coloured sparkling shiraz. Restrained oak treatment (less than one-third of the blend is matured in used barrels) keeps the focus on primary fruit, while youthful tannins are contrasted with a sweet finish (28g/L of […]

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This is my kind of rosé! Pretty, ultra-pale salmon hue; a gorgeous, elegant incarnation of the fragrant air and graceful red cherry and strawberry fruits of Adelaide Hills pinot noir, seamlessly supported by the citrus drive of chardonnay. Two years on lees provides engaging texture without diminishing primary purity. Magnificent, sophisticated and downright great value. […]

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Sparkling red may be a small sector of the sparkling market, but it’s growing rapidly, and Bleasdale makes the best-selling example in the country. In spite of growth in production, this label has retained remarkable character and calibre. Winemaker Paul Hotker is working hard on the finer details, using fresher dosage liqueur that he makes […]

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