I’ve been waiting like an excited child for the results to hit the bottle after winemaker extraordinaire Sam Connew (Wirra Wirra) joined Tower in late 2009. Here they are, and the wait was worth every nanosecond! One of the freshest, most mineral and long-term entry level 2010 semillons.

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Does chardonnay get any better than this anywhere else in the world under $20? No. Premium Yarra fruit in all its honed, mineral, grapefruit blossom and white peach glory! My score and drinking windows are not misprints. At $12.85 at Dan’s and $15 at WineStar and Kemeny’s, you’d better stock up by the pallet.

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The calm restraint of Hunter shiraz makes it a mandatory and versatile inclusion in your drinking calendar. Thanks to the legendary Andrew Margan, you needn’t fork out a fortune for the privilege. Unleashed this week, his early picked 2009 is delightfully vibrant, with pure red berries, dried herb spice and supple tannins. $19 at Dan’s.

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It takes as much fruit to make a half bot of botrytis wine as it does a full bot of anything else, such is its concentration! Seriously! This is full-throttle dessert wine, brimming with golden syrup, apricot, peach and melon, with just the right dash of fresh lemon to keep it zesty and lively. $16.15 […]

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WA’s most famous riesling maker has concocted a refreshing, bargain shiraz viognier that’s set to cause quite a stir! It’s honed, complex and unashamedly elegant, with all the graceful hallmarks of cool climate shiraz: cracked white pepper, sage and game, riding on fine-grained, chalky tannins.

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Yalumba is the custodian of the best viognier in the country and some of the best shiraz, too, so no surprise to find a blend of the two with enticingly spicy black fruits, liquorice, pepper and finely textured tannins. The only surprise is that you can snare a wine of such definition and focus under […]

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You don’t pop the question every night of your life, and at a cool $679, you don’t pop Krug Rosé every night, either. Exceedingly ethereal, ultra-restrained with the most sublime nuances that rise and linger amid dancing minerality and a pinpoint bead. It defies simple descriptors. Just say, “Yes!” $550 at WineStar.

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How can a wine of such monolithic proportions have such elegance, lift, poise and finesse? Laced with violets, cassis, rose petals, pepper, cloves, nutmeg and tremendous black fruits. Epic tannin presence and integration. Magical freshness and floral perfume, impeccable seamlessness and persistence. It’s as good as the 94, 85, 70, 35 and 24. The first […]

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This is no ordinary CdR. In the Rhône appellation of Cornas there is none more famous than Clape and his just-landed CdR commands respect. Cellar it, decant it and serve it with robust main course fare. Remarkably youthful, with exotic spice, pepper, coal, graphite and mouth-coating tannins.

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It’s not only that this is the best Vasse Felix chardonnay ever but that it sets a new benchmark for this rapidly ascending producer in focus, coiled-up restraint and longevity. Control, texture, linearity, persistence, drive and sheer sophistication like none that have come before it. $45 at Kemeny’s and Dan’s.

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