Hardys Chronicles “The Gamble” Limestone Coast Chardonnay 2014 $15.99 The press release sketches a tenuous connection between Hardys “The Chronicles” range and the company’s nineteenth-century founder Thomas Hardy. In fact, this is a thoroughly modern, realistically priced wine, made by people who also make one of Australia’s finest chardonnays, Eileen Hardy. Grapes are sourced from … Continue reading Wine review – Hardys and Soumah
Tyrrell’s Vat 9 Shiraz $80–$90 Ashmans property, lower Hunter Valley, NSW Where vignerons in much of eastern Australia struggled in the cold, wet 2011 vintage, Hunter winemakers turned out remarkable shirazes, like Tyrrell’s Vat 9. Always a regional benchmark of the medium bodied, long-lived style, Vat 9 in 2011 shows the extra fruit intensity of … Continue reading Wine review – Tyrrell’s, Rolf Binder, Clonakilla, Eddystone Point and Ravensworth
De Bortoli Villages Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2012 $18–$22 Despite Australia’s love affair with sauvignon blanc – especially those from Marlborough, New Zealand – chardonnay remains by far our biggest locally grown white variety. By volume, it’s second only to shiraz and it’s increasingly viewed as one of our great specialties. Like shiraz, it comes in … Continue reading Wine review — De Bortoli, Illuminati and Mad Fish
The Winesmiths South Australia Chardonnay 2-litre cask $18.99 In July, Samuel Smith and Son, an arm of Robert Hill Smith’s Yalumba group, launched this new upmarket range of wine casks – pinot grigio, chardonnay, tempranillo and shiraz. The cask, made from a claimed 75 per cent recyclable goods and 13 per cent the carbon footprint … Continue reading Wine review — The Winesmiths, Mad Fish and Dopff au Moulin
Moppity Vineyards Lock and Key Chardonnay 2012 $17 Coppabella Vineyard, Tumbarumba, NSW At the 2013 regional show, Lock and Key topped a line up of 24 chardonnays, ultimately winning the trophy as best chardonnay of the show. Wines from Tumbarumba dominated the class, winning all five gold medals. Moppity entered four chardonnays and won four … Continue reading Wine review — Moppity Vineyards, Oakridge, The Winesmiths, Yalumba and Hahndord Hill
Barrel-strength malt whisky isn’t “a dram for the feint hearted”, declares a recent Scotch Malt Whisky Society press release. I’m sure they meant faint hearted. But we get their drift. We could also add that making, maturing and marketing luxury goods, like malt whisky, isn’t for faint-of-heart businesses. Success requires loads of capital, patience, global … Continue reading Making and marketing single-barrel whisky
Windy Peak Shiraz 2012 – $11.40–$14 Heathcote, Victoria Sometimes less is more. And that’s what makes modestly priced Windy Peak wine of the week. It isn’t over-oaked. It isn’t over extracted. It isn’t tricked up in any way as some cheaper wines can be. It simply delivers what it says on the label – shiraz … Continue reading Wine review — Windy Peak, Capital Wines, Tower Estate, Robert Stein and Clover Hill
Brokenwood Stanleigh Park Vineyard Semillon 2007 $45 Lower Hunter Valley, NSW People tend to have or hate the Hunter Valley’s idiosyncratic semillon style. If, like me, you love it; or if you’ve heard of it but haven’t tried it, Brokenwood’s just-released 2007 provides the perfect opportunity. It’s travelled through the early, lemony, austere stage of … Continue reading Wine review — Brokenwood, Majella, Ten Minutes by Tractor, Yalumba, Vinaceous and Blandy’s
De Bortoli Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2011 $21–$30 The recommend price is $30, but as I write Dan Murphy’s charges $23.75 as part of a six-bottle buy, beaten by Costco Canberra’s $20.99, no quantity hurdle. The wine comes from mature vines, average age 20 years, says winemakers Steve Webber. He crushes the grape bunches, stalks and … Continue reading Wine review — De Bortoli and Oxford Landing Estates
Three years ago Wig and Pen brewer, Richard Watkins, laid down an oak cask of beer modelled on Belgium’s unique “lambic” style. It’s risky stuff indeed as the tag team of microbes that create the beer could well bring the whole batch undone; the barrel itself might harbour uninvited micro guests; and the oxidative environment … Continue reading Wig and Pen to release lambic beer