Seppelt Jaluka Chardonnay 2009 $22–$27 Drumborg Vineyard, Henty, Victoria A generation ahead of his time, Karl Seppelt planted a vineyard for the then family company at Drumborg in 1964. It’s a cold site, near Portland in southwestern Victoria. Some say it’s the first landfall north of Antarctica. The vineyard grows beautiful chardonnay – high in … Continue reading Wine review — Seppelt, Zarepath, McWilliams Hanwood, Capital Wines, Terra Felix and Domaine A →

McWilliams Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2006 $14–$22 Hunter Valley, New South Wales Surprisingly for such a northerly, warm region, the lower Hunter produces delicate, low-alcohol semillon of great flavour, individuality and longevity. If the idiosyncratic style is to your taste (tart and lemony when young; toasty and honeyed with great age), then top-notch Hunter semillon, … Continue reading Wine reviews — McWilliams, Helm, Clonakilla, Mount Avoca and Cofield →

McWilliams ‘Elizabeth’ Hunter Semillon 2004 $12-$17 Crème de Cassis de Dijon 500ml $15 Why risk the run of bland, sweet roses when you can render any dry white or bubbly pink – as well as tasty, fruity and bitter-sweet – with a splash of cassis?  The drier and more austere the wine the better as … Continue reading Wine review — McWilliams Mount Pleasant, Oyster Bay, Stone Dwellers and Holm Oak →

McWilliam’s Hanwood Chardonnay 2007 $9–$13 This is the story of the cheeky ocker wine that took on posh champs from around the world and won! In the Chardonnay du Monde competition, Burgundy, in March, humble Hanwood earned a gold medal and a top-10 placing. It’s not an unusual achievement for a cheaper Australian wine. And … Continue reading Wine tasting — McWilliams Hanwood and Crittenden Estate →

McWilliams Hanwood Shiraz 2005 $7.99 to $11 This, to me, personifies, the general superiority of brands over cleanskins. While the latter come and go and vary in quality from batch to batch, brands like Hanwood evolve steadily for the better over time. What began as a predominantly Riverina product is now a blend from higher-quality … Continue reading Wine review — McWilliams Hanwood, Di Georgio & Pizzini →

Hanging Rock Heathcote Cambrian Rise Shiraz 2003 $27 Winemaker John Ellis calls this the ‘son’ of Hanging Rock’s flagship $55 shiraz reviewed last week – and it is very much a chip off the old block. At half the price, it offers great value as it has the rich flavour, silky smoothness and finesse of … Continue reading Wine review — Hanging Rock, McWilliams Mount Pleasant Lovedale & Rochford →

Domaine Day Eden Valley Garganega 2005, $19.95 Former Chief Winemaker of Orlando, Robin Day, believes he is the first in Australia to plant garganega, the white grape of Soave, in Italy’s Veneto region.  I had to visit Wellington, New Zealand, to taste the wine but have since enjoyed it twice in Australia, most recently at … Continue reading Wine review — Domaine Day, Glug & McWilliams Hanwood →