On August 17 Kirin Brewing Company’s Australian arm, Lion, completed the sale of Mitchelton Winery to Gerry and Andrew Ryan. The sale brings the winery back under private control after 18 years of corporate ownership – Petaluma Group from 1994, then Lion Nathan (now Lion) from 2001. Mitchelton’s the winery that never quite fitted in … Continue reading Jayco founder buys Mitchelton winery
Jim Barry Watervale Riesling 2009 $14.95 Grosset Springvale Watervale Riesling 2009 $36 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling $45 Probably because it’s so subtle and delicate as a young wine, riesling can be difficult to assess. Even our best wine judges struggle, regularly ranking modestly priced wines ahead of more expense and, given a little bottle age, … Continue reading Wine review — Jim Barry, Grosset, Williams Crossing, Stefano Lubiana, Curly Flat and Mitchelton
A visionary decision by Colin Preece saw riesling planted at Mitchelton on Victoria’s Goulburn River, half a continent from the variety’s Aussie home in the Clare and Eden Valleys.
Shelmerdine Heathcote Shiraz 2009 $23.75–$33 Shelmerdine Vineyard, Heathcote, Victoria The Shelmerdine family established Mitchelton, just across the Goulburn River from historic Tahbilk. They moved on from there decades back and later established vineyards in the Yarra Valley and Heathcote, one of Australia’s new hot spots for shiraz. This wine comes from the family’s Merindoc and … Continue reading Wine review — Shelmerdine, John Duval, Helm, Thorn Clarke, Ross Hill and Smith and Hooper
Ben Haines Warramunda Vineyard Yarra Valley Marsanne 2011 $28 Ben Haines, a young Australian winemaker with international experience – and most recently at Mitchelton and Yering Station wineries, Victoria – recently launched his own brand. And wow, what wines they are, sourced from Haines’ favoured vineyard sites. His marsanne, from the Warramunda vineyard in the … Continue reading Wine review — Ben Haines, Oxford Landing Estates and Taylors
The Investigator by Jacques Lurton 2006 $70 – wine of the week The Islander Estate vineyards, Kangaroo Island, South Australia French winemaker Jacques Lurton believes in cabernet franc, an aromatic red variety that plays a key but not dominant role in the wines of Bordeaux’s St Emillion and Pomerol sub-regions. But in Kangaroo Island’s warmer … Continue reading Wine review — Jacques Lurton, Ben Haines, Shingleback, La Promesse, Marques de Riscal and Domaine Chandon
Every five years, Langton’s, a wine auction specialist belonging to Woolworths, updates its classification of Australian wines. Unlike all the other wine-rating systems, based on the judgement of individual palates, Langton’s derives its classification from the volume and value of wine it sells at auction. The rankings are therefore based on perceptions of value and … Continue reading Langton’s classification of Australian wine — the market’s scorecard
Late last year Byron Bay Brewery released its Premium Ale in PET plastic bottles – targeted at NSW venues now obliged by law to keep glass out of the hands of violent drunks. But protecting people from drunks and drunks from themselves is only one motive in the growing search for glass alternatives. While public … Continue reading Beer in plastic bottles — it’s coming
On 27 April Lion Nathan issued a media release saying its board had agreed to terms for Kirin’s takeover of the company. Japanese based Kirin currently holds about 46 per cent of Lion. The board’s recommendation of the takeover and terms is subject to no better offer emerging and confirmation from an independent expert that … Continue reading Kirin to take over Lion
Tar & Roses Heathcote Tempranillo 2007 $24 Tar & Rose Priorat D.O. (Spain) Miro 2006 $49 Don Lewis (former Mitchelton winemaker) and Narelle King (a protégé of Don’s) make the Tar & Roses wines here and in Spain. Tempranillo (a Spanish variety) seems well suited to Victoria’s Heathcote region and shows real class in this … Continue reading Wine review — Tar & Roses and McKellar Ridge