Mitchell Riesling 2012 $19–$22 Mitchell vineyard, Watervale, Clare Valley 2012 At 13 per cent alcohol, Jane and Andrew Mitchell’s wine sits towards the bigger end of the Clare riesling scale. However, it’s intensely flavoured, bone dry, refreshingly acidic and has a rich, fine texture that, from experience of past vintages, builds with bottle age. There’s … Continue reading Wine review — Mitchell, Shottesbrooke, Andrew Thomas, Oakridge, Greywacke and d’Arenberg →

Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 2011 $35.15–$40 Sexton Vineyard, Yarra Valley, Victoria Proprietor Phil Sexton offers three single-vineyard Yarra Valley chardonnays – the vineyards managed by Stuart Marshall and wines made by Steve Flamsteed. The wines reflect the fruit flavours of the different sites, some clonal variation and subtle variations in winemaking, including the use … Continue reading Wine review — Giant Steps, Tertini, David Hook, Andrew Thomas, Tulloch and John Duval →

Tulloch Vineyard Selection Hunter Valley Semillon 2012 $20 Established in 1895, Tulloch wandered in the corporate wilderness from 1969 under varying corporate umbrellas until Jay Tulloch and family bought back the farm from Southcorp in 2001. Christine Tulloch now works as general manager under her dad, Jay. The new release comes from a single lower-Hunter … Continue reading Wine review — Tulloch, Angoves and Domain Day →

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 →

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 →

McLeish Estate Hunter Valley Semillon 2011 $23 The lower Hunter Valley’s idiosyncratic semillon style doesn’t please all drinkers, though it’s followed with passion by the true believers. McLeish 2011 – winner of a trophy and gold medal at the Hunter Valley Boutique Wine Show 2011 – is an excellent example of the style. The alcohol’s … Continue reading Wine review — McLeish Estate, Longview and Grant Burge →

Tyrrell’s Lost Block whites – $13.29–$18.99 Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2012, Hunter Valley Semillon 2011 Tyrrell’s Lost Block range presents high quality regional-varietal combinations at fair prices, trimmed dramatically on occasion by retail discounting. The sauvignon blanc comes from the comparatively cool Adelaide Hills. And the particularly cool 2012 vintage produced fresh, herbal and tropical-fruit … Continue reading Wine review — Tyrrell’s and Campbells →

Stefano Lubiana Tasmania Estate Chardonnay 2010 $48–$50 The best chardonnays have a unique weight and beauty – full bodied but elegant and demanding ever another sip. They’re wines to savour slowly, like the contrasting Tyrrell’s Vat 47 1996 and Lubiana 2010 we compared at Chairman and Yip recently. The first a glorious old white, delivered … Continue reading Wine review — Stefano Lubiana and Grant Burge →

Andrew Thomas Kiss Shiraz 2010 $60 Pokolbin Estate Vineyard, Pokolbin, Lower Hunter Valley, NSW On 4 May, Andrew Thomas released four outstanding single vineyard Hunter shirazes, including the two reviewed today – the drink-now DJV and potentially long-lived Kiss. From a vineyard planted in 1969, Kiss reminds me, in its finesse and understatement, of the … Continue reading Wine review — Andrew Thomas, Brown Brothers, Cumulus Wines and Balnaves →