Mitchell Clare Valley McNicol Riesling 2007 $35–$48 Jane and Andrew Mitchell’s McNicol riesling comes from a high-altitude Clare Valley vineyard. They write, “[it] has never been irrigated and neither herbicides nor pesticides have been used”. They say the vines “work for a living, rather than having it all handed to them” and as a result … Continue reading Wine review – Mitchell, Hay Shed Hill and Turkey Flat →

Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz 2012 $71.30–$80 Marananga, Barossa Valley, South Australia Penfolds’ largely undiscovered Bin 150 demonstrates the power of shiraz grown in Marananga – a Barossa sub-region long favoured by Penfolds’ red wine makers and sometimes referred to as “Grange country”. The fifth vintage of Bin 150, from the mild 2012 season, combines … Continue reading Wine review – Penfolds, Andrew Thomas Wines, Tyrrell’s and Sapling Yard →

Tyrrell’s Hunter Valley Chardonnay 2014 $18.50–$24 Tyrrell’s new Hunter Valley range – comprising chardonnay, semillon and shiraz – gives us high quality regional specialties at keen prices. They’re already being discounted to $18.50, well below the recommended price of $24 a bottle. The first chardonnay in the range, from the excellent 2014 vintage, offers the … Continue reading Wine review – Tyrrell’s and Chrismont →

Yalumba The Octavius Barossa Old Vine Shiraz 2009 $85–$112 Barossa and Eden Valleys, South Australia Yalumba made its first Octavius in the outstanding 1990 vintage. Named for and matured in 100-litre oak octaves, coopered at Yalumba, it quickly earned the sobriquet “oaktavius”. However, Yalumba’s winemakers soon adapted to the high oak-to-wine ratio inherent in using … Continue reading Wine review – Yalumba, Brown Brothers, Lark Hill, Brokenwood, AC Byrne and Second Left →

Delamere Naissante Pinot Noir 2012 $23–$27 Tamar Valley, Tasmania A leisurely new year’s eve dinner at Moruya’s River Restaurant provided three of today’s wine recommendations. Delamere pinot accompanied the fourth of seven courses – a luxurious duck and ham hock terrine, with shallot chutney and truffle vinaigrette. The wine’s bright, plush fruitiness added to the … Continue reading Wine review – Delamere, Weingutt Bernhard Ott, E Guigal, Domaine Fevre, Tyrrell’s and Richard Hamilton →

Mt Monster Limestone Coast Shiraz 2013 $13–$16 The Bryson family owns two vineyards, totalling 170 hectares, at Padthaway on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, about an hour’s drive north of Coonawarra. By my estimate a vineyard of that size might produce around 120 thousand dozen bottles in a good year – fairly large production for a … Continue reading Wine review – Mt Monster, Chapel Hill and Tyrrell’s →

Tyrrell’s Belford Chardonnay 2012 $33.50–$40 Belford, lower Hunter Valley, NSW Tyrrell’s led Australia’s charge into chardonnay decades ago, albeit misnamed as “pinot chardonnay” for many years on its Vat 47 label. In theory the Hunter ought to be too warm to make cutting edge chardonnay. But Tyrrell’s top version, Belford and Vat 47, easily stand … Continue reading Wine review – Tyrrell’s, Tim Adams, Fighting Gully Road, Hesketh and Zeppelin →

Jacob’s Creek Barossa Pearl $12–$15 In his 1992 book The Grapes of Ralph, UK cartoonist Ralph Steadman sketched a matronly, imaginary “Barossa Pearl” presiding over a Barossa soup kitchen. Alas, Orlando Barossa Pearl – once fruity, sweet, vibrant and sparkling – had popped her last bubbles nine years earlier, in 1983. Today’s wine industry owes … Continue reading Wine review – Jacob’s Creek, Majella and Leo Buring →

Coldstream Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2013 $52.65–$60 Briarston, Coldstream G and House vineyards, Yarra Valley, Victoria Following the sensational, taut, slow-evolving 2012 reserve bottling, the warmer 2013 vintage produced a plumper wine with its fruit on full display just a year and a half out from vintage. But that’s plumper in the cool-climate context as this … Continue reading Wine review – Coldstream Hills, McGuigan, Windowrie, Oakridge, Manners and Ad Hoc →