Wynns Coonawarra Estate Black Label Shiraz 2013 Coonawarra, South Australia $33–$44 Wynns’ top-end reds, due for release on 5 August, include this outstanding vintage of Black Label Shiraz. A relative newcomer to Wynns’ line-up, Black Label is the shiraz equivalent, in price and quality, to the legendary Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon, made continuously since 1954. … Continue reading Wine review – Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Farr, Pizzini, Keller, Smith and Hooper, and Yalumba →

Yering Station Yarra Valley Village Chardonnay 2012 $25 Sauvignon blanc remains Australia’s most consumed white wine. But Australian vignerons make only about a quarter as much sauvignon as they do chardonnay, which remains by far our number one homegrown white variety. Australian wineries take in around 400 thousand tonnes a year of chardonnay grapes, equivalent … Continue reading Wine review – Yering Station, Campbells of Rutherglen, and Smith and Hooper →

Brokenwood Quail Shiraz 2012 $100 McLaren Vale and Hunter Valley, South Australia and NSW On the back label, winemaker Iain Riggs notes the inspiration of Quail shiraz being the Thomas Hardy “Burgundies” of the 1940s and 1950s. Riggs wasn’t of drinking age back then, but you can be sure he savoured their magnificence decades after … Continue reading Wine review – Brokenwood, Jamiesons Run, Tahbilk, Four Winds Vineyard, Kangarilla Road and Montevecchio →

Penfolds Bin 138 Shiraz Grenache Mataro 2012 $32–37 Barossa Valley, South Australia After the skinny 2011 vintage, Penfolds Bin 138 returns to fleshy, juicy form in 2012. Though cooler than normal, the vintage provided sufficient heat to ripen the grapes fully – at the same delivering bold, heady, fruity aromas. The proportions of each variety … Continue reading Wine review – Penfolds, Ross Hill, Mawson’s, Andrew Thomas, Angullong and Kirrihill →

Turkey Flat Butchers Block Barossa Valley White 2013 $20–$22 The Rhone varieties marsanne, viognier and roussanne seem well suited to the warm, dry Barossa Valley, producing in 2013 a notably fleshier Turkey Flat blend than the also loveable 2012. The wine offers texture and savouriness, with underlying apricot-like flavours typical of warm-grown viognier. Christie Schulz … Continue reading Wine review – Turkey Flat, Mawson’s and Printhie →

Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 $350 Coonawarra, South Australia Late last year, Macquarie analyst Greg Dring estimated sales of Penfolds wines represented five per cent of the total for parent company Treasury Wine Estates – but comprised around 50 per cent of pre-tax profit. The international strength of the Penfolds brand, built over many … Continue reading Wine review — Penfolds, Combe Farm, Couryabyra, Paxton and Chrismont →