Katnook Estate Odyssey Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

The Odyssey speaks for itself - it's listed in the 'Outstanding' category in the Langton's Classification. Gee I like the shape of this wine.

Katnook Estate Prodigy Shiraz 2012

This is the 13th release of the Prodigy Shiraz.

Behind the Brand - Peter McGlashan

“I don’t need accolades, I just want to get shit done,” Peter McGlashan tells me as we chat about the direction and his vision for the Granite Belt. You’d be hard pressed to find someone as passionate about the region’s dirt.

Blackbilly Chardonnay 2015

A Chardy walking down the road of the old school form.

Clarence Hill Chardonnay 2016

A simple, easy drinking Chardonnay without the bells and whistles. Sourced from the south of Adelaide at Currency Creek.

Yelland & Papps Second Take Mataro 2016

Talk about pushing boundaries - 73% whole bunches for Mataro. I'm confident there is nothing else in the market like it.

Angove AMV-X Whole Bunch Shiraz 2016

You don't make friends with salad, but whole bunches, well, that's where the party is at. 40% here, thank you very much.

Angove AMV-X Tempranillo Mataro Grenache Graciano 2016

The labels in this new AMV-X range are certainly eye catching. This design is said to represent the hued spring sunsets over the gulf of St Vincent.

Blackbilly Sauvignon Blanc 2016

A new label to me. Made by Nick Haselgrove Wines, this Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from the Adelaide Hills.


Marketing is a curious beast. This label is no different. A Gold Medal adorns the bottle - albeit for Winestate Magazine 'Australian Winemaker of the Year' Award for 2010. Yep, 2010. And here we are in 2017...

Redman Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

On the second day of tasting this Redman Cabernet took on a tremendous metamorphosis. Redman Wines are made for aging - case in point here.

Yelland & Papps Second Take Roussanne 2016

Michael Papps - the best Roussanne winemaker in the country. Well, I think so anyway.

Yelland & Papps Second Take Vermentino 2016

Vermentino with the dial turned to 12. Something out of the ordinary here and it ticks the boxes with ease.

Airlie Bank Pinot Noir 2016

Uplifting fruit vibrance, this is more than a pleasant and satisfying drink.

Kilikanoon Oracle Shiraz 2012

Built ready to stand the test of time and was still drinking well on day three.

Robert Stein Half Dry Riesling 2016

Half dry but certainly a well measured wine. With 10 grams of residual sugar per litre deliberately retained, this hits the spot and then some.

Riversdale Roaring 40s Pinot Grigio 2015

Quality Tassie Pinot Grigio. Interestingly, there is a Pinot Gris in the same range too.

Huntington Estate Basket Dried Shiraz 2013

Made in the Amarone style, this is the third release of this wine.

Punt Road Napoleone Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016

Soft and inviting, another tremendous value pick from the Punt Road stable.

Huntington Estate Special Reserve Shiraz 2012

 

Mudgee Shiraz with a from vines planted in 1969.

Kilikanoon Mort's Reserve Riesling 2014

For a 2014, this Riesling comes across a little more advanced than I would have liked. Still, it's in good nick. Real good nick.

Heritage Estate Vintage Reserve Fiano 2016

Bright fruit and engaging complexity highlight this Fiano. It was awarded a gold medal by interstate judges at the Qld Wine Awards 2016 headed by Chairman David O'Leary.

Samuel's Gorge Mosaic of Dreams GSM 2014

There's two ways to look at this... Big, bold and powerful or warm and stewed. Mind you, with time in the glass, it has certainly grown on me. There is an endearing persona about it.

Eldridge Estate PTG 2016

Enjoyment factor is cranked high here. It's easy to see why this sells out in quick time every year.

I bought a couple of bottles when I popped in to the Cellar Door a few months ago - a great little place. If you manage to see David Lloyd around, be sure to have a chat. His passion is infectious.

La Bise Adelaide Hills Sangiovese 2015

Quite a delicious drop. Food friendly for your drinking pleasure.

Di Giorgio Family Wines Kongorong Pinot Noir 2013

Pinot Noir from Kongorong, south of Mt Gambier in the Limestone Coast region.

Samuel's Gorge Grenache 2015

Tasting this Grenache takes me back to the lazy and chilled out feels of people lying on the lawn at the cellar door a couple of months ago. There's not many Cellar Door experiences like it. Winemaker Justin McNamee describes it best in my review of his Pinata People Gamay.

TarraWarra Estate MDB Chardonnay 2015

Named MDB after TarraWarra's owner and his son - Marc and Daniel Besen. A wine only released in exceptional vintages - Yarra Valley 2015 was certainly one of those. All indications suggest another recent vintage will follow-up, but that's a story for another day. This 2015 is only the third release of this wine.

TarraWarra Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2015

Serious Chardonnay. Just like Rebecca Judd's Brownlow dress from 2004, there's enough coverage to satisfy every fan but also enough concealed to create intrigue and mystery.

TarraWarra Estate Chardonnay 2015

Solid Chardonnay game played here. A popular wine on premise that drinks well and punches above its price tag.

TarraWarra Estate South Block Chardonnay 2015

My least preferred of the four new TarraWarra Chardonnay 2015 releases. Oh to be picky.

St Hallet Old Vine Grenache 2015

Ripping 'Barossa Pinot' here from 87 year old vines.

Well-placed Grenache hitting the spot. Medium bodied and weighing in at 13.5%, it's hard to resist going back for more. Seriously easy drinking booze.

Tyrrell's Hunter Valley Semillon 2015

How good is Hunter Semillon when done well? This ticks the box. Top stuff.

Angullong Fossil Hill Barbera 2015

Barbera hitting the spot. This is worth hunting down.

Ridgemill Estate The Spaniard Tempranillo 2015

There's no hero variety on the Granite Belt although some corners suggest Tempranillo works best. It's made in a few different styles too. This comes from the Crianza mould.

Kilikanoon Attunga Mataro 2013

A couple of months ago I went to the Barossa Valley with the intention to further explore Grenache and Mataro - two varieties which often fly under the radar. Admittedly I have a huge soft spot for both and there is part of me which now wishes I had the time to head further up the highway to the Clare Valley, as these varieties are shining at Kilikanoon.

Di Giorgio Family Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

I like this. There's a good vibe to it.

Angullong Fossil Hill Sagrantino 2015

Big, intense, smooth, charismatic.

It owns the space like a Hummer dominates the road.

Di Giorgio Family Wines Kongorong Riesling 2016

Riesling from Kongorong, an area south of Mount Gambier in the Limestone Coast region. Good drinking too.

Kilikanoon Kelly 1932 Grenache 2012

Climb a mountain and you get to the top. This is right near the summit. The incremental rise from the Prodigal, to the Duke Reserve and now this Kelly 1932 is clear and obvious.

Kilikanoon Duke Reserve Grenache 2012

From 80 and 100 year old vines, this wine is named in honour of winemaker Kevin Mitchell's grandfather, Maurice Duke, who was one of the earliest horticulturalists and growers in the Clare Valley.

Kilikanoon Prodigal Grenache 2013

Buckets of bright fruit adorn this delicious Grenache from the Clare Valley.

Rymill Coonawarra The Dark Horse Chardonnay 2016

The first release of The Dark Horse Chardonnay 2016. 

Coonawarra isn't a one trick pony with Cabernet. There's some smart whites coming from the region and this is now one of them.

Behind the Brand - Scott Comyns

Good things always come to good people. Well, most of the time anyway.

One of the good guys of the wine industry is Scott Comyns. Quiet, passionate, intelligent are but a few words describe him. He carries himself with an unpretentious humility but even life can throw curve balls to people fitting that mould.

Levantine Hill Pinot Noir 2014

Classic Pinot. Very European. Levantine Hill wines always present well.

Rymill Coonawarra The Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

The third release of The Dark Horse - a fruit forward Cabernet expressing a different side to the variety. I've enjoyed observing the progressive rise of this wine over that period too. This the best thus far.

La Bise Le Petite Frais Rosé 2016

Rosé from the Adelaide Hills. A blend of Sangiovese and Tempranillo with a splash of Pinot Gris (55/37/8). Summer has just walked out the door but this wouldn't be out of place on your autumn lunch table.

Golden Grove Estate Sangiovese 2016

Granite Belt Sangiovese made exclusively for wine club members.

Samuel's Gorge Kaleidoscope Horizons Grenache Tempranillo 2014

One of those sit down and get comfy sorta wines. Give me more.