Patina Reserve Chardonnay 2015

Owner and winemaker Gerald Naef makes a big statement, "I don't think there is another region in the world that necessarily produces better Chardonnay than Orange, there are just stylistic differences."
Bold as that may be, he has back up those words will a stellar release. Dive in worthy.

Powell & Son Eden Valley Riesling 2017

Here's a Riesling in a superb spot. Great drinking full stop. Friends brought this over to share at a barbecue and we saw the bottom of the bottle in no time.

Gartelmann Wines Jesse Shiraz 2014

Mudgee Shiraz from an 18 year old vineyard sitting 480 metres above. A great little Shiraz.

Rymills Coonawarra The Dark Horse Shiraz 2016

Barbecue wine. Dark, inky and brooding with generous spice.

Ten Minutes By Tractor Judd Pinot Noir 2016

Pristine. An exquisite Pinot. Can I leave the review at that?

Samuel's Gorge Grenache 2016

Is it wrong to drink a sample bottle dry? Well,  I did. A rare occurrence but my actions are justified here. I could drink a gallon of this - responsibly of course!

Patina Chardonnay 2015

Here's one out of the box which caught me on the hop. What a beauty we have here!

Ten Minutes By Tractor Wallis Tasmania Pinot Noir 2016

The privilege of looking at some amazing wines from amazing producers and sites is never lost on me. In this tasting pack from Ten Minutes by Tractor came this little surprise - the first release of the new Wallis Tasmania label. It slips straight in with the classy Single Vineyard wines this producer is renowned for.

Balgownie Estate Railway Block Bendigo Shiraz 2015

Hold in two hands and embrace. What a beauty this is! The first release of the Railway Block and what a debut!

Ten Minutes By Tractor Wallis Pinot Noir 2016

A darker and intense Pinot. A masculine style if you will - can we say that these days? At the same time, it's a closed book that doesn't want to show itself too freely. Give it time and embrace the pleasure.

Balgownie Estate Centre Block Bendigo Shiraz 2015

Dense and generous. A glorious Shiraz - oceans of pleasure for days.

Tyrrell's Rufus Stone Heathcote Shiraz 2016

It's been a while since I've had a look at a Heathcote Shiraz. It's good to be back in the saddle now too. This Rufus Stone celebrates the 20th release.

Ten Minutes By Tractor Coolart Road Pinot Noir 2016

A beautiful drinking Pinot. I find the density of this site alluring.

d'Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz 2016

Reliability 101. A solid release year after year. Top value, too, and often around $15 in retail land - great buying.

Ten Minutes By Tractor McCutcheon Pinot Noir 2016

A gorgeous Pinot. So elegant with some depth for good measure. Balance and poise for the win.

Ten Minutes By Tractor Estate Pinot Noir 2016

Always a great expression of Pinot. This 2016 edition is a blend of four sites - Coolart Road, McCutcheon, Wallis and Judd (56/23/16/5).

Balgownie Estate Rock Block Bendigo Shiraz 2015

One of three single block releases from Balgownie Estate. All three are generous - certainly nothing held back in that department that's for sure.

Samuel's Gorge Mourvedre 2016

Eminent drinkability. There's something about these Samuel's Gorge wines which just enable them to glide through the mouth. There's personality, there's charisma, but its almost as though they float on a cloud of pleasure.

Robert Oatley Signature Series Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

A tidy Cabernet picked off a restaurant list. Clearly not a freshly open bottle, it came across settled with easy drinking appeal - it worked in its favour.

Tuck's Ridge Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2016

Chardonnay blended from fruit grown on the home block and the Turramurra vineyard in Tuerong.

Tuck's Ridge Turramurra Chardonnay 2016

A good enough Chardy but nothing to grab me and make me jump up in attention.

Soul Growers Single Vineyard Gobell Shiraz 2016

The first release of the Gobell Shiraz by Soul Growers, and what a damn fine entrance it has made. Sublime. A stunning wine.

Max & Me Boongarrie Estate Shiraz 2016

A more muscular and tense wine than the brilliant 2015 release.

Huntington Estate Cabernet Shiraz 2016

A ripping little wine this but the specs have me confused. The sample bottle had it as a Cabernet Shiraz blend but the website states this as a Shiraz Cabernet. Yet the website says it's a 60/40 Cabernet dominant blend. Confused yet?

XO Wine Co Shiraz Grenache 2017

A great little wine to tuck into on burger night. Make sure there are chips - I love chips!

TarraWarra Estate Nebbiolo 2015

Beautiful Nebbiolo. A wine which smells and tastes oh so good. A big thumbs up for this second release from TarraWarra.

Hayes Family Wines Regional Series Rosé 2018

The trickle of new 2018 wines is starting to form a stream. A tidy spot of pink delish here from the Barossan hands of Andrew Seppelt.

Driftwood Margaret River Artifacts Chardonnay 2017

A Chardonnay for sunny days. No malo, no worries. Bright, energetic, vibrant.

Bunnamagoo Wines Kids Earth Fund Autumn Semillon 2016

A trophy winner at the Mudgee Show in 2017. Generous and luxurious - I enjoyed this wine immensely.

Chapel Hill McLaren Vale Shiraz 2015

Chapel Hill's most popular wine at their cellar door. It's a beautiful cellar door too I might add. There's a great feel to the place. And there's sparkling water on tap. Fact.

Chapel Hill Cabernet Shiraz 2016

Chapel Hill did not blend wines until 2014 their marketing gun Bodhi Edwards tells me. And it was with Bodhi where this wine started its journey. He kept pestering for the classic Aussie blend to be put together - and finally it was. A good drink all up.

Bird on a Wire Nebbiolo 2015

Wow. What gorgeous aromas! Pretty factor and tripping over one another as they cascade from the glass.

Angove Warboys Vineyard Shiraz 2016

Super McLaren Vale Shiraz off the Warboys Vineyard. Broad, thick-set, street tough style. Yet, there's a charm to this wine when you take the time to get to know it. And perhaps you should.

XO Wine Co Shiraz 2017

This wine looked much better on day two of tasting. It was like an overexcited child when first opened but chilled out and showed its better self with time in the glass.

Yangarra Estate Roux Beaute Roussanne 2016

One of those wines that teases before grasping your senses and pulling you in. A fantastic Roussanne.

Curly Flat Chardonnay 2016

A Chardonnay welcoming you with open arms.  Beautiful presence matched with a gentle persona.

Yelland & Papps Sete Di Vino 2016

A wine which seems to have kept itself hidden at the bottom of the samples pile. Good drinking mind you, when you get your hands on it.