Red Heads Blue Belle Graciano 2018

Graciano can be a blockbuster and blow you out of the park. Not so with this example I found.

Honey Moon Vineyard Shiraz 2015

The 2012 was excellent, hands down, and this 2015 release is hot on its tail.

Zooming in for Organic wine

Recently, I was invited to take part in an online wine tasting hosted by Hayes Family Wines and Australian Organic Ltd. 

Tastings on Zoom appear to be the closest thing to getting a large group into a cellar door or licensed venue at the moment, and I've got to say, it was very well organised. Such tastings have been a regular event for the business over the last month.

Langmeil Wattle Brae Riesling 2019

How good is Riesling after a long day? Here's a refreshing examples from the Eden Valley sure to hit the mark.

Langmeil Rough Diamond Grenache 2019

An easy slurp. Lovers of medium bodied wines would enjoy wading through a glass or two of this. 

Higher Plane Forest Grove Chardonnay 2018

This Chardonnay is quite a contrast to the Reserve in the range.

Fat n Skinny The Red Fury 2018

A playful red that is sure to please.

Fat n Skinny Pinot Grigio 2018

A simple Pinot Grigio.

Honey Moon Vineyard Shiraz 2012

A charming and gracious Shiraz from the Adelaide Hills. Although from a low yielding vintage, the elegance and restrained power of this excellent wine are captivating.

Arfion Snowflake Savignin 2018

I feel this is a wine which you'll either love or not so much. A good aperitif as the evening chill starts to set in for some perhaps?

Indigo Vineyard Secret Garden Viognier 2017

A soft and beautifully weighted Viognier from Beechworth.

Fat n Skinny Picker's Choice 2017

The Fat n Skinny range from Hastwell and Lightfoot is all about producing medium bodied wines with approachability. This Picker's Choice is a blend of Shiraz, Tempranillo and Barbera with a dollop of their Rose to add softness.

Red Heads Rusty Roof Barbera 2019

Two wines from Red Heads Wine turned up the week. A pleasing surprise from a label new to me. Here's a fabulous Barbera worth wrapping your lips around. 

Higher Plane Reserve Chardonnay 2018

These Higher Plane wines are quality. Here's a very tidy Chardonnay sure to impress.

Langmeil High Road Chardonnay 2018

A wonderful expression of Chardonnay from the Eden Valley.

Devil's Corner Pinot Noir 2018

A readily available Pinot Noir which always hits the crowd pleasing button firmly.

Indigo Vineyard Secret Village Pinot Noir 2017

A sophisticated Pinot here strolling along to a neat beat well dressed - suit, handkerchief in the top pocket, shiny shoes to match. Quite an autumnal wine really, dripping in class.

Garbin Estate Shiraz 2017

A pre-release Shiraz from the Swan Valley's Garbin Estate.

Langmeil Three Gardens Viognier Marsanne Roussanne 2018

For those who like a little bit more body in their whites, give this a go. Better still, I did a double take when I saw the price. A super buy for 20 bucks!

Hayes Family Wines Rouge 2019

A vibrant blend of Shiraz and Mataro, grown on the estate's certified organic vineyards, this blend was fermented in a 675L ceramic egg.

Higher Plane Fumé Blanc 2019

100% barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc that saw old French oak for 6 months.

Garbin Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2018

This Reserve Chardonnay is the first wine both father and son, Peter and Adam Garbin, have worked together. It's an interesting wine in many respects.

Arfion Full Moon Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019

This is Dave Mackintosh's first Pinot release from the Full Moon vineyard in the Upper Yarra Valley. Based on what is in the glass, let's hope we see many more vintages from here too - this is a cracker!

Indigo Vineyard Black Ink 2018

With a name like Black Ink I'm already picturing a blockbuster. I was pleasantly surprised this was not the case.

Arfion Willowlake Pinot Noir 2019

This is one of those Pinots to enjoy when you are surrounded by those who laugh out loud and love life. A great drink and then some.

Indigo Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019

A wonderfully savoury driven Pinot Noir which will lap up these cool nights.

Arfion Smokestack Lightning PG 2019

From one of the coolest dudes in the Yarra Valley comes one of the coolest wine labels going around. Smokestack Lightning - boom! 

Jim Brand Jim's Vineyard Shiraz 2016

A great Coonawarra Shiraz with plenty of depth and generosity to sink your teeth into.

Torbreck The Laird 2015

It's not every day you get a hand delivered sample and ability to discuss such a revered label at the kitchen bench as I did yesterday. Lovers of big wines are in for a treat here - a superb Laird release.

Arfion Nebbiolo 2018

Dave Mackintosh is an uber cool dude. To say I was pumped when samples of his wines arrived would be an understatement. I first met "Dave Bro" back in 2013. What immediately stood out to me was his absolute humility and calm disposition. At the time he produced only a few barrels and was happy with his lot and not wanting production to get too big. Fast forward to the present and his popularity surged and then some - good things come to good people I say. 

This Nebbiolo is a beauty! So pretty. So captivating. 

Garbin Estate Sparkling Classic White NV

An easy drinking fizz ready for aperitivo hour.

Oakridge 864 Henk Vineyard Aqueduct Block Pinot Noir 2018

Henk is the man. "Tough as trout," is how winemaker David Bicknell once described him to me. I love the wines coming off this site too. I said the same in my review for the Local Vineyard Series Pinot. This is a beauty. A wonderfully constructed piece.

Garbin Estate Sparkling Merlot NV

I don't see many wines from Western Australia's Swan Valley so it was great to see a few samples from Garbin Estate arrive. Let's kick off with this Sparkling Merlot.

Indigo Vineyard Pinot Grigio 2019

An attractive Pinot Grigio from Victoria's  Beechworth region. A consistent release as always.

Indigo Vineyard Rosé of Pinot Noir 2019

With all these pale salmon Rosés on the shelves, it's great to see a Rosé with a little more colour. Some extra personality never hurt anyone. This tasty wine hits the mark.

Oakridge Local Vineyard Series Henk Pinot Noir 2018

I've gotta say, I'm loving the wines coming off this Henk site of late. The Chardonnay was a ripper and its class is evident with this Local Vineyard Series Pinot as well.

Hayes Family Wines Field Blend GSM 2019

A true field blend with Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro all inter planted. These 70 year old vines on Mattiske Road were recently certified organic.

Oakridge 864 Close Planted Syrah 2018

Cool climate Syrah that's just bristling. I looked at this over three days and it improved each time. An excellent wine.

Turkey Flat Grenache 2018

The Turkey Flat Grenache 2016 won the coveted Jimmy Watson in 2017. Curiousity got the better of me when I purchased this 2018 release recently.

Witches Falls Provenance Syrah 2019

Straight off the bottling line, this Syrah comes across more as a Shiraz for mine.

Honey Moon Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017

Compared to its 2016 sibling, this 2017 is quite skeletal yet the pretty factor is high. An excellent Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir.

Honey Moon Vineyard Pinot Noir - Extra 2016

I met Jane Bromley last year at a wine tasting for small producers. Softly spoken, she has a calming presence and warming smile. I was thrilled when she got in touch recently to share some of her wines for review. This 2016 and the 2017 are excellent examples of Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir.

Main and Cherry Pinot Noir 2019

A dancy, light and bright Pinot from the Adelaide Hills. 

Parker Coonawarra Estate Terra Rossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

A forever reliable Coonawarra Cabernet. I find that ochre label quite eye catching too.

Witches Falls Wild Ferment Malbec 2019

A tasty Malbec from Witches Falls.

Yangarra Estate Roux Beauté Roussanne 2018

From Yangarra Estate's oldest Roussanne vines, now 15 years old, comes this golden ray of sunshine. An exquisite wine and then some.

Hayes Family Wines Primrose Shiraz 2018

Big and bold in the glass, there's plenty of generosity offered from this Barossa Shiraz hailing from Ebenezer, a sub-region in the north of the valley.

Oakridge Vineyard Series Willowlake Pinot Noir 2018

Fine boned, a sexy style Pinot Noir from the Willowlake vineyard.

Oakridge Vineyard Series Hazeldine Pinot Noir 2018

There's some heft about this Oakridge Local Vineyard Series Hazeldine release.

Penley Estate Project Cabernet 2019

Yet another exciting wine to come from the Coonawarra district. Winemakers have been mixing things up over the last few years and here's your chance to stand and applaud Kate Goodman and Lauren Hansen for smashing this Cabernet outta the park. I love the label, I love the juiciness and I love the delish factor.

Yangarra Estate Shiraz 2018

I remember tasting samples of this from barrel with Peter Fraser back in April, 2018. It looked fabulous then in its infancy and it is even better now. An incredible wine for the asking price.