QWine Reviews - Australian Wine Reviews: May 2018

Wednesday 30 May 2018

Yarra Edge Edward 2017

A blend of Cabernet, Cabernet Franc and Merlot (70/20/10), 20% new oak contributes to a bright and vibrant wine.

Yarra Valley Barbera grafted onto 23-year-old Pinot Noir rootstock. Welcome to the second lip smacking release.

A fruit forward Chardonnay highlighted by tropical fruit.

Grenache from an egg, a ceramic one at that. I've seen Peter Fraser's egg collection in the winery - quite a sight. This is a great expression of the variety.

An excellent Medhyk release. A litany of dark fruits parade walking tall. The type of wine you want to snuggle up to when there's a chill in the air.

XO Wine Co Adelaide Hills Barbera 2017

Whip cracking acidity makes this a scintillating Barbera. Delicious!

Good drinking Shiraz in the old school mould. Six years of aging already done for you.

Balgownie Estate Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2016

A beautiful Chardonnay. Just gorgeous. Lovely fruit with a soft touch.

A gorgeous aged Semillon which has enjoyed time cooling its heels. Layers of interest await ready to be peeled back.

Yangarra Estate High Sands Grenache 2015

Think Blewitt Springs Grenache and expect pretty, bright red fruit. Oh, this rattles the cage on that theory.

A beautiful Shiraz. Lots of pleasure to be found within. Well played Phil Lehmann.

A wine which had me scratching my head admittedly, particularly as I've been fortunate enough to look at a diverse range of Grenache wines from McLaren Vale of late.

Balgownie Estate Black Label Chardonnay 2016

A good Yarra Valley Chardonnay to cure your midweek woes.

Great to see a Pinot Gris with a little blush. A mighty fine example of the variety right here.

The best of the Nannup Estate wines I've seen. Good for a glass with slow cooked beef.

Usher Tinkler Reserve Chardonnay 2017

You can't help but feel chic when you have bottles like this in hand. It's a big weighty number. A weapon of sorts. Clever labeling and a wax seal for the win. The gear inside is pretty damn fab too.

Sophisticated Chardy. A confident type, chest out shoulders back but composed all at the same time. Classy stuff.

Meerea Park Alexander Munro Shiraz Aged Release 2009

Aging gracefully, this is sitting pretty. Layers of deliciousness await.

I love receiving emails from wineries I've never heard of. Viticulturalist Lucas Hoorn (formally Hoodles Creek and Levantine Hill) at Yarra Edge was kind enough to get in touch and send me his latest releases - and I like what I see. This Chardonnay ticks the boxes - a little beauty.

Known Pleasures McLaren Vale Shiraz 2017

As per the back label: This wine is a tribute to important music in our lives. A powerful and brooding, biodynamically grown Shiraz from our Gateway vineyard in McLaren Vale.

Here's a beauty! The old Bordeaux blend playing a charm. Just give me more.

Ministry of Clouds Kintsugi 2015

Here's a wine which calls for your love with open arms. A glorious wine which you can't help but keep going back to. Go here - please do.

Wow factor Chardonnay. Only released in exceptional years, this is a complex and generous work of art.

I've written a couple of articles lately on the changing face of Coonawarra. Here's yet another example of how winemaking styles in the region have changed.

Yangarra Estate Ironheart Shiraz 2015

Stunning! The flagship Shiraz, no stone has been left unturned to ensure this wine delivers sublimity. And what a gorgeous wine it is - one wine to savour and embrace.

Not much goes amiss with Bird on a Wire. I love Caroline Mooney's meticulous approach to her wines. Here's a fine-boned Pinot worth your while.

Robert Stein The Kinnear 2014

If you have a perception Mudgee isn't a great wine region, perhaps introducing yourself to the wines from Robert Stein may change all that. This is a winery really excelling at the moment. Hot off the press is the new flagship for Robert Stein, named after the ship which brought Johann Stein to Australia in 1838.

Prettier and finer than the F Block release, this is a beautiful Pinot Noir from Beechworth.

Parker Coonawarra Estate First Growth 2015

All class. Coonawarra Cabernet at its best. There's lots of primary fruit on show here mind you. Still a pup, this is a wine made for later, not now. Despite its youth, it's easy to see where this is heading.

d'Arenberg The Laughing Magpie 2013

A really tidy Laughing Magpie release. So much happiness to be had in this bottle - and 5 years of aging has already been done for you.

I just want to drink lots of this. What a super refreshment this is! Be consumed by chilled vibes while embracing sunshine and the company of those who make you laugh.

Indigo Vineyard Beechworth F Block Pinot Noir 2017

From a single block planted in 1999 at the foothills of the Victorian Alps. Unfined and unfiltered.

Good drinking Pinot on the denser side of the Pinot fruit spectrum.

Meerea Park Alexander Munro Shiraz 2014

A captivating wine oozing personality and class. The brilliant Hunter Valley 2014 vintage produces another glamour.

Such a delicious wine screaming for large pours and lots of laughs with friends. Fresh and fruit driven, I can see why this wine is incredibly popular at the cellar door.

Toolangi Chardonnay 2016

I always look forward to this Toolangi Chardonnay. It's not because it will blow my socks off nor does it come from superior history, it's just a darn good drink. Despite vintage conditions, it's always made well and always stands tall. Bravo.

An enjoyable Margaret River Shiraz.

Organic, preservative free and fruit driven Shiraz for your drinking pleasure.

d'Arenberg The High Trellis Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Always a reliable value pick and here we go again. McLaren Vale Cabernet singing beautifully under 20 bucks.

The Natural Wine Co. is a collective of wine community professionals who initially banded together to fill a niche for an organic, preservative free, fruit driven Shiraz. Since 2014, the range has now increased to include a Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé and Shiraz.