QWine Reviews : May 2024

Jericho McLaren Vale Grenache 2022

A ripping Grenache to sit beside a diverse range of food, burgers and pizza among others are calling this Jericho McLaren Vale bottle of joy.

IronCloud The Alliance Grenache 2023

A good Grenache brings juicy fruit and vibrance but this example from Iron Cloud seems to be holding itself back. Perhaps some time may flesh it out a little more?

IronCloud Rock of Solitude Fiano 2023

The Ferguson Valley sits an hour north of Margaret River and two hours south of Perth and is home to this minerally Fiano from IronCloud Wines. It's a beautiful, food friendly drink.

Varney Wines Limited Release Grenache 2023

Best described as an excitement machine, this Limited Release Grenache from Varney Wines is a silky and curvaceous medium-bodied red wine with a luscious flow. Go here.

Huntington Estate Special Reserve Chardonnay 2022

Finer and leaner than the Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, this Huntington Estate Special Reserve is excellent. The precision is clear and it is most enticing.

Huntington Estate Shiraz 2021

This is a great Shiraz for the asking price. One thing Mudgee does very well and very consistently across the district is Shiraz. For $35, you are doing very well with this Huntington Estate 2021 in your glass.

Huntington Estate Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2022

For those who enjoy a Chardonnay with some flesh, this is a dream boat. It's a fabulous release from Huntington Estate.

Angoves Brightlands Shiraz 2020

The new flagship for Angove Family Wines, this Brightlands Shiraz is a blend of the best barrels of Shiraz from the Warboys and Angels Rise vineyards. A wine to stash away, it's a cuddle for the insides - just brilliant!

Flametree Chardonnay 2023

What a great drink! Quality Chardonnay as ever from Flametree Wines. Winemaker Cliff Royle and his team rarely miss the mark and here we go again.

Huntington Estate Special Reserve Semillon 2022

I'd love to see this Huntington Estate Special Reserve Semillon in five+ years. Already demonstrating the hallmarks of an age-worthy wine, its shape, structure and tension point to a long future.

Squitchy Lane Estate Pinot Noir 2021

I like this. Hello to a savoury and meaty Pinot Noir courtesy of the Yarra Valley's Squitchy Lane.

Purple Hands GSM 2023

This is the first Purple Hands GSM release. Previous releases have been a MGS blend but a little more Grenache this vintage helped flip the combo. All that aside, this is a very tasty wine.

Huntington Estate Semillon 2022

Clean, fresh and crisp, this Huntington Estate Semillon screams out for oysters.

Amour Wines Double Barrel Shiraz 2019

Representing the two best barrels of Shiraz, this Amour Double Barrel is only released in exceptional years. Spending two years in French oak, two years on lees and two years in bottle before release, this is a considered and patient cool climate red wine that will comfortably ride out many years in the cellar.

Squitchy Lane Cabernet Franc 2022

The Yarra Valley produces great Cabernet that is often overlooked for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This Squitchy Lane Cabernet Franc once again demonstrates that Bordeaux varieties sing proudly in the district's soils.

Flametree Embers Chardonnay 2023

Fresh, vibrant and easygoing, this is a tidy Embers Chardonnay from Flametree Wines.

Amour Wines Shiraz 2019

Feed this Amour Wines Shiraz to me via a drip. So juicy. So delicious. Can I leave the review at that? For a wine that already has five years under its belt, it's so fresh and youthful.

Paulmara Estate The Marriage Cabernet Shiraz 2021

A generous Barossa Cabernet Shiraz layered on thick. The Marriage is a precise name that hammers home the splendour that these two varieties deliver when fused together.

Yelland and Papps Blanc 2023

A tearaway deal for those who embrace texture and interest, this Yelland & Papps Blanc is dripping with personality. Wonderfully structured and considered for $32, go here.

Amour Wines Pinot Noir 2022

I could shoot the breeze at dusk by the fire pit and drain the contents of this Amour Pinot ever so slowly. Charming, sophisticated and delicious company, come at me.

Paulmara Estates DeNero Nero d'Avola 2023

Hello to a great Nero d'Avola from Paulmara Estates. For 25 bucks, this is ready partner a range of food.

Yelland and Papps Vin de Soif 2023

Yelland & Papps are the masters of reliable drinking and here we go again with the latest Vin de Soif release. Translating to 'unpretentious wine', that sums up what Yelland & Papps do ever so perfectly. Such a versatile blend, this medium-bodied delight delivers in spades.

First Drop Wines Touriga National 2022

A rush of pretty purple flowers and lavender diffuse from the glass. Known for showing some pretty factor, this Touriga Nacional from First Drop Wines calls for meaty dishes.

Angove Angels Rise Vineyard Shiraz 2020

When tasting the Angove Warboys Shiraz beside this, I felt I shuffled closer to this Angels Rise Shiraz. Just like that new face you meet, we immediately hit it off.

Angove Warboys Vineyard Shiraz 2020

I haven't had the pleasure of tasting an Angove's Warboys Shiraz since 2018 when I reviewed the 2016 vintage. It seems little has changed in that time - it's still a high-quality wine produced from vines planted in the 1920s.

First Drop Wines Two Percent Shiraz 2021

Put this First Drop Wines Two Percent Shiraz into the rich and generous category of Barossa Shiraz. Self-described as, "Rich, phat Barossa Shiraz," is pretty clear what is being lobbed your way.

Yangarra Estate Ovitelli Blanc 2022

Not the Ovitelli Blanc I have come to know, these Yangarra Estate new releases that I've sampled haven't reached the giddy heights of those that have come prior.

Indigo Vineyard Secret Village Pinot Noir 2022

Quality Pinot. Without even tasting the wine, its colour whispers autumnal and savoury things and that's exactly what's on offer. Impressive stuff from Indigo Vineyard.

Indigo Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023

A savoury and earthy Pinot Noir that lands a little flat. Not where it's been previously, I felt the follow through just isn't there.

NSE Wines J Block GSM 2023

A tidy GSM from McLaren Vale newbie NSE Wines.

NSE Wines N Block Shiraz 2023

NSE Wines is a new label on the scene and this N Block is their first Shiraz release.

Indigo Vineyard Hannaford Cabernets 2022

A Sunday roast special, this Indigo Vineyard Hannaford is a great Cabernets that is dripping with approachability.

Penny's Hill Edwards Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

The budget is a hot topic right now, and if you are pulling those purse strings a little more tightly at the moment, this Penny's Hill Edwards Road Cabernet is a value buy for the cellar - or now.

NSE Wines S Block Rosé 2023

An easy-drinking Rosé from newcomer NSE Wines.

NSE Wines T Block Fiano 2023

The first Fiano release from the new NSE Wines label.

Thomas Wines Kiss Shiraz 2022

The flagship of the Thomas Wines range, the Kiss seems to gain a legion of fans each year. Dark, dense and incredibly elegant, it's easy to see how this can be so. This is an absolute belter once again.

Thomas Wines Sweetwater Ridge Shiraz 2022

Previously known as the Sweetwater, the 2022 release sees a tiny tweak to the name now known as Sweetwater Ridge due to a naming rights issue. I'm sure Thommo would happily describe to you what transpired over a Peroni... Regardless, this is a robust expression of Hunter Valley Shiraz.

Thomas Wines DJV Shiraz Pinot Noir 2023

This DJV is Andrew Thomas' tribute to the famed Hunter River Burgundy. Forever a Semillon and Shiraz specialist, it seems age has softened him and he is now open to a little change - this is the first time Pinot Noir has appeared in his range. Vibrant, pretty and damn delicious, run to this.

Thomas Wines Elenay Shiraz 2022

Referred to as the 'beautiful accident' from 2011, the Elenay is now a considered barrel selection that has delivered significant acclaim for Thomas Wines. This 2022 smashes the brief once again.

Thomas Wines The Dam Block Shiraz 2022

Thommo's son and assistant winemaker Dan secretly wishes this was called the Dan Block but we all have dreams. The Dam Block sit across the ridge from the famed Thomas Wines Kiss block. An extroverted Shiraz as Thommo puts it, this is an expressive medium-bodied delight.

Thomas Wines The Cote Shiraz 2022

For those trying to pinpoint the Cote d'Or vineyard on a Hunter Valley map, you can locate it near the Audrey Wilkinson winery. Wonderfully medium-bodied, the Thomas Wines The Cote is a super attractive wine with beautiful aromas spilling from the glass.

Thomas Wines Braemore Semillon 2023

I haven't reviewed the Thomas Wines Braemore since the 2019 release. It was a 95 point wine then and this 2023 has shown little has changed with this excellent expression of Hunter Valley Semillon.

Amour Wines Chardonnay 2022

A wicked Chardonnay from little known Orange producer Amour Wines, these wines are patient and delicately handled. I could huddle in the corner and selfishly slurp this on my own. And maybe I just did that...

NSE Wines E Block Grenache 2023

A brand new range of wines hitting the ground for their debut, what a privilege it is to be the first to review them. Based in McLaren Vale, NSE Wines is a family passion project. With only 9 cases produced of this E Block Grenache, it calls for paella, burgers and barbecues - lazy nights in are sorted.

First Drop Wines Moderno Barbera 2022

Sourced from the Adelaide Hills, this Barbera from First Drop Wines screams for a big bowl of spag bol or ragu. Tasty stuff indeed.

Indigo Vineyard Secret Village Shiraz 2019

Loosen the belt buckle and recline - what a beauty! Big love for this Indigo Vineyard Secret Village Shiraz.

Paulmara Estate Sangiovese Rosé 2023

There is a delightful simplicity about this Paulmara Estate Sangiovese Rosé. It could evaporate before your eyes such is the ease that it radiates. So very approachable, no-fuss wines like this nail the brief for those casual soirees and afternoon drinks poolside.