Maxwell Silver Hammer Shiraz 2022

 

There are wines that greet you like an old friend and settle in beside you, content to simply listen as the day unwinds. This Maxwell Silver Hammer Shiraz offers that comforting embrace, easing you into its company with cedar highlights and dense plums that feel ripe and generous, while a flicker of pine nuts adds intrigue.
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Kosciuszko Shiraz 2023

 

Cool climate delish. I really enjoyed the offerings of this Tumburumba Shiraz from Kosciuszko. It's a great drink for 27 bucks.

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Jericho Grenache 2024

 

One whiff and I want to unleash on a burger or a rack of pork ribs. This Jericho Grenache is tasty stuff indeed.

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Jericho Tempranillo 2024

 

Pasta, PJs and a glass or two of this Jericho Tempranillo for the win!

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Hayes Family Wines Field Blend 2024

 

For a field blend, this absolutely sings. Often, elements can be out of whack or patched up in the winery, but the wonderful texture and silky feels elevate this from Hayes Family Wines.

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Pizzini Fiano 2025

 

One thing is for sure: these Pizzini wines are never short on personality. This Fiano is an excitable thing with handfuls of fruit to please and an energetic acidity buzzing around. It's a smart buy for 25 bucks.

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Kosciuszko Chardonnay 2024

 

A fair Chardonnay from a region that is gaining more traction - Tumbarumba.

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Gundog Estate Canberra District Riesling 2025

 

Damn fine drinking. Fabulously aromatic, I can feel the sweat being wiped away with each sip. Sundays in the sun are calling.

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Wykari of Clare Single Vineyard Shiraz 2022

 


I thoroughly enjoyed the 2021, but this 2022 Single Vineyard Shiraz from Wykari of Clare raises the bar. What a delicious, comforting and detailed Shiraz that seeks to provide all the conversation points needed for a cosy night.

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Gundog Estate Rosé 2025

 

A big summer of cricket is coming up and I can picture myself settling into a comfy lounge with a glass or two of this Gundog Estate Rosé and a bag of sea salt chips. Bliss!

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Gundog Estate Hilltops Riesling 2025

 

Quite the all-rounder, this Gundog Estate Hilltops Riesling has a bit of Steve Waugh appeal - considered, composed and with a quiet resolve.

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Three Dark Horses Vermentino 2025

 

A little bowl of pickled vegetables beside a glass of this Three Dark Horses Vermentino will do me just fine.

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Capital Wines The Crossbencher Viognier 2025

 

The naming of these Capital Wines is a bit of genius – each one tipping its hat to politics, as you’d expect from a label hailing from Australia’s capital. No bottle shot was supplied, but this label image will do nicely – let’s roll with it for something a little different. There’s plenty happening here, too, a nod to the artist is in order.

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Capital Wines The Whip Riesling 2024

 

Still available on the Capital Wines website, this is a very different Riesling compared to the new 2025 release.

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Capital Wines The Whip Riesling 2025

 

A fleshy and luscious Riesling with a pleasant minerally drive, it was great to taste this 2025 alongside its 2024 sibling.
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Kosciuszko Sauvignon Blanc 2024

 

Fresh, tropical and laced with cut green herbs, this is an easy-going Sauvignon Blanc that will find its people.

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Redman Coonawarra The Redman 2022

 

Redman’s flagship, The Redman, comes in a big, weighty bottle that means business. You could wield it at an intruder and they’d likely flee - unless they recognise the label, in which case they might just stay for a glass.
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Soumah Crescent Moon Sparkling 2020

 


Made in the traditional method and seeing four years on lees has paid off beautifully here. A 55/45 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the result is a sparkling with great presence and poise.

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Denton Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

 

Tasted alongside its Shed label sibling, this Cabernet from Denton is the business. For an extra $10 or so, the investment is worth it.

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Redman Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

 


A classic that continues to deliver. These much-revered yellow labels from Redman Wines have stood the test of time and are a must for your cellar. This Cabernet release presents excellent drinking and great value.

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Redman Wines Cabernet Merlot 2022

 


Mellow, silky and effortlessly supple, this Redman Cabernet Merlot delivers exactly what you’d hope for with charm, poise and quiet confidence.

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Rusty Mutt Original Shiraz 2022

 

Silky and glossy fruit are the features of this Rusty Mutt Shiraz.

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Vin Sōl Suāvis GSM 2024

Latin for delightful, Suāvis is Vin Sōl’s new GSM, from the hands of Scott Heinrich. It's a wine that carries confidence without ever feeling imposing. 

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Maxwell Wines Fiano 2025

 

A broad and comforting style of Fiano, this release from Maxwell Wines needs food by its side.

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Denton Estate Shed Cabernet Sauvignon 2024

 

There are two Cabernets in the Denton stable and the Shed is its "entry" label, for one of a better word. This is an easy-going, fruit-forward wine without the bells and whistles.

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Yalumba Vine Vale Grenache Blanc 2025

 


This is the third release of Yalumba's Grenache Blanc. From a vineyard planted adjacent to their famed Tri-Centenary vineyard, this is well worth tracking down.

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Willunga 100 Grenache Blanc 2025

 

A wine with an even flow and neat tempo, this Grenache Blanc from Willunga 100 is a handy summertime companion.

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Maxwell Wines Grenache Blanc 2025

 

Welcome to the Qwine tasting bench Maxwell Wines! This Grenache Blanc delivers classic Sunday lunchtime drinking.

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Tellurian Sommet Shiraz 2021

 

The Sommet Shiraz is the flagship wine for Heathcote's Tellurian Wines. The shape, presence and poise on display are exemplary.

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Tellurian Amphora Grenache 2024

 


This Tellurian Amphora Grenache is in great order from the get-go. Silky and slinky, and as good mate Peter Marchant would say, incredibly throatable. 

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Tellurian Tranter Shiraz 2024

 


Heathcote is a region that has avoided my grasp for a little while, so it's great to see a few wines from Tellurian hitting the Qwine tasting bench once again. This Shiraz is excellent! For 45 bucks, hunt this down with gusto.

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Pewsey Vale 1961 Block Riesling 2024

 

Delicious, engaging and utterly thrilling. This is an excellent Riesling from Pewsey Vale's 1961 Block.

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Tellurian Bush Vine Grenache 2024


It's been a while since a Tellurian wine came across the Qwine tasting bench, so I was thrilled to see a brace arrive recently. These are smart wines and they are setting the pace with the exploration of Grenache in the Heathcote region.
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Redman Wines Riesling 2025

 

Redman's Riesling has had a facelift with these uber cool retro labels, adding some neat shelf presence. This is a tidy wine to boot.

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Oliver’s Taranga Anfore Fiano 2024

An excellent take on Fiano and a nod to the traditional methods of its Campanian home, this second release of the Oliver's Taranga Anfore Fiano lifts the bar even higher than the 2023 debut. 

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Oliver's Taranga The Hunt for Mrs Oliver Sparkling Fiano 2017

 

The Hunt for Mrs Oliver could easily be turned into a biopic and the protagonist would be Corrina Wright's high-energy and high-octane-seeking friend, Valtteri Bottas. Much like this sparkling Fiano, Bottas is calm, composed, and a little mysterious, until he suddenly unleashes pure, turbo-charged chaos on track. Thank goodness there is no chaos here.

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Hayes Family Wines Sam's Grenache 2024

 

Juicy and lively, this Hayes Family Wines Sam's Grenache is a dancy little number that immediately brings a smile. 

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Oakridge 864 Aqueduct Block Henk Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

 

A masterpiece. An extraordinary wine. This is Scott Boland in a bottle - line and length hitting the top of off stump all day. Not many wineries have two incredible Chardonnays in their portfolio to compete with one another like this, but these Oakridge 864s are in elite order.

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Hayes Family Wines Alice's Mataro 2024

From the northern Barossa comes this Hayes Family Wines Alice's Mataro.

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Denton Estate Chardonnay 2024

 

This Chardonnay is absolutely worth shouting about from the rooftops. Denton Estate has knocked it out of the park and then some. Make no mistake, go here.

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Denton Estate Pinot Noir 2024

 

Alluring from the outset, this Denton Estate Pinot Noir embraces its savoury side while maintaining enough fruit to keep things supple and inviting. 
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Denton Estate Nebbiolo 2021

 

The Yarra Valley has found a happy home for Nebbiolo. This is the first time I have seen one from Denton Estate.
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Oliver’s Taranga Fiano 2025

 


Boom! This Oliver's Taranga is taking me back to sipping Fiano in Sorrento, a picturesque seaside town in Campania, the home of this fascinating variety.

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Pegasus Bay Merlot Cabernet 2023

 


This Pegasus Bay Merlot Cabernet speaks of the North Canterbury soils from the first sniff. There is an earthy grounding that defines this wine’s character. 
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Aptitude Pinot Noir 2024

 

An earthy and savoury Pinot Noir from the new Aptitude range of wines made by Greg Clack.

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Pegasus Bay Gewurztraminer 2025

Unmistakably Gewurz, Turkish Delight, musk and rose petals soar from the glass but with a poise that keeps it from tipping into excess. There’s some depth here, a gentle richness that draws you in without ever feeling cloying.
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Ox Hardy Grenache Cinsault Rosé 2025

The debut outing for this Ox Hardy Rosé sees Grenache sourced from new plantings at the Upper Tintara site, just a stone’s throw from the famed High Sands vineyard. What a positive first-up impression this has made.

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Jericho Rosé 2025

 

Delicate and effortlessly approachable, this Rosé hits all the right notes for broad appeal. A new chapter for Jericho - once an Adelaide Hills expression, now sourced from McLaren Vale, it wears the shift with confidence.

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Redman Rosé 2025

 


The new-gen Redman boys are letting loose in the winery and dishing up the goods with their Retro Range. "Feed the people," I can hear Danny Redman say before unleashing his contagious laugh. This Rosé is a cracker.

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Willunga 100 Grenache Rosé 2025

 


Great colour! That super pale copper hue instantly draws you in. Delicate, sophisticated and pure springtime charm in a glass, hello to the Willunga 100 Grenache Rosé 2025. 

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