High hopes for Clare Valley 2017 vintage
Are the 2017 vintage Clare Valley rieslings as good as the great 2002s?
New and Noteworthy
Escarpment releases pinot noir fab five
A first foray into “the hipster world of organic minimal intervention winemaking” increased Escarpment’s annual pinot noir release to five wines.
Sensational sparklers
The best Australian sparkling wines are world-competitive and often extraordinary value for money.
Fine wines from Foxes Island
Foxes Island is the Marlborough vineyard established by high profile winemaker, John Belsham, who planted pinot noir, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and riesling.
A bevy of beautiful cabernets
The latest Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon is just one of a bevy of beauties in my latest tasting of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet-based blends.
Quality in common
These three red wines appear to have little in common. They are from three different regions, are made from different grape varieties and were produced in different vintages.
Champagne Bollinger launches 2004 R.D
There’s Champagne and there’s Bollinger. Cut through the cringe-worthy Patsy and Eddie, the oddly indestructible James Bond, and you find real substance beneath.
Syrah surprises
In a recent syrah tasting, three regions were represented among the top wines.
Spectacular shiraz-a-thon
I recently finished a tasting of over 200 shirazes, which I strung out over nine tasting days. As always, there were many highlights.
Super syrah from Cypress
After selling Te Awa Wines the Lawson family bought a small hillside farm in the Gimblett Gravels subregion and planted a vineyard on the terraced slopes with a view to producing small quantities of premium wine.