decanted

With all the tales of doom and woe about the challenges facing Australian wine producers, from drought to the ever rising value of the Australian dollar, its good to know that some producers are continuing to push the boundaries in the name of innovation, excellence, and just being that little bit different. And to hell […]

I don’t get the chance to look at much Chablis so it was nice to have a peek at this on a Manic Monday. Or Tuesday. Or whatever day this is.
The nose is closed, with hints of flint, citrus and not much else really. Deliciously dry and lean on the palate, with light […]

I’m an Orange man, I am. And no, dear Scottish readers (Hi Mum), I don’t mean I’ve taken up the sash, the flute and sworn allegiance to King Billy. I’m referring to my growing admiration for the premium wines being produced from the Orange region of New South Wales, about 300kms west of Sydney. […]

You might not know the name Austin Wines, from Geelong in Victoria, but if you have been to any self-respecting bottle shop in Sydney and browsed the Pinot Noir section, you will have noticed, and possibly even bought, a bottle of SixFootSix. I only found out last year, from owner Pam Austin herself, that Austin […]

I feel like I’ve stumbled across something special here…
Paul Petagna is a young McLaren Vale wine maker better known in the US than he is on home turf. Yes, Parker ratings have helped his cause, BUT, this is not a “Parker Wine”.
His straight Shiraz from the Vale is under the Piombo brand name and […]

The Swinging Bridge Chardonnay 2006 caused a stir late last year by being selected in the Top 40 Wines at the NSW Wine Awards.
A label little known up to that point, the wines packaged under this label are made from the best fruit grown on the Ward family’s Canowindra property, half an hour from Cowra […]

This winery has a solid following amongst a number of people I respect.
When the boys at Vaucluse Cellars, a wine shop boasting one of Sydney’s better Chardonnay fridges, recommended this wine I was obliged.
Upon their advice I wasn’t compelled to drink it immediately, so I’m pretty sure this isn’t current release.
Pale yellow to the rim, […]

I’ve never tried any of Toolangi’s wines until yesterday but the winery has always stuck in my mind because of the fact that it uses three distinguished wine makers - Rick Kinzbrunner (Giaconda), Tom Carson (Yering Station) and Matt Harrop (Shadowfax)- to make various wines under the Toolangi label. It is not uncommon for […]

I’ve always had a soft spot for O’Leary Walker and hunt out the two Rieslings from the Clare Valley - Polish Hill and Watervale - each year. Whilst the established names like Pikes, Pewsey Vale and Petaluma dominate interest from the punters, the relative newcomer O’Leary Walker goes about business in a quiet yet […]

“I am crazy, I am mad.” So says Pierre Naigeon, a true bon vivant and the winemaker and name behind Clos Pierre wines. Naigeon is a fifth generation winemaker from Gevrey Chambertin in France, who, through a friendship struck with Steven Webber of De Bortoli wines, has been making wines out of the Yarra […]