The latest released from this super limited winery.

Light, more pinot in flavour. You can taste that this is made their own unique way

 Ochota Barrels The Green Room Grenache Rating: B Price: $40

 Tough decisions @ochotabarrels Which one🤔 Have you got a

What wine do I pick prior to fasting for a colonoscopy? Well I want something that is;

This one ticks, ticks and ticks all of those wants.

Grown in the Angaston foothills of the Barossa Valley,

 has made a beautiful sexy wine that is truely an expression of how these grapes are given the upmost respect.

 JC’s Own Angaston Foothills Grenache Rating: B+ Price: $50

More about this beautiful wine in an upcoming review

 Happy International Pinot Noir Day …simple… More about this

Completely opposite to this photo, this is a light, plump and juicy Grenache that is utterly delicious to drink…simple…

 Geyer Wine Co 2020 Sands Grenache Rating: B Price: $33

A picture says a thousand words…simple…

 Soumah Equilibrio Chardonnay 2018 Rating: B+ Price: $70

Vine Vale Grenache, one of the Juniors in the Yalumba line-up but don’t let that put you off for a second. Sweet aromas of fresh wild strawberries, cherries, cola-like botanicals. Thirst-quenchingly moreish, light-medium bodied, on the palate with the red berry fruit profile blending with whole bunch savouriness effortlessly. This will disappear very quickly!

 Vine Vale Grenache, one of the Juniors in the Yalumba

​⁠Now this is how you wrap up a Monday! Paradise IV, one of my favourite, semi-unknown, producers out there making seriously good wines. I heard the vineyard had been sold, if anyone knows let me know!⁠

The wine, Chaumont 2014 Bordeaux blend. Matured in barrels from Sirugue Cooperage, Nuits St George, has a stunning nose. Blackcurrant, cedar and leather, all underpinned with lovely subtle vanilla notes. ⁠It's complex on the palate. medium bodied at best with fine grained tannins and balanced acidity. The fruit, beginning to fade as the tertiary character comes to the fore, is still showing black fruits, hints of blue as it opens. It definitely needs a few hours in a decanter to fully express itself, once open it's a decent, classy drop. For my taste it's at the limit of its aging potential which is bloody great because I now have guilt free drinking ahead! Well worth trying, and I've heard the Dardel and Chardonnay are exceptional as well!⁠

 ​⁠Now this is how you wrap up a Monday! Paradise IV, one of

🔔 The label says it all ✌️🐨💋

Two koalas kissing in a tree. Pouring Campari spritzers with a grapefruit twist into each other's mouth as they gaze at each other intently. Each wondering if the other will still be there when they wake up from their 18-hour nap.

 2020 Borachio - Pash Rash Pét-Nat @borachio .wine 🔔 The

2014 Tolpuddle Vineyard - Chardonnay (91 pts)

ℹ️ This wine was tasted double blind aka zero context. This Chardonnay is from Tasmania, Australia. This vineyard was purchased by Michael Hill Smith (Master of Wine) and Martin Shaw in 2011, but the vines we planted in 1988. The vineyard is located in the Coal River Valley which is in a rain shadow, keeping the grapes dry giving it's cold climate time to mature the grapes. Hand picked, whole cluster pressed, and fermented in French Oak. The wine has minimal malolactic fermentation·

👁 very pale lemon color, almost lemon green·

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of lemon, grapefruit, preserved lemon, lees, white flowers, Flint, and hint of something herbal·

👄 On the palate the wine was dry, high bracing acidity, medium alcohol, and medium- body. Palate had a lot of sweet citrus and noticeable minerality. Medium length with a slight lemon zest bitter note·

🔔 Blind I was in Chablis from a good producer. I was astounded that this was Tasmania. Really exciting stuff. I find Chablis the hardest style of Chardonnay to replicate. I don't think they are trying to be Chablis but this is probably just the climate·

 2014 Tolpuddle Vineyard - Chardonnay (91 pts) #winereview

1999 Henschke - Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon (Museum Release) (94 pts)

🙋‍♂️What is your favorite Australian wine❓·

♻️ Reposting for comparison to the 2015·

ℹ️ Quick tasting notes as this was tasted double blind amongst many other wines. Purchased in Australia last year. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Merlot. Grown in the Henschke Eden Valley vineyard. Aged 18 months in a combination of new and seasoned French oak barrels·

📝 Medium garnet with a tawny rim. Medium+ intensity on the nose. Smells like new world Cabernet. Aromas of black currant, tomato leaf, leather, cedar, dried dark cherry, and herbal pine note. Medium acidity, medium ripe spicy tannins, high alcohol, and full body. Similar notes of palate. A bit more spice. Slight herbal on the long finish·

🔔 Again this was blind and I guessed mid 90s Napa Cabernet. The minty note didn't jump out as overtly Aussie at the time and it read as pine. My aged Australian wine experience is limited. I will need to fix that 🙄. Regardless this wine was singing. I ❤️ Henschke's Hill of Grace (probably my favorite Australian 🍷), but this is almost as legit ·

 1999 Henschke - Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon (Museum

1999 Henschke - Cyril Henschke (Museum Release) (94 pts)

❓ What is your favorite Australian wine? ·

ℹ️ Quick tasting notes as this was tasted blind amongst a lot of other wines. Purchased in Australia last year. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Merlot. Grown on the Henschke Eden Valley vineyard. Aged 18 months in new French Oak·

🔔 Again this was blind and I guessed mid 90s Napa Cabernet. The minty note didn't jump out as overtly Ozzie at the time and it read as pine. My aged Australian wine experience is limited. I will need to fix that 🙄. Regardless this wine was singing. I ❤️ Henschke's Hill of Grace (probably my favorite Australian 🍷), but this is almost as legit 😉. In Blind, We Trust😎·

 1999 Henschke - Cyril Henschke (Museum Release) (94 pts)

2015 Mayer - Cabernet Sauvignon Yarra Valley

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Cabernet Sauvignon from Yering in Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia. The wine undergoes 💯 whole cluster (minor Carbonic Maceration to start) indigenous yeast fermentation. The wine is left on the lees for one year in hogshead barrels. The wine is only racked one time before bottling with a small amount of sulfur. The wine is bottled unfined, and unfiltered.

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe black plum, blackberry, boysenberry, pickled jalapeno, dried chili, clove, tomato leaf, salami, and violets.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, medium+ ripe furry tannins, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), and medium+ body. The palate has a lot of texture. The flavors are savory and herbal. A medium length finish of ripe berries and dried herbs.

🔔 The Mayer Cabernet Sauvignon has a lot going, almost too much going on that it seems a bit lost. The aromatic profile, although complex, fights for your attention with lift aromatics from slight VA (violets), ripe tart berries, and an overabundance of pyrazines (tomato leaf, jalapeno, and dried chili). I need to try the Pinot Noir lineup from Mayer, as that variety lends itself better to this style of Winemaking. Although interesting, I couldn't quite make sense of it, especially at $73.

 2015 Mayer - Cabernet Sauvignon Yarra Valley @timo .mayer ℹ️

This is a blend. Not in the usual sense but a blend of two Grenache vineyards.

70% is made of 1947 planted Grenache old bush vines, while the remaining 30% is crafted from Grenache planted in 1990 on the western side of Mclaren township.

Interesting blend* and very easy to drink. A combination of chocolate and a little Chinese five spice towards the end. You won’t stop at one glass…simple…

 NX GEN Grenache By Shingleback Wines Rating: B Price: $25

Recommendation: A Bargain elegant light Pinot.

I love the wines that William Downie makes and if there is one winery I am bias about it is his range of wines. Not only do I adore his labels which feature iconic Australian landscapes from

 his ability to craft pinots makes them at the forefront of my shopping list.

This is my first taste of his Cathedral Pinot. I would say this is his entry pinot as most other ones are above $50.

But this is no where near an entry level wine. Most winemakers would be ecstatic to have such a wine, especially if it was the ‘cheaper one’.

It is a lot lighter than his other Pinots, but makes a beautiful impression especially if it is a night filled with more wine.

Rasberry nose and hint of five spice towards the end…simple…

 William Downie Cathedral Pinot Noir 2021 Rating: B+ Price:

A royal flush in poker is exceptionally rare and is therefore the most coveted hand.

So is this the Royal Flush of Yarra Valley Pinot?

No doubt this wine needs more time. Patience. Just like playing poker. For $55 it presents ridiculous value.

 Hoddles Creek 1ER Pinot Noir 2019 Rating: A Price: $55

Barossa “Old Hands” Cabernet Sauvignon

I don’t know what the Welland wines team are doing to create these beautiful wines, but don’t stop.  Their motto is ‘a group of friends, an old vineyard and its resurrection.’ That summarises this wine perfectly.

Soft and rich Barossa Cab Sav, that takes you on taste journey through black forests and ends in the rolling hills of happiness.

This winery is in the hunt for my winery of the year.

 Welland Wines Barossa “Old Hands” Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Made in the Methode Traditionelle using a blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes which were aged for 2 years on bottle lees creates a sparkling that is value for money. A fresh start that flies you straight to Wimbledon watching the tennis and eating strawberries and cream.

This was complimentary/sample bottle of wine from

 James Estate 2016 Reserve Sparkling Rosé Hunter Valley

 #fridayfunday New release from @sirrometwines Upcoming

 Happy Friday…simple… #winebottle #winebottlecrafts

 Kids vs Adults Bloody #fidgettoys  or whatever they are

Tonight is not about ratings or recommendations. Tonight is about Shiraz. Everything that makes Shiraz, Shiraz.

And whatever you chose to open…simple…

 JC’s Own 2019 Barossa Shiraz Tonight is not about ratings

Recommendation: A special wine worth every cent.

Restaurants are great to explore and try new wines, especially when the

We have all had great wines while dining but I sometimes I wonder if the wine was actually that good or was it food, the company or the other 3 bottles you enjoyed that night.

This was one of those wines I loved while having a dinner at

I tracked down a couple of bottles. Cracked one open and without fail it was that good…simple…

Cinsault 🤔  Cinsault is a heat tolerant grape that is originally from France and common is the Middle East regions. It is often blended with grapes such as Grenache add softness and bouquet.

 Ruggabellus Wine Efferus 2018 Rating: A- Price: $50 (ish)

With notification that Hutton Vale Farm will be releasing their next vintages of wines, I decided to open their Grenache Mataro.

Another brilliant wine. Few words are required. Just delicious.

It made me actually look back at my ratings of this winery and without doubt it is one of the favourites for Winery of the Year. With their Shiraz being the standout.

If you don’t believe me even Sir Halliday scored their Shiraz 97 points with the word ‘flawless’ in the description. Meanwhile this Grenache Mataro only received 96 (tongue in cheek)

You can clearly see I love the wines the team at

I know they are at the higher end of wine budgets but they are worth it…simple…

 Hutton Vale Farm Grenache Mataro 2016 Rating: A- Price: $75

 Upcoming review…simple… @georgesfollywines #wine #winereels

This was a very tough decision and there there 5 wines that I short listed for my Red wine of the Year, but something about the Chateau Yaldara just made me come back to it each time. This was pure elegance and ticked so many boxes.  An absolute pleasure to taste and drink...simple...

This wine is like sitting in an old leather wingback chair in front of an open fire 🔥 the smell, the taste, the feeling.

It’s warm tasting, comfortable but captivating just like looking at a fire. I could drink this and ponder into the fire all night. A very good wine. A classic in my opinion.

 Red Wine of the Year: Chateau Yaldara Reserve Cabernet

Gold Digger’s Ghost Pyrenees Shiraz 2017

Recommendation: Strong Buy. A quality wine for $22

This was a complimentary bottle from Luke and Zoe Crouch, who run Ned's Vineyard. They only make one wine and this is it. All their love and passion into one wine. Ned’s Vineyard is nestled at the foothills of the Pyrenees Ranges in Victoria and has a long history. Most of the fruit is bought by the more famous Mount Langhi Ghiran, but Luke and Zoe keep a small batch from the top block of the vineyard.  The grapes are carefully handled by wine maker Andrew Davey to produce this quality Shiraz.

The aroma of this wine is truly beautiful. It reminds me of a quality floral perfume and it feels like I'm walking through the fragrance department at David Jones. You get an instant hit of flavour that coats the mouth. Blueberry is at the front but it turns into a sweet spice flavour of star anise, subtle but makes the wine end perfectly. It's an old school licorice allsort. Luke and Zoe only need to make one wine especially if it is this good...simple...

 Ned's Vineyard Gold Digger’s Ghost Pyrenees Shiraz 2017

Recommendation: Buy. Coastal sea breeze in a glass.

Is it me or has there been an explosion of Semillon blended with Fiano recently? Not that is a bad thing. Winemakers are really pushing the boundaries and blending this mainly Italian grape with semillion to create a unique combination that I am loving at the moment.

Varney Wines have create a wine that screams coastal happiness. I can smell the ocean and feel the breeze.

With a 60% Semillon, 40% Fiano blend this is one to remember. A young white wine that gives plenty of texture and backend flavour with a with a bite that is subtle but makes to reach for another sip.

I think this is worth the price and clearly rated as 'Great'...simple...

 Varney Wines Semillon Fiano 2018 Rating: A- Price: $28

 Decisions 🍷 #australianwine #aussiewine #cheers #vino

Rating: Buy 🥂 Grant Burge Moscato. As you know from my reviews, I normally don’t drink Moscato but this one I like. Refreshing and not to sweet. Amazing and beautiful bottle. About $14. Summer in a glass 🌞...simple...

 Rating: Buy 🥂 Grant Burge Moscato. As you know from my

As I've outlined in a recent post, these virtual cellar door tastings is one of the inventions/innovations in wine in recent memory. So to start my virtual cellar door experience, I travelled on my couch to the McLaren Vale via Adeliade Hills to visit  the wonderful Jericho Family Winery.

 previously and are a favourite of mine, so I was excited to taste the latest releases.

Jericho Wines have carefully curated a special tasting pack of their favourites wines.

At 6 x 100mls, it equates to a just under a bottle of wine or if you share them it’s similar to what you get at an actual cellar door.

I could do six separate reviews but I thought let’s just treat this like a visit to the actual cellar.

I started with the whites and followed the included tasting notes. What a great tasting. All of them were very good and I would recommend them all, but as this a review, I decided to ranked them in order of my preference;

1. 2016 Single Vineyard McLaren Vale Shiraz,

3. 2019 McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz Mouvedre (GSM)

The Shiraz is very good. Really good, it delivers a complex but delicate approach with a few years under its belt. The tempranillo from this winery is one of my favourite wines, 2019 vintage does not disappoint. For $20 it is a steal. The two whites are completely different from lets say, the usual whites I drink. Their style and taste are such a pleasure to drink and both are now on my radar. The GSM is a grenache focused dream.

And only because someone has to finish last, the S3 Shiraz, but there is no failure in coming last in this race. 🍷

So how successful was this virtual cellar door?

This one is an easy answer, I have bought a selection of the Tempranillo, GSM, Shiraz and their premium grenache, which wasn't part of the pack, but if their $20 wine is this good, imagine how good the $50 stuff is...simple...

 Jericho Family Wines Home Tasting Pack As I've outlined in

Recommendation: Worth the price. Actually buy this and the Inc Pinot and Shiraz as well. 🍷

A concentrated, intense, deep Cabernet Sauvignon. Just the right amount of French oak that gives I nice warm toasty feeling in the mouth. Worth every cent.

I was lucky enough to meet the team from Grounded Cru, including the owner and wine maker Geoff Thompson. After 5 minutes with the guy you can clearly understand he loves wine. He really wants to create the best wine he can, taking the time to really understand every element of wine making from the grapes to the dirt to the label. This handmade approach and strive for quality is evident in the wine. Well done Geoff 👏

In addition, the Grounded Cru Inc Pinot Noir was one of the best wines I tried at the recent

That will be reviewed once I buy some more. Some times you forget to take a picture...simple