To all Nebbiolo fans out there, keep your eyes peeled for this! Here’s a stunning example of an Aussie Nebbiolo by Virago in Beechworth that’s well worth tracking down. It’s the result of five different Nebbiolo clones grown by Karen and Prue, the Vignerons, and a little helping hand from none other than Rick Kinzbrunner. What a riddiculously good set-up!!

On the nose the 2015 shows beautifully lifted florals, cherries, anise, and undergrowth in what can only be described as a heavenly perfume. It steps up a gear on the palate as the dark cherry flavours and bright acidty intermingle with darker fruits and rustic, earthy, leathery notes. It’s  perhaps the best Aussie Neb I’ve had!!

 To all Nebbiolo fans out there, keep your eyes peeled for

Found a great producer this year? I’d love to know who! -

These are two of my favourite producer finds from the last 6 months, Quin wines and Saint Petri (Calabria Family Wines), from the

. Both are producing serious quality and classy wines that I can’t recommend highly enough! If you see them they’re well worth trying!

 Found a great producer this year? I’d love to know who! -

At 171 years old, the vines that produce the Cirillo Estate 1850 Grenache are believed to be the oldest in the world, making this somewhat of a unicorn and a little too hard to resist! It’s going for a long sleep in the cellar... couldn’t help myself!

 At 171 years old, the vines that produce the Cirillo Estate

Kicking-off the week with a medium- bodied McLaren Vale Shiraz, courtesy of Curtis Family Vineyards. Lots to like here. Plenty of fruit, great  concentration, powerful yet quite elegant all up. It’s a quality drop that’s playing in a pretty serious pool of wines from that neck of the woods and doing a very good job! -

 Kicking-off the week with a medium- bodied McLaren Vale

Here’s to my hat trick of Riesling posts and a gem of a producer I stumbled across in the Macedon Ranges… Lyons Will Estate.

To date I’ve tried the Gamay and Chardonnay, both beautiful wines, and today the Riesling had its time in the limelight. First off, this is unlike most young Rieslings here in Australia, it’s less racy more luscious, mouthy and perfumed than usual. Fruity, tangy, with a touch of old oak character. Bigger in body, wider in flavour than I was expecting and all the better for it. It’s a super interesting expression of the variety, one I’d love to see with a few years under its belt.

 Here’s to my hat trick of Riesling posts and a gem of a

I find it very hard to resist a cheeky taste of any Rockford Basket Press... especially a new vintage! -

 I find it very hard to resist a cheeky taste of any

Whistler SMG 2108, Incredibly moreish and shockingly good value.... Now that’s a bloody good combination.

Biodynamic, Estate grown, Shiraz and Grenache deliver beautiful red and blue berry fruit flavours that’re crisp, racy and fresh with great depth. Mataro doing the business with an earthy and savoury backbone allowing the fruits to shine. It’s so incredibly drinkable and you can’t ask for more than that!

 Whistler SMG 2108, Incredibly moreish and shockingly good

Forget flutes, Burgundy glasses are my favourite way to enjoy Champagne. It just tastes better… which isn’t that surprising considering this Veuve is 55% Pinot Noir. Give it a go, it’s bloody great!

 Forget flutes, Burgundy glasses are my favourite way to

I’ve been fortunate to taste some fantastically tasty, moreish, and great value wines lately. This is no exception. -

Purple Hands Aglianico 2017, medium bodied, vibrant and balanced on the nose. The palate shows plenty of upfront redcurrant and black cherries notes, liquorice and tar. Rustic, earthy tannins and fresh berry acidity round it off very nicely. It’s a quality drop, no doubt about it! -