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

. Classic Barossa, intense colour, full bodied and fruit forward. Less oak than I was expecting, but the power and concentration more than suffice. Blackberry, spices, chard meats and a feint fennel edge, balanced brilliantly with crisp acidity and grainy tannin. Quality find! If you see it grab a couple, it’s bloody good 🍷🙌

 Magical Moppa Hill by @laughingjackwines . Classic Barossa

What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Jean-François Ganevat Chardonnay "Les Chalasses" Vieilles Vignes Côtes du Jura, what a wine! Woody, apply, zesty scents unfurl and collect in the glass. The palate, oh my. Salty and lemony, with a stunning minerality late on. One problem... one bottles not enough!! -

 What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Jean-François

I’m getting my fill of hearty Barossan reds this winter and this Calabria Bros Old Vine Shiraz is such a find. Dark, inky purple with magenta hues. Medium to full bodied, fitting the traditional Barossa Shiraz style effortlessly. Lots of dark fruit. Less fresh, more stewed and rich. Great oaky characters, obvious but well balanced. Grippy tannins and persistent flavour. For under $30, it’s a classy and impressive Barossa Shiraz.

 I’m getting my fill of hearty Barossan reds this winter and

Expectations exceeded here with this Sherrah Single Vineyard Shiraz from the Mclaren Vale. It’s got it all going on, dark fruit cocktail, compote-like, verging on red berries and plenty of va-va-voom. Grippy, wavy, flowing tannins perfectly offset the fruit giving great balance. Gulgability of off the chart, great drop!

 Expectations exceeded here with this Sherrah Single

This Sauvignon / Semillon blend is the business with Italian Sausage & fennel sauce and homemade pasta. Such a ripper wine from the Hunter Valley! -

 This Sauvignon / Semillon blend is the business with

Everything about my recently delivery of Quin wines has impressed me. From the packaging and tasting notes, right through to the bottles and labels. If this tastes half as good as it looks it’s going to be awesome!

The wine… Single Vineyard Eden Valley Shiraz. Latitude: 34⁰32’06”S  Longitude: 139⁰02’46”E. 450m above sea-level and planted in 1982. The fruit is traditionally handed and sees 10 months of French oak.

 Everything about my recently delivery of Quin wines has

Hmm, considering a Grenache in the middle of Winter? Well, if you find yourself in one of those "I fancy a Grenache" moods then do yourself a favour and grab few of these cheeky little Barossa beauts from

. This is a cracking example of a varietal that's having somewhat of a rebirth! What was once destined for fortified alone is now highly prized and rightly so! ⁠

Did you know, the Barossa is home to the oldest productive Grenache vines in the world? What an incredible part of the world!⁠

 Hmm, considering a Grenache in the middle of Winter? Well

It turns out Pikes, synonymous with stunning Clare Valley Riesling, are also pretty adept at the odd red too… who’d of thought it?! The Dogwalk is a savoury, earthy Clare Valley cabernet with a touch of mint leaf and spice in amongst the mulberries and blackcurrants. Tannins, soft and gentle, are present but nicely balanced. Everything’s in the right place to pop, pour and enjoy, no messing about and it’s all the better for it.

 It turns out Pikes, synonymous with stunning Clare Valley

 wine? Personally it’s the Lamella for me, but this 2016 Relic is something special! I’m interested to see what you all pick! -

 Have you got a favorite @standishwineco  wine? Personally

Do I, don’t I? The age old question. This is why I should never go to the cellar on a Friday night...

 Do I, don’t I? The age old question. This is why I should

After ten years as Chief Winemaker at Hentley Farm Andrew Quin, and wife Skye, have launched their own label... Quin Wines. Being a big Hentley Farm fan I’m pretty excited to try these! Is there a Beauty and a Beast in this line up?! If you’ve tried them let me know 🙌🍷

 After ten years as Chief Winemaker at Hentley Farm Andrew

How on earth do you choose between these two?! Magill Estate’s legacy as the original Grange Vineyard establishes it as part of Australian wine history whilst the Wendouree Shiraz, from vines dating back to 1893, is a cult classic of iconic status. The two 2 year head start might give the Magill the lead in the “drink me” race but that Wendouree is bloody tempting!! 🍷

 How on earth do you choose between these two?! Magill

Kicking off Saturday eve with this cheeky little Ebenezer

. The nose is packed with sweet strawberries, raspberry liquorice, a raft of red frogs and Turkish delight. Light bodied, sweet red fruits, and  pomegranate across the palate. Very easy to drink, too easy perhaps! -

 Kicking off Saturday eve with this cheeky little Ebenezer

​Dujac Fils & Pere Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru 'Aux Cras' 2016. It may not be one of Domaine Dujac’s first wines but it has all the DNA of it's bigger brothers. It’s also a fraction of the price and for that reason it’s a steal! After all, it is a Burgundy. Think this’ll have a few more years in the cellar before I dig it back out. -

 ​Dujac Fils & Pere Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru 'Aux Cras'

Longline GSM 2018 from McLaren Vale,SA. Multifaceted crunchy red berry fruit, earthy notes and subtle minerality wrapped with crisp acidity and fine tannins. Considering I’m not the biggest GSM lover this is doing a bloody good job of converting me! Top notch!

 Longline GSM 2018 from McLaren Vale,SA. Multifaceted

If there’s such thing as a “value” wine in the $50+ bracket then this surely has to be a contender. My view on the wines from

 are that they punch well above their price tag throughout the range. The Orphan Bank is 87% Barossa Valley, 13% Eden Valley, made from 70+ year old vines and has all the hallmarks of a classically styled Barossa Shiraz, yet it’s elegant and poised. Everything you’d expect, and a little bit more. Great balance, great length.

Interestingly ten rows of Shiraz planted pre-1860 were saved from the developer’s bulldozer and replanted alongside the original Langmeil vineyard on the banks of the North Para River. These ten rows are called the “Orphans”.

 If there’s such thing as a “value” wine in the $50+ bracket

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

Is this Australia’s best Cabernet Sauvignon? 11 years young and counting! Wynn’s John Riddoch is produced from the top 1% of available Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and only in exceptional vintages. Capable of living for decades if well looked after, resulting in depth, complexity and all round greatness. Sadly I’m not too sure if these 08s will last another decade... I’m getting pretty curious to see what all the fuss is about! -

 Is this Australia’s best Cabernet Sauvignon? 11 years young

So, how long is long enough to age a Super Tuscan? These two Ornellaia 2011s, including the "L'Infinito" limited label, are two of the gems in my collection and I can’t wait to try them. They’re sleeping away in the cellar but they’re getting harder and harder to resist!

 So, how long is long enough to age a Super Tuscan? These

Now, I’m no Oliver Twist, but… “Please, sir, I want some more”. This Sanglier Wines Grenache Shiraz Tannat is fresh, vibrant, and beautifully reductive. A gem of a wine that delivers bundles of fruit depth, savoury pepper notes and a smoky wildness that’s elegantly clean in a rugged kind of way. What a find. I wouldn’t hesitate to get this again!

 Now, I’m no Oliver Twist, but… “Please, sir, I want some

Since we’ve just had International Pinot Noir day I’ve been thinking…. Is there such thing as a “best” Aussie Pinot Noir and/ or region? Personally Serrat hit it out of the park for cost and quality across their entire range. I’ve finally un-boxed these beauties and will be sending them to the cellar asap to avoid any accidental drinking!

Serrat’s Pinot Noir is made from the MV6 clone which was planted in 2001. 30% whole bunch, aged on lees for 11 months in 500L French oak puncheons, 15% new. It’s generous, textural, and age worthy. I can’t wait to get one open in 3 ish years… unless any one suggests sooner?! -

 Since we’ve just had International Pinot Noir day I’ve been

Rumour has it this Rockford Basket Press 2010 is one of the best the iconic winery has produced since the first release in 1984. So, this little gem's coming home with me. You can never have enough Shiraz... right?⁠

​Made from grapes sourced from 60 to 140-year-old dry-grown vineyards (most from independent growers) across a range of Barossa soils, altitudes and micro-climates, the wine represents a rare and important post-colonial Australian aesthetic. The fruit is hand picked then vinified using classic Barossa techniques including a 19th-century wooden Bagshaw crusher, open fermentation and basket pressing. Matured primarily in seasoned 300-litre French and American oak hogsheads and 2500-litre vats for two years resulting in wines that are classic, age worthy, examples of Barossa Shiraz. ⁠

 Rumour has it this Rockford Basket Press 2010 is one of the

Are you a Natural wine fan? I’ve been seeing and hearing a lot about them lately so I’m trying these from Nova Vita to see what all the fuss is about. I’ll keep you posted on my thoughts! -

 Are you a Natural wine fan? I’ve been seeing and hearing a

When I'm in the heart of the Barossa I love a cheeky trip to Rockford. The 15 Basket Press Shiraz, classic Barossan Shiraz, has a tough time living up to the fantastic 14 as expected. That being said... it's a classic and puts a big smile on your face. What do you think is the best Basket Press vintage? ⁠🤔

 When I'm in the heart of the Barossa I love a cheeky trip

 from Rutherglen that are verging on too pretty to drink. Not that that’ll stop me of course! I think that Syrah is going to be a beaut! -

 A trio of small-batch stunners from @scionwine  from

 Shiraz Viognier 2017, you’re a beaut, I wouldn’t change a thing about you. -

Interesting facts….With 8,800 vines/hectare Serrat’s vineyards have more than four times the average density you will generally find in Australia. Due to the density the vines carry only a few bunches each and on average it takes one vine to produce one bottle. Needless to say, there isn’t much of this available!

 Now this is how you wrap up a Thursday. @serratwines 

I’ve been so impressed with the wines from

 lately and this is no exception. Barossa Cabernet isn’t usually my cuppa but this is relaxed, full, and round with no pointy edges if that makes sense. It packs in the usual flavour suspects of cassis, blackberry and plums. Mint chocolate notes excite the palate and it’s all wrapped up smoothly with balanced acidity and tannin. It’s approachable as soon as you get the cap off, pop and pour no problem! -

 I’ve been so impressed with the wines from @atzescorner 

There's one word that springs to mind every time I have an

 wine and that's consistency. This, the Max's Shiraz 2015, follows the famous house style to a tee. ​A red and dark fruit medley wrapped in oak and fine powdery tannins. It's solid and predictable, can't complain with that!⁠

 There's one word that springs to mind every time I have an

This is one of my go-to Pinots from the Apple Isle. It’s a sizable and complex beast bursting with intrigue. Dark fruits and oak, cherry-cola smoke essence and spices with woody undertones. To get this much complexity into a wine is awesome. Constantly changing, evolving with time in the glass, resulting in an experience not a moment. Well worth testing if you love a bit of complexity! -

 This is one of my go-to Pinots from the Apple Isle. It’s a

In place of my usual Monday Shiraz I’ve decided to get stuck into the Smith and Hooper Reserve Merlot and I’m pleased to report no regrets! It’s soft and textural with great depth of flavour. Beyond the primary fruit Mulberry goodness there’s hints of Cocoa nibs and roast coffee bean. Grainy almost powdery tannin and balanced acidity underpinning the lot. Quite unexpectedly elegant really, with a somewhat French feel to it and that’s no bad thing. For a Monday pop and pour it’s ticking a lot of boxes!

 In place of my usual Monday Shiraz I’ve decided to get

Points for beauty? These Sami-Odi HD would be contenders for sure! They’ve survived my thirst for a month or two and are now tucked away in the cellar

_ark where I can't touch the thankfully. It’s sad that they’re tucked away, but I can’t trust myself 😂 and there's plenty more wine at home to keep me going! -⁠