Quin Wines 2016 Barossa Shiraz… what a cracking way to celebrate mid-week. 60 minutes in the decanter and this Shiraz was absolutely signing! Of course it’s on the young side, but there’s trademark Barossa fruit concentration and tightly woven savoury / spicy notes that make it bloody good drinking now. It’s an impressive wine, no doubt about it, wish I had a few more for the cellar!

 Quin Wines 2016 Barossa Shiraz… what a cracking way to

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

The longer this lockdown goes on the better these look… 😬🍷

​⁠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

Ochota Barrels 186 Grenache and Home Pinot Noir. Two wines in the collection I can’t wait to try! If you’ve tried either please let me know what they’re like!?!? -

 Ochota Barrels 186 Grenache and Home Pinot Noir. Two wines

Treated myself to a cracking Adelaide Hills Chardonnay from Sanglier. Three different vineyards, Woodside, Lenswood and Piccadilly,  with an average age of 35 years combined produce a zingy, fresh, mineral bomb of a Chardy. Funky, flinty, full of stone-fruit flavor and impressive length. It’s bloody good! -

 Treated myself to a cracking Adelaide Hills Chardonnay from

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

​Wine on a school night? Absolutely, and this cheeky little number from

 is just the drop. Made from old vines, 58 years young, planted in the Barossa this Grenache is delicious. That’s honestly the best word. Lifted red berries, raspberry liquorice, slight bunchy characters on the nose. Balanced, springy, exciting on the palate. Strawberry lollies and Allen’s Frogs with savoury edges, zingy acidity and soft subtle tannins. It’s a bloody good drop, bit of a bargain really, great work!⁠

 ​Wine on a school night? Absolutely, and this cheeky little

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

 delivered a few weeks back and all I can say is, why has it taken this long to find them?!

The Rosé comes from 47 year old, Goblet Grenache vines, in Blewitt Springs Mclaren Vale. Light and zippy with crunch and dryness. Roses and strawberries, nice acidity and fine tannin. Love it, would definitely buy again. -

A Light Dry Red, 70% whole bunch, which is a 50/50 blend of Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir & Clare Valley Shiraz that’s so tasty and satisfying I barely put the glass down. It has a lot going on, quite deceiving really. A spectrum of red fruit lovelies coupled with herbal edges. All in at 12.7% ABV, bit of a gem really.

 Two down, two left of the @sanglierwines  delivered a few

My recent poll had the Rockford as preferred (54%) in this ​old school vs new school battle. Surprised? I was. What do you think of these beauties? -

For me, I'm team Standish. No doubt the Rockford is a classy drop, and 14 was an incredible vintage for the basket Press, but... that Lamella is in a class of it's own. I've said it before about Standish Wines, you could spent a lot more and get a lot less. Get them while you can! -

 My recent poll had the Rockford as preferred (54%) in this

Perhaps the best value wine find of the year! The Calabria Family make some awesome wines, Old Vine Shiraz and the Saint Petri selection (check them out) two name a few, but this Nero D’Avola for sheer drinkability is a quality find at a fraction of the cost. Red berry fruit, earthy and herbal aromatics, fine grain emery-board like tannins on the finish. Sub $15, unbelievable really. A fun, super enjoyable drop that’s well worth trying, end of.

 Perhaps the best value wine find of the year! The Calabria

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

It’s that time of year again when this gem from the Barossa is released! 2017 promises to have some standout wines with these being right up there amongst the best from the Barossa. Sami-Odi wines use some of the Hoffman families oldest vines which means only one thing... greatness. I’ve landed mine, buy buy buy!

 It’s that time of year again when this gem from the Barossa

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

​⁠How about this for dinner? ​It's not everyday you walk into a bottle shop and find this on the shelf... makes me think, what does this taste like? Was 1995 even a good year for Petrus?⁠

So many questions. But for now I'll just place it back on the shelf, very very carefully!⁠

 ​⁠How about this for dinner? ​It's not everyday you walk

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

The Eddies Old Vine Shiraz, Barossan gold if you ask me. Planted in 1912, ​1951 and 1975 the average age of the vines that make their way into this bottle is 70, unbelievable really. ⁠

It might just be, along with the Mewstone Pinot Noir, my favourite find so far this year. Beautifully aromatic. The glass barely able to contain the aromas. Rich, lush, exotic on the palate. Xmas cake fruit, sweet and savoury spice complexity ever evolving in the glass. Don't get me started on the length, insane. God bless those old vines! Simply put, it's bloody good!⁠

 The Eddies Old Vine Shiraz, Barossan gold if you ask me

Some pretty serious wines found their way into the cellar today. Three Aussie “best of breeds” and this bucket list Super Tuscan! I’d of thought it’ll be a few years before these come out again... fingers crossed!

 Some pretty serious wines found their way into the cellar

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

I’m a sucker for single vineyard, small batch, productions regardless of the variety and this

 Montepulciano, affectionately named “The Mob” is limited to 200 dozen and comes from a 1 hectare single vineyard in the Barossa. So with both boxes ticked, what’s it like? Black cherry in colour, impenetrable beginning to end. Sets the scene nicely for the dark cherry and red plum blast, twiggy herbals, and almost tarry edge all balanced nicely with chewy tannins and medium acidity. It’s a taste of Italy that’s had the Barossa treatment, and there’s nothing wrong with that!

 I’m a sucker for single vineyard, small batch, productions

Penfolds Grange...If it’s not the best, then it’s certainly the most iconic Australian wine out there and with most believing the 2010 vintage is the best post millennium release of Grange it makes me wonder... how does it rate against the other 49 releases? If you know, let me know! 🍷🙌

 Penfolds Grange...If it’s not the best, then it’s certainly

​⁠That nervous feeling when your boss says "order the wine" and this rocks up. It's easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission right? Especially when this beaut puts a smile the size of a house on your face. Highly recommended! ⁠

 ​⁠That nervous feeling when your boss says "order the wine"

From a small, 72 year old, single vineyard in the Blewitt Springs sub-region of the McLaren Vale this Grenache from Longline Wines has everything going for it. Combine that with 20% whole bunch, time in a concrete egg and seasoned French Oak puncheons and the end product is a wine you just want to savour. Lovely crunchy red berry fruits, red currants and raspberries with spices and earthy undertones. Crisp acidity and fine grained tannins wrap up this medium bodied package. It’s a gem of a wine with interest and complexly, and did I mention it’s only $26.....? You can’t buy better than that, end of. -

 From a small, 72 year old, single vineyard in the Blewitt

I’ve not tried many wines from the Macedon Ranges but the Lyons Will Estate Chardonnay and Gamay were highly recommended. The only problem I see is work out which one to try first… Chardy or Gamay? Can’t really lose in my eyes 🙌🍷🔥

 I’ve not tried many wines from the Macedon Ranges but the

Interview with Ernst "Erni" Loosen proprietor of Dr. Loosen. We discussed four wines: two dry and two fruity. The first pair was a comparison of Blue Slate (Kabinett) and Red Slate (Dry) soil types. The second pair were from the same single vineyard Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Spätlese, and GG. We discussed ungrafted vines, 🍇 hang time, lees aging, and neutral oak aging the wines.

 Interview with Ernst "Erni" Loosen proprietor of Dr

Interview with Enrique Tirado, Winemaker & CEO of Viña Don Melchor

 We talked about the unique Terroir of Puente Alto in Chile's Upper Maipo Valley. He explained the Andes's influence on the climate and the alluvial soils carved out by the Maipo River. We discussed the pillars of the Don Melchor brand: one story, one terroir, and one wine. As of 2019, Viña Don Melchor was set up as a standalone winery from Concha y Toro to enable the Don Melchor team to communicate their brand better. Finally, we tasted through the 2005, 2016, and 2017 vintages of Don Melchor.

 Interview with Enrique Tirado, Winemaker & CEO of Viña Don

Interview with Mike Dunn of Dunn Vineyards. We walked through four decades of Dunn Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1984, 1994, 2004, and 2014.

 Interview with Mike Dunn of Dunn Vineyards. We walked

This bottle of 1983 Lopez de Heredia - Viña Tondonia Crianza

 was caught fleeing my wine fridge. I guess that means it is time to drink it·

🎥  Playing around with stop motion video. Thought it would be fun to show the kids and now it has spread into my wine page🤭·

🧠 Are you learning new skills while under 🦠 COVID-19 lockdown🔒❓·

I would love to hear about them in the comments below👇·

 🍷 The Great Escape🍷· This bottle of 1983 Lopez de Heredia -

🍷🗝 Sometimes you just need the right tool for the right bottle. It is hot out, and I love aged German Riesling.

🇩🇪🍷 The lower alcohol levels make the wine a joy to drink. Also, there is something about long-term aging that somehow changes the perception of residual sugar on the palate. I realize the residual sugar is the exact same, but it just tastes "less sweet". If anyone knows the science behind this please let me know. Even a Spätlese can be aged beautifully for almost 50 years.

💪💪💪While some people prefer to leverage their corkscrew skills as a show of prowess, I prefer just to get the cork out as cleanly as possible, so I can get to enjoy those finely aged wine.