Saint Clair Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2013 $23 ★★★½ Being a pioneering Marlborough producer hasn’t stopped the Saint Clair crew from forging further into northern climes to nab themselves some prime red wine territory in Hawke’s Bay. This syrah has all those classic plum, violet and pepper-driven spice characters that you’ll be asking for, alongside good … Read More
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Hogshead Old Vine Shiraz 2014
Hogshead Old Vine Shiraz 2014 $19 ★★★★ Fruit sourced from old vines in the Barossa, McLaren Vale and Lower Murray regions have been used to create this wine, which is glossy and dark in the glass and saturates the mouth and nostrils with ripe, rumpty raspberry and cherry notes before being boosted by blackcurrant and a … Read More
Chocolate Box Cherry Chocolate GSM 2013
Chocolate Box Cherry Chocolate GSM 2013 $23 ★★★★ If you prefer your reds to be sweet, plummy, plush and velvety-smooth, then this will definitely spin your wheels because it’s all of the above and more. Juicy, generous dark fruit, loads of spice and chocka with chocolate, this blend of grenache, shiraz and mourvedre is fleshy, … Read More
The Barry Bros. Shiraz Cabernet 2013
The Barry Bros. Shiraz Cabernet 2013 $23 ★★★★½ Tom and Sam Barry are the 20-somethings who made this little cracker that scooped the trophy for Champion Shiraz Cabernet blend at the Royal Queensland Show AND took out the Champion Shiraz Cabernet blend trophy at the Melbourne Wine Show last year. It’s a generous and juicy, … Read More
St John’s Road Blood and Courage Barossa Shiraz 2013
St John’s Road Blood and Courage Barossa Shiraz 2013 $20 ★★★½ Produced from fruit grown in the Seppeltsfield, Stonewell, Bethany and Ebeneezer sub-districts of the Barossa Valley, this is a very pretty, vanilla and berry-scented red that carries dusty, leather and cocoa characters alongside sweet, juicy fruit edged with creamy, chocolatey notes and smooth, earthy … Read More
Barossa Valley Estate Shiraz 2012
Barossa Valley Estate Shiraz 2012 $22 ★★★★ The inside of the glass is coated in a film of inky magenta-black on the first swirl, while on the nose it has what I can describe only as the smell of a large bowl of ageing plums and berries slowly fermenting inside a carpenter’s workshop – all earthy … Read More
The Willows Vineyard Barossa Valley Shiraz 2010
The Willows Vineyard Barossa Valley Shiraz 2010 $34 ★★★★ Deeply meaty on the nose and palate, this is definitely more on the savoury side for shiraz and way less jammy than most. In fact, there’s a distinct roasting pan, gravy-like richness to this wine that oozes personality and depth. It also has good, solid acidity to … Read More
Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Syrah 2012
Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Syrah 2012 $35 ★★★★ This is basically the Sade of red wine, a smooth operator if ever there was one. Soft, sweet boysenberry, cherry, chocolate and liquorice aromas and flavours lead to velvety, elastic tannins and a long, silky finish. If you’ve never tried a Californian syrah and want to get amongst … Read More
Alpha Domus The Navigator 2013
Alpha Domus The Navigator 2013 $30 ★★★★½ Blackberry, boysenberry, dark quava and intensely aromatic spice notes burst from the glass. Comprised of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot, this classic Bordeaux blend displays a delicious vein of dried herb and cocoa buoyed by fresh juicy acidity and good grip on the finish. … Read More
Alpha Domus AD The Aviator 2013
Alpha Domus AD The Aviator 2013 $72 ★★★★★ 2013 heralds the Aviator’s ninth vintage and it’s got real style. Bright, glossy, juniper berry colour in the glass and scented with red rose, pepper and dusty oak complexity. In the mouth it’s saturated with fleshy black fruits, fresh spice and smoke flavours, edged with elegant acidity … Read More