A wise man once said “I like it, I like it a lot”, and that’s exactly how I feel about the

 Brothers Shiraz, named after Malcolm and Colin Campbell, the top-shelf drop from the Rutherglen producers. What’s not to like…  big blackberry fruit flavours, subtle hints of vanilla, savoury, almost leatheriness going on that’s well balanced by the tannin and acidity. No shrinking violet here! It’s certainly at home in glass, or the cellar.

 A wise man once said “I like it, I like it a lot”, and

I’ve tried some stunning Chardonnays this year; By Farr Three Oaks, Bass Philip Premium, Toolangi Block F, and recently Rochford Premier that are all exceptional in my book. Does it really get better? -

 Is this Australia’s best Chardonnay? - I’ve tried some

Hands down my favourite shiraz producer in Australia, and a Greenock Shiraz of supreme class. Inky, meaty, spicy, and savoury with incredible depth and length. Laced with stunning tannin and purity of Shiraz fruit it’s a total pleasure to drink. Enjoyed over 4 hours and every sip showed something new. Magic in a bottle! -

 Hands down my favourite shiraz producer in Australia, and a

Is bigger better? When talking wine, my answer is most definitely yes. Aging at slower rates the large formats produce rounder, lusher wines with age yet retain freshness. What’re your thoughts... is bigger better? ⁣

Certainly no shrinking violet here, just pure Barossa class at its best. Grant Burge Meshach 2008, magnum, 1500ml of outstanding grape juice from 100 year old Barossa Shiraz vines. Awesome stuff! ⁣

Surely it’s almost time to see how this beauty has developed! Just need to find some willing drinkers to join me!!⁣ 🙌 🔥 ⁣

 Is bigger better? When talking wine, my answer is most

Curtis Family Vineyards Limited Series 2016 Grenache 94 Points according to Halliday… Now that I’ve covered all that’s on the label, points and all (not a fan), this is a superb Grenache… very, very nice. Stunning nose of cherries, florals, thyme and oregano-like dried herbal notes. Medium to light bodied, fantastic blueberry and raspberry notes, Allen’s frog confectionary before a sweep of savoury spices and dried herbs. Fine tannin, crisp acidity and great length round off what is an unbelievably easy wine to drink.

 Curtis Family Vineyards Limited Series 2016 Grenache 94

Week done and bottle in hand... finally! The bottle?

 1961 Block. Quite simply, it’s a sensational Riesling by any standard, home or away... end of! Love it 🍷🔥

 Week done and bottle in hand... finally! The bottle?

Last post of the year and my Second NYE drop, Rusden Black Guts Shiraz, one of my favourites from the Barossa. All manner of dark fruits and spice on the nose with a cherry cola-esque richness. Powerful and elegant on the palate. Dark berries, violet, fizzy cola sweets backed by roasted coffee, a touch of oak and chewy tannins. It’s bloody great, and it’s only a baby. Give it a few years and it’ll be even better!

 Last post of the year and my Second NYE drop, Rusden Black

I love finding new producers and quality Pinot Noir to try. Hence trying the 2017 Santolin 'Gruyere' Pinot Noir which, at first impressions, is a very attractive Pinot! It has a nose of fine red berries, black cherry, and raspberries with a whole bunch, slight funk note going on. On the palate, fruit forward flavours of strawberry, raspberry Allen’s frogs and concentrated black cherry adding depth. With medium acidity and super fine tannins it’s very smooth, and incredibly moreish. If you open it, it will get drunk! -

 I love finding new producers and quality Pinot Noir to try

Do you have a favorite producer that you stock up on each year? -

My top 5 in no particular order are; By Farr, Sami-Odi, Serrat, Standish Wine Co, and Sorrenberg. Clearly not everyday wines, but they’re my collection staples. Typically I buy a range from each, low to high in price, and open them both young and old. For me, nothing beats trying the same wine from the same producer, 3,5, even 10 years apart!

 Do you have a favorite producer that you stock up on each

Beautiful, back and front. It’s hard to find a better “package” out there in my opinion. Year on year, they get prettier and prettier! Can’t wait to see what’s install for the next release. For now though, these will do VERY nicely! ⠀

 Beautiful, back and front. It’s hard to find a better

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

This Grand Cru Pinot Noir from New Zealand’s iconic producer

_rangi is simply sublime. It’s the result of the legendary gumboot clone, a single Pinot Noir cutting taken from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Burgundy, smuggled into New Zealand in the mid-1970’s. This legend provides both pedigree and a degree of mystery to the wine.⁣

Distinctly pinot noir on the nose with lifted florals, red roses, delicious cherries, spices and savouriness all in one. You could sit and smell this for days... To taste, it’s a dream pinot. Refined, medium bodied, very long, encompassing power and finesse all at once. It’s a complex wine for sure as the dark cherry, dried fruit and herby almost stalky flavours unite and seductive your tastebuds. There’s a real energy about this wine which the flavours, acidity and tannins express from the moment you smell right through to the long, long, finish. Simply stunning!⁣

Let me know what you think of this New Zealand gem! And if you believe the legend...⁣

 This Grand Cru Pinot Noir from New Zealand’s iconic

I love a good nose around a quality bottle shop, especially when you find gems like this. Keller Frauenberg 2014 is certainly not a regular find in Sydney so this is coming home with me. Notes soon! 🍷 ​

 I love a good nose around a quality bottle shop, especially

If you’re a fan of Temprenillo then get your chops around this. From the Strathbogie Ranges near Bonnie Doon, ah the serenity,

 produce this Tempranillo and a Reserve. Firstly, this is a beaut of a wine. Ruby and garnet in colour, complex brambly, pomegranate and earthy aromas with hints of mushrooms... interesting. The Zalto captures it so well, smell, sip, wait, repeat and it evolves each time. The palate has powdery tannin, pomegranate again, spices and plums, with sherry notes adding complexity. It intrigues brilliantly. Can’t wait to try the reserve!

 If you’re a fan of Temprenillo then get your chops around

Sipping a surprisingly good Sangiovese from Mt Wines in Heathcote. It’s fresh, slightly racy, with red berries, plums and good dose of savoury pepper, cloves and anise all tightly woven together. Very nicely balanced, medium bodied/ weighted on the palate. A super easy wine to drink and perfect for a midweek tipple. I’d drink it again, and again!

 Sipping a surprisingly good Sangiovese from Mt Wines in

My first foray into the world of natural wine and it has to be said, I quite enjoyed it. Nova Vita’s Project K Rose (a blend of Gris, Traminer, and Riesling) is so easy to drink, it’s borderline ridiculous. The colour, orange, is striking and the flavours range from strawberries and cream to lychees and ripe apples. Sweet, but paired with a ruby murray it was bloody awesome.

 My first foray into the world of natural wine and it has to

It’s astonishes me that Pewsey Vale planted their first vineyard in 1847 and 172 years later they’re still producing their single vineyard Riesling.

Pale straw with green tinges in the glass. Intense citrus notes of grapefruits and limes, with green apple on the nose. The juicy citrus notes continue through the palate and compliment the underlying minerality beautifully. Zesty and fresh acidity with great length to the finish. Very nice! It could easily find a spot in my cellar!

 It’s astonishes me that Pewsey Vale planted their first

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

What’s the oldest wine in your collection?

The 1993 Eileen Hardy Shiraz is my oldest wine, the wine that started my collection and subsequent compulsion. Considering it’s now getting close to 3 decades old I really should find an excuse to open it! Fingers crossed it’s still in good shape!

 What’s the oldest wine in your collection? The 1993 Eileen

awards time! They’ve decided the Nation’s Top 50 and it’s down to us to pick the winner. As a little motivator they’ve laid on a couple of cracking incentives for clicking a few buttons and voting. First up, every voter gets a $50* voucher from

and entry to the draw to win one of the following…. Hill of Grace tour and taste courtesy of

tour and stay at the Mitchelton Hotel, and…. The chance to have blend the final

 Pinot Noir with winemaker Mike Aylward. Not your everyday opportunity and a great way to start a Tuesday!

Head over to the Wineslinger Awards voting page, and cast your vote before October 28th: It’s simple, straight-up, and you’ll be added to the draw like me!

 It’s the annual @younggunofwine #wineslinger awards time!

Seeing out Wednesday with Nova Vita’s Adelaide Hills Chardonnay. A super enjoyable and approachable expression of Chardonnay here! Showing zesty, stone fruit, sliced green apples, hints of funky struck match on the nose. A packed palate, slightly creamy, of natural citrus zest, apples, flint, and nuttiness combined with a little bit of toasty oak. I don’t think this bottle will last long!

 Seeing out Wednesday with Nova Vita’s Adelaide Hills

Tasmania is rapidly becoming my go-to region for great Pinot Noir and this Glaetzer Dixon Reveur 2013 is a perfect example of why. After a few years in the cellar it is a rich and complex medley of dark plums, black cherries, and spices on the nose. The palate is a concentrated and beautifully integrated harmony of dark cherries, velvety tannins and oak infused spice. Stunning length and texture make every sip a treat. Pinot Noir magic on a Monday, it doesn’t get any better!

 Tasmania is rapidly becoming my go-to region for great

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

Rochford Premier Chardonnay 2018 is, by whatever measure, an exceptional Yarra Valley Chardonnay. Tasted on a recent visit to the cellar door it’s fair to say it’s one of those “I won’t forget you in a while” wines.

On the nose there’s complexity and power. White peaches, citrus grapefruit, toasty almond biscuit and oaky vanilla. Stunningly deep and irresistibly moreish, and that’s before you taste. On the palate it’s another level. An intense and full-throttle citrus core plays out with matchstick, mineral, chalky characters all supported by buttery, mouth coating texture and crystalline acidity. It’s epic, perhaps the best Aussie Chardonnay I’ve tried to date.

 Rochford Premier Chardonnay 2018 is, by whatever measure

Loving kicking-off Xmas Day with this Nova Vita Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir. A super cracking example from one of my favourite regions. If you stumble across it, give it a try. The producers in the Hills need a little support after the recent fires. Enjoy! Merry Xmas! 🍷🙏🙌

 Loving kicking-off Xmas Day with this Nova Vita Adelaide

Don’t let that light colour fool you, this is a flavour monster! Cherries, spices, feint gun smoke and rhubarb on the nose. The palate is full of red cherries and damsons, savoury oak edges, and baking spices. Clean acidity and chewy tannins wrap up proceedings. A gem of a Pinot Noir from Lyons Will in the Macedon Ranges, well played!! -

 Don’t let that light colour fool you, this is a flavour

Tuesday night tidy up time and I just found this. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou’s second wine, one of my favourite producers in St Julien, La Croix de Beaucaillou (52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot). I bought it at the Chateau 3 years ago and figured it’d would be worth a punt given the quality of the 2015 vintage and the vineyard sites. At 5 years old it’s still a baby so I think I’ll dig it out in another 5.

 Tuesday night tidy up time and I just found this. Château

Anyone else stocking up for Xmas? I’ve arrived home to find this trio from Dowie Doole behind the plant pot. Nothing better than wine deliveries! 🍷

 Anyone else stocking up for Xmas? I’ve arrived home to find

The age old question... to drink, or not to drink? 😂 The wine that got me into wine was an 80s vintage Mumm Champagne that’d been cellared for 20+ years. There was barely a bubble left but the texture and flavours were insane! Toffee, biscuits, oats, amazing. If there’s a wine that started it for you please let me know! -

 The age old question... to drink, or not to drink? 😂 The

BBQ bound and I’m taking this Pirathon Silver with me. I’ve reviewed it before and it’s one of those brilliant wines that manages to skew the cost / quality ratio massively in its favour. It’s total bargain by anyone’s standard! Also, unrelated....that tree! What a stunner! Sydney in November, you just can’t beat it. All in all, a bloody great combination!

 BBQ bound and I’m taking this Pirathon Silver with me. I’ve

I’m definitely getting my fill of Riesling this summer and that’s no bad thing. Poonawatta’ “The Eden” single vineyard Riesling light straw in colour with a subtle clean nose of mild citrus and minerals. Floral, highly mineral and bone dry on the palate with green apples and crisp refreshing acidity wrapping it up. Great length and a sense of purity coming through. Great drop!

 I’m definitely getting my fill of Riesling this summer and

Ochota Barrels Fugazi Grenache 2017.... welcome to funkytown! Having spent 2ish years in the cellar now it’s undergone quite an evolution from the super delicate, pretty, floral, and smashable summer drop I remembered it to be. I tasted it over 4 days and that’s rare for me! In summary;

Day 1 – The funkiest, savoury, twiggy, complex range of flavour that confused my brain. I definitely didn’t dislike it, but the there was a lot more complexity than I remembered. -

Day 2 – Fruit emerges from the funk. Ripe raspberries, macerated strawberries and rose petals all intermingling and rising above the dried herbs and twiggy notes.

Day 3 – Perfect balance, all flavours nicely integrated. It’s in a great spot. -

Overall, 1 day of questioning what on earth had happened, followed by 3 days of super interesting drinking. On reflection, my preference would be to drink on release, but I know plenty of people who would love the evolution! Can’t fault it for intrigue!!