Sydney experienced a 45° celsius (113° fahrenheit) New Years day this year, so we did what any sensible group of wine lovers would do – go ahead with the dinner anyway and celebrate the New Year with some great wine. This was my first visit to Elio, an Italian restaurant which is based in Leichhardt […]
Category: Victoria
Bannockburn is an iconic winery, based in Geelong, Victoria. This was an opportune time to stop and look at Bannockburns past vintages with the ex-winemaker Gary Farr moving on to his own ventures after more than 20 years at Bannockburn and new winemaker Michael Glover coming on board for the 2005 vintage. The tasting offered […]
I recently reviewed the Castagna “Sauvage” – a blend of Shiraz, Viognier and Sangiovese here. “Genesis” is the flagship of the Castagna range and as mentioned in the previous review, it wasn’t able to be made due to drought and bushfires in 2003. This particular vintage, was the second release of “Genesis” and the first […]
Fast Facts: Variety: Shiraz, a bit of Viognier and the slightest dash of Sangiovese. Region: Beechworth Victoria Country: Australia Winemaker: Julian Castagna Closure: Diam Cork There is no doubt that 2003 was a tough year for winemakers in some parts of Australia. One of the worst affected areas was in northern Victoria in an area […]
Bass Phillip, run by Phillip Jones, is one of Australia’s most well known and respected producers of Pinot Noir. This “Village” wine is the entry level Pinot in the Bass Phillip range, but is still not cheap at $40AU. Then there are three more Pinot Noir wines with the Estate, Premium and then at the […]
From Geelong in Victoria, Australia – Nutty, toasty, slightly funky, complex nose. Restrained power on the palate, very nicely integrated oak. Balanced and stylish. Very good length. Loved it. Will develop additional complexity over the next few years. 93/100 Drink: Now – 2008
A nose of fresh apples, citrus and just a slight hint of yeast. Palate also shows fresh fruit and a little kick of refreshing acidity. Simple but somewhat calming for the price (Around $17AU). 85/100 Drink: Now
Last month Australia’s largest wine company Southcorp (now part of Fosters and even bigger) put on its annual road-show to showcase its wines across major capital cities. In Sydney, this was held at the completely refurbished Hilton hotel that was reopened in July. As often happens at these public events it didn’t take long to […]