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Wine review — Penfolds, Combe Farm, Couryabyra, Paxton and Chrismont
Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 $350 Coonawarra, South Australia Late last year, Macquarie analyst Greg Dring estimated sales of Penfolds wines represented five per cent of the total for...
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Wine review — Ravensworth, Paxton and Yellowtail
Ravensworth Canberra District “Le Querce” Sangiovese 2012 $23–$25 I don’t know why it’s called “the oak” as it’s not at all woody – in fact, quite the opposite, packed with the black-cherry...
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Wine review — Ravensworth, Torbreck, Penfolds, Oakridge and Tar and Roses
Ravensworth Shiraz Viognier 2012 $30–$33 Ravensworth vineyard Murrumbateman, Canberra District, NSW Winemaker Bryan Martin writes, “A small crop survived the hail and biblical downpour of the 2012...
View ArticlePenfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace – investing a tricky business
The recent release of Penfolds Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace at record prices raises the age-old question of what they’re really worth. The short answer is, they’re worth what people pay for them....
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Wine review — Henri, Climbing and Brokenwood
Bourgogne Pinot Noir (Henri) 2010 $20–$25 The success of new world varietal labelling convinced some French producers to follow suit. They saw, for example, that “pinot noir” added to “Bourgogne”...
View ArticleViognier — genetic and vinous buddy of shiraz
The Rhone Valley white variety, viognier, is and will remain a niche variety, representing around two per cent of total white plantings in Australia. Nevertheless, it remains an important variety,...
View ArticleCooper’s our number one pale ale
While craft brewers attract ever more publicity, one of Australia’s oldest beer brands won this year’s trophy for best Australian pale ale style at the Australian International Beer Awards. Coopers...
View ArticleBeer review — Stone and Wood, Samuel Adams
Stone and Wood Limited Release Stone Beer 500ml $10 This annual brew goes a tad darker and fruitier this year, with the addition of chocolate wheat malt and Enigma hops to an already extensive...
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Wine review — Seppelt, Henschke, Freeman, Maxwell and Ravensworth
Seppelt Jaluka Chardonnay 2011 $23.75–$27 Drumborg vineyard, Henty, Victoria The Drumborg vineyard, planted by Karl Seppelt in1964, lies a little to the north of Portland on Victoria’s southwest coast....
View ArticleWine review — Coolangatta Estate and Williams Crossing by Curly Flat
Coolangatta Estate Shoalhaven Coast Savagnin 2012 $25 Coolangatta Estate, located near Nowra, produces wonderful white wines despite constant battles with fungal diseases. Their semillons, in...
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A tribute to Peter Lehmann
Peter and Margaret Lehmann Peter Lehmann’s flagship red, Stonewell shiraz, carries his profile on label; and I can never open a bottle without thinking of Lehmann, his witty quips and his profound...
View ArticleTruffle and wine moments — Canberra Times truffle dinner 13 August 2013
I love wine. But I’ve never felt a wine moment as profound as that first encounter with truffle. In winter 2009, local truffle grower, Wayne Haslam, arrived at Chateau Shanahan, beaming with a secret...
View ArticleWine review — Clonakilla, Turkey Flat and Red Knot
Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2012 $28–$32 Heavy rain towards the end of February 2012 destroyed large volumes of ripe, or near ripe grapes in Canberra and surrounding districts. Clonakilla lost much of...
View ArticleWine review — Main Ridge, Prancing Horse Estate, Oliver’s Taranga, Paxton,...
Main Ridge Estate Chardonnay 2011 $55 Main Ridge vineyard, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria In a tasting of top-shelf chardonnays from the cold 2011 vintage, Main Ridge stood out from its bonier peers....
View ArticleLobethal beer
A couple of Alistair Turnbull’s bottled beers enjoyed here in Canberra, prompted a visit to his Lobethal Bierhaus. We’d been in the Barossa, so motored up through Angaston and south along the Mounty...
View ArticleWine review — Mad Fish, Yalumba and Heartland
Mad Fish Gold Turtle Margaret River Chardonnay 2012 $14.25–$15 A mad fish and a gold turtle seem unlikely companions in a wine name. But the wine, from Jeff and Amy Burch’s Howard Park Winery, Margaret...
View ArticleMudgee wine versus hot and spicy Thai food
In a brave and confident display early July, winemaker David Lowe pitted his solid, tannic Mudgee red wines, and a couple of whites, against the spice and fire of Thirst’s exciting Thai food. The...
View ArticleWine review — Helm, Heartland, Scorpo Estate, d’Arenberg and Dowie Doole
Helm Premium Riesling 2013 $48 Lustenburger family vineyard, Murrumbateman, Canberra District, NSW Mid way through the 2011–12 growing season, Ken Helm’s friend, neighbour and grape supplier, Al...
View ArticleWine review — Peter Lehmann, Port Phillip Estate and Cappa Stone
Peter Lehmann Drawcard Barossa Shiraz Mataro 2010 $20–$25 It’s hard to believe now that so much of the Barossa’s wine once disappeared anonymously into multi-regional blends. But the area’s recognition...
View ArticleWine review — Jim Barry, Port Phillip Estate, Peter Lehmann, By Farr, Cullen...
Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling 2013 $21–$23 Jim Barry Lodge Hill vineyard, Clare Valley, South Australia A gold medal and trophy at the royal Queensland wine show underlines the drink-now, fruity, dry...
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