• Farewelling a friend in style

    These where all drunk to commiserate over the loss/celebrate the life of one of Sydney’s endangered, independent fine wine merchants. (North Shore Liquor in Cammeray, now a BWS).It reminds me to…

  • 2008 Margaret River Wine Show 2008 Results

    Whist there is considerable criticism leveraged at wine shows (particularly large, capital city shows) on a smaller, regional scale they are both important and relevant. For the perfect example of this,…

  • Chapel Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

    Chapel Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 (Mclaren Vale/Coonawarra)Cork, $20ish at releaseThis comes from my less than perfect old cellar (underneath my parents house), so I always open these with a sense of…

  • Langwerth von Simmern Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Riesling Trocken 2007

    Langwerth von Simmern Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Riesling Trocken 2007 (Rheingau, Germany)Cork, $30Curiously, this was sealed with a cork rather than the screwcap that its brother had and I think, considering the wine…

  • 18 very mixed current release Burgundies & Chablis

    These all come from a recent trade tasting organised by the French Australian Chamber of Commerce, focusing upon negociants and wineries that have a limited Australian presence. As a result, quality…

  • Hillcrest Premium Chardonnay 2006

    Hillcrest Premium Chardonnay 2006 (Yarra Valley, Vic)Cork, $50Hillcrest probably doesnt need any preamble – they don’t need any help selling the glorious wines. Tiny yields, all natural winemaking, the mentorship of…

  • Tri Nations Wine Challenge 2008 – 70 wines tasted

    These are the tasting notes from the 2008 Tri Nations Wine Challenge as discussed here. I managed to get around to 70 wines, though probably not the 70 I initially wanted…

  • Petaluma Croser 2006

    Petaluma Croser 2006 (Adelaide Hills, SA)$32, CorkThe RRP for this seems to have come down in recent vintages – whether that’s a sign of market conditions or a devaluing of the…

  • Tri Nations Wine Challenge 2008

    The Tri Nations Wine Challenge is an annual wine show event that pits the best of Australian wine vs their equivalent compatriots in South Africa & New Zealand. Given that the…

  • Meerea Park Alexander Munro Chardonnay 2007

    Meerea Park ‘Alexander Munro’ Chardonnay 2007 (Hunter Valley, NSW)Screwcap, $30I think this will be quite a divisive wine – Hunterista’s (those who take a likening to the flavours of the Hunter…

  • BEER: James Squire Sundowner Lager

    James Squire Sundowner Lager (Sydney, NSW) $18 a 6 pack This appeared on the shelf next to my normal beer of choice, the ever enjoyable James Squire Amber . So naturally…

  • Jacobs Creek St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

    Jacobs Creek St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Coonawarra, SA) Cork, $40The question has to be – does the addition of ‘Jacobs Creek’ do anything for this label? I’d argue that it…