The Auswine Forum

Peter Lehmann Mentor Barossa Cabernet 14 - Sourced from 5 sub-districts around the Barossa. A lot of old vine fruit and feels like a Cab Sav. Matured in French oak for 18 months, which probably has less influence now. Red-purple with a little bricking. Violets, blackcurrant, mint, earth and chocolat...

The Henschke 2021 icon reds will be released on 7 May. Including the 2021 Hill of Grace, which will retail for $1,000. They are releasing it a year early. Apparently there is stuff all of the 2020 vintage and it will be a museum release down the track. You can watch a video of Huon Hooke talking to ...

I did a tasting at Port Phillip Estate yesterday. A $10 fee for 5 wines, but they throw in one or two extra. Lunch at the Piazza at Montalto. Just tasted a couple to decide on a lunch wine. Both wineries were pumping with a big crowd on a Saturday afternoon. I know we just had summer (when everythin...

Might find these YouTube videos on Chardonnay interesting. Vid 1 is Huon Hooke talking to Flametree winemaker Cliff Royle about his Chardonnays. Also the geography of Margaret River, Gin Gin clone and use of puncheons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9KILfMNL4k Vid 2 is an introduction to Chardonna...

Thanks for the note on the 2018. That was the first vintage of the Cab not made by longtime winemaker Wayne Stehbens. (Sadly he passed away aged only 63 in November 2017.) For those unaware, Wayne made Katnook’s first vintage in 1979 in the 1867 limestone building there. It is now a barrel shed, sin...

Hardys HRB Chardonnay Bin No.D705 23 - These HRBs are multi-regional, in this case Pemberton, Margaret River and Adelaide Hills. Straw colour. Citrus, stonefruit, spice and toasted almond. The oak is obvious and you have to like that style. Feels a little buttery/smoky, so I’m guessing it got some m...

Pfeiffer Shiraz 21 - Drinking this over a couple of nights. Really like the deep red-purple colour. A little peppery. Blackberry, plum, red fruits and spice. Got French and American oak, which doesn’t dominate. Loads of mid-palate flavour and glycerols. Feels medium to full-bodied with smooth powder...

If I read another post about old Leeuwin or Giaconda for chrissake I will heave and go to Reddit. Just kidding. But there is a lot of very good Chardonnay out there. A few examples from Yarra Valley you could take a look at. Oakridge - You have a serendipity of winemaker and place with Dave Bicknell...

Here are 35 that I came up with to slug it out from a regional view. Some really great Chardonnay coming out of these places. Just comes down to personal preference, eg. style. Maybe you could cut it down to a top 10 based on year to year. But availability or what you might have recently discovered ...

Pfeiffer Riesling 24 - Sourced from King Valley. Often keeping things simple is best. Free-run juice, tank fermented and screwcap. Picked in February and bottled in May 2024. Good vintage of this. Light straw colour and aromatic. Strong varietal character. Musky with lemon pith, lime and minerals. F...

Merricks Estate Cabernet 13 - They have taken out the Cabernet vines, which is a pity. I have had some very good bottles of their Cab with age on it before. This has 10% merlot and matured in French oak barriques (60% new). Fully mature with age on it, both fruit and tertiary elements to it. Red-pur...

Wynns Messenger Cabernet Sauvignon 21 - Not released every vintage, previous ones were 05, 10 and 15. Comes off a dry grown block at the southern end of the terra rossa strip. Got 15 months in French oak hogsheads. Really enjoyed this over a couple of nights. Lustrous purple colour. Florals, berries...

d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab 23 - A 55/45 blend of Viognier and Marsanne. Basket press and some of it matured in French oak (older barrels) for 8 months. Years ago this could be savoury, a little fresher these days. A bit of colour in this. Stonefruit, peach, citrus and some of that “otherness” that c...

Hey Ian Usually they do not need further ageing, and they will not improve once bottled. The degree of richness and complexity, etc is already there depending on the aged material they have used for the blend. Hence the classification of muscats, although this is also dependent on the house style of...

Knappstein Clare Valley Riesling 24 - Gee this was flying under the radar. I have really enjoyed a couple of bottles of this Riesling. They have been making it for yonks of course. Typical florals with lime/lemon, talcum and gentle spices. Neat acidity through the palate and loads of fresh varietal ...

Penfolds Bin 51 Riesling 23 - Sourced from the Woodbury vineyard in Eden Valley. Straw colour with aromas of citrus and flowers. A little softer or rounder than when it was released. Lemon/lime, apple, honeysuckle and talcum. The fruit is typically fresh and pristine. Jumping out of the glass, so th...

Pikes Traditionale Riesling 24 - Sourced from estate fruit as well as other growers around Clare Valley. Got 3 months on lees in the tank until bottling. Nothing tricked up, what you see is what you get. Light straw colour. Lemon, lime and minerals. Fruit forward with fresh tangy acidity and a moder...

Rieslingfreak No.34 Riesling 24 - 2nd bottle of this wine in a couple of weeks. Guessing there will be a few repeats of these Rieslings this summer. It went pretty quick. I need it on tap out of a tank. Not much different from the previous one. Loads of lime and citrus with lush mid-palate fruit and...

Phaedrus Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay NV - Methode Traditionnelle. Handpicked, wild yeast and 3 years en tirage. Developing the style a bit more now, and likely depends on the vintage/s it will be based on. Lightly coloured and steady, strong bead. Peach, citrus, apple and a little brioche with a...

Welcome to the forum Mick. Picked up these Rieslings from Dan Murphy’s, some of them discounted at member prices. The 18 vintage Drumborg was the same price as the 24s only because the bottle was in the current release section. Often happens when they are clearing old stock, so always worth a look. ...

Summary of 2024 vintage based on the Clare Valley Wine & Grape Association report - The 2024 growing season began with a dry winter and early spring. Regional crush down 20% on average, because of frost in October. A wet period leading to Christmas, then a dry summer and autumn. No disease press...

Chandon Brut NV - Methode traditionnelle with two years on lees. A clean, aperitif style and this bottle was pretty good. Light straw colour and a steady fine bead. Apple, stonefruit, a little brioche and a dry finish. - 24/12/24 Balnaves Sparkling Cabernet NV - A blend of ten vintages using the sol...

Looks like we are in for another long summer of bushfires unfortunately, and the risk to wildlife, property and lives. The CFA does a great job of course. But often these bushfires are burning in inaccessible areas and go large scale. They will do back burning to limit or impede the spread of bushfi...

Sidewood Pinot Noir 23 - Some whole bunch and whole berry, wild yeast and 10 months in larger French oak barrels. I chilled this in the fridge for 10 mins. Ruby colour and nice aromatics. Cherry, red fruits and a hint of forest floor. Lots of punchy fruit driven character with fresh acidity and soft...

Dal Zotto Pinot Grigio 23 - King Valley has its own feel to it (if you have been there you know what I mean), which shows in the wines. Pale straw colour and wildflowers. Pear, citrus, fennel and honeysuckle. Clean and fresh, also some depth to this. Subtle chalky texture and a dry finish. - 30/11/2...

The 76 BL must be a freak of a wine. It got a lot of attention when it was released, and not just because it was a JWT winner. It won Gold at the Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth wine shows. There was a lot of the 76 BL released, so batch variation as well as corks will be a factor I suppose ...

Merricks Estate Shiraz 16 - A distinctive style of Shiraz coming from a long established Mornington Peninsula winery. French oak, but this is not heavy handed. Getting into its groove with a bit of age on it. Plum, cherry, spice and obvious earthy character. Soft tannins with a Pinot feel to it, whi...

S&N Just meant to show the prices you got off the Wynns website are currently OK. Even after the price jump on the 21. My own opinion is JR is undervalued in the bigger scheme of things. I have a 16, 18 and 21. A couple of years ago, I opened a 13 and 15 and really should not have done that. If ...

Currently those are fair prices if you are getting the wines direct from the winery. For comparison, if you get them from Cellardoor.co today JR 21 $170 JR 20 $130 JR 19 $130 JR 18 $130 FYI Cellardoor.co is run by Treasury Wine Estates and invite only. You get some pretty good prices every now and t...

Scorpo Estate Chardonnay 22 - Whole bunch, barrel-fermented in French oak, some of it new and 12 months maturation. A little more developed than I expected. Gold straw colour. Lots of toasty oak and fruit, but nicely balanced. Citrus, stonefruit and wood spice. Some leesy influences and power in thi...