On a monthly basis this website will feature a small selection of recommended wines that I taste as part of my ongoing research to produce future guides.

Ratings Key

Click on the hyper-link to go directly to the wineries website.

White Wines (alcohol given as a % abv)

Cooks Lot Pinot Gris, Orange, NSW, 2009 14%. Youthful primary fruit driven pinot gris with attractive, but restrained, tropical fruit, pineapple core and peach. Dry, medium bodied wine with well balanced acid and alcohol. Generous flavours of melon and peach with some floral and musk notes on the palate. Good length resulting in a good quality example from this cool climate region. RRP $20.00 Highly Recommended

Redbank Sunday Morning Pinot Gris 2009, King Valley, Vic. 12.5% Lovely peach and floral aromas with a hint of nectarines. Well balanced dry wine with a crisp, savoury, fleshy palate producing a long finish. Nicely handled wine with lower than expected alcohol a bonus. RRP $20.00 Outstanding

Coolangatta Estate Semillon 2009, Shoalhaven Coast NSW 2009 11%. Very pale with lemon, lanolin and citrus peel aromas. A hint floral. Elegant and light bodied with fresh lime juice flavours indicating zesty acidity. A lovely linear wine nice to drink young or keep for future bottle development. Another excellent Coolangatta Semillon confirming the pedigree of this south coast Semillon enclave.  Highly Recommended

Coolangatta Estate Savagnin, Shoalhaven Coast, NSW, 2009. 13%. pale colour. Herbaceous and pear skin nose. Dry with pleasant acidity and a hint phenolic. Flavours of peach stone, perfumed and slightly nutty makes this wine attention grabbing on the palate rather than on the nose. Fleshy and round with a long finish. Recommended.

Alta by Sarah Fletcher Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills, 2009.  12.5%. Very pale with green highlights. Youthful chopped green capsicum on the nose with grass and gooseberry thrown in - classic new world SB.  Dry, clean and crisp on the palate, with similar flavours as the nose with a dose of tropical fruit pitched in.  Nice drop from winemaker Sarah Fletcher and proves Adelaide Hills is Australia's top region for this variety. Recommended

Hungerford Hill Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2008. A fine, modern style chardonnay with intense aromas of melon, peach, butterscotch and vanilla. Dry with medium acidity, nice intense flavours with hints of nuts, marzipan and oak. Good quality with plenty of elegance on the palate confirming the use of cool climate fruit. Recommended

Man O'War Chardonnay 2008, Waiheke Island, NZ.  Pale lemon colour with classic peach, melon accompanied by restrained lees and new oak influence.  Dry, medium bodied with  well balanced fruit, acid and oak flavours. Attractive well make wine. Recommended.

Foxeys Hangout Pinot Gris 2008, Mornington Peninsula, Vic 13.5%  Hints of musk and pear skins. Lovely mouthfeel in a true Gris style. Well integrated creamy texture resulting  in a medium bodied  wine that is very satisfying. Highly Recommended.

Montalto Vineyards Pinot Grigio 2008, Mornington Peninsula. Vic.. 13.5%. Mineral aromas with apple and pear skins. Dry, with lovely length and touch of residual sugar balanced expertly with crisp acidity.  Classic Italian style wine. Highly Recommended. RRP CD $24.00

Cassegrain Fromenteau Chardonnay 2006, Tumbarumba/New England. NSW 13.5% Attractive lemon curd nose which carries through to a rich, dry creamy/buttery palate with lovely length and balance. Finishes with some pleasing acidity and peach flavours. Highly Recommended. RRP $32.00

Balgownie Estate Chardonnay 2006, Bendigo, Vic 14%. Pale yellow. Pronounced barrel notes on the nose accompanied by some tropical fruits. Rich, dry and towards a full-bodied style of chardonnay, good length, mouth-filling with some nice citrus acidity to balance the finish. Recommended RRP $35.00

Leo Buring Eden Valley Riesling 2008, SA. Strong lemon and lime aromas with some tropical fruits. Lovely intense palate with good length. Nice, crisp and dry. Highly Recommended 

Pepper Tree Alluvius Semillon 2009, Hunter Valley, NSW.  10.5 %  Lime and pear skin aromas driven with tight green apple acidity on the palate. The wine has intense flavours on the palate and finishes with a strong lime twist.  Classic young  Hunter Semillon either drink now or leave for 10 years. A Jim Chatto wine sourced from the famous Braemore Vineyard. Outstanding RRP $30.00  

Logan Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Orange. NSW. Lovely passion fruit aromas and a hint herbaceous. Dry, with fresh acidity, light to medium bodied with good length. Another excellent varietal sample from this quality driven region. Highly Recommended  

Singlefile Estate Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Denmark, WA. A lovely lifted herbaceous  nose with some ripe tropical fruits thrown in for good measure. Dry and extremely well balanced on the palate with crisp acidity, fruit and nice minerally notes all playing their part.  Highly Recommended RRP $24

Brokenwood Wines Pinot Gris 2008, Hunter Valley, NSW  Grape are sourced from Beechworth in NE Victoria for this wine. A ripe and luscious musky Gris with bonus Italian nutty hints. A nice rich style with some phenolic and residual sugar on the palate that definitely puts it into the Gris rather than Grigio camp. Recommended.      

Leo Buring Leonay Riesling 2006, Eden Valley, SA. Very pale. The nose is driven by cool climate minerality with hints of grapefruit. Crisp and dry on the palate with a lovely mid-palate richness and intensity.Outstanding.

Coldstream Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2005. Yarra Valley, Vic. Pale straw colour. Refined new oak nose with slight aromas of butter and toast. Long dry, elegant palate with crisp, tight acidity. Classic.  Outstanding.

T'Gallant Viognier 2004, Mornington Peninsula, Vic. light gold hues. Beautiful primary aromas of peach, musk and pear. Gently exotic. Nice sweet front palate fruit on this full bodied, delicious wine. The wine has great palate length and an extremely long finish.  Outstanding.

Mitchell Watervale Riesling 2005, Clare Valley, SA. Strong zesty citrus aromas. Crisp, dry, lean and racy on the palate. Lively and fresh; an ideal partner for seafood. Recommended.    

Penfolds Cellar Reserve Gewürztraminer 2006, Eden Valley, SA. Attractive passionfruit and rose water nose. Full bodied style with rich hints of residual sugar. Well balance, fleshy, long finish. Recommended. 

Lark Hill Riesling 2005, Canberra District, NSW. Reliable Riesling. Lovely floral perfumed aromas with a slight mineral edge. Dry, good length with a round mouthfeel, backed up with just the right amount of acidity. Recommended. 

Salitage Unwooded Chardonnay 2006, Pemberton, WA. Very pale. Fresh bright pear and peach aromas with underlying hints of grapefruit. Yum. Dry, elegant and crisp on the palate with a nice round mouthfeel and an appealing slight, saline finish. Good wine. Highly Recommended. 

Millbrook  Viognier 2006, Perth Hills, WA. Voluptuous exotic peach, floral and musk aromas. Rich and creamy on the palate. Good varietal character, soft, full bodied and round. Lovely palate weight.Outstanding.

Millbrook Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Western Australia. Another great Australian Sauvignon Blanc. Pristine aromatics displaying cut grass & gooseberry. The palate is dry and crisp with good length and finishing with a lovely firm mineral aftertaste. A delicious wine worthy of the SB Trophy at the 06 Royal Adelaide Wine Show. Don't over-chill. Outstanding.

Hahndorf Hill Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Adelaide Hills. Who needs New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc when you can buy a wine like this in Australia! The wine sings freshly-cut green capsicum and gooseberry aromas. The dry palate is inviting and mouth-watering, with lively acidity, nice texture and a long finish. Highly Recommended. 

Grant Burge 'Thorn' Eden Valley Riesling 2006. lovely, inviting pale green hue. Light, but distinctive, grapefruit aromas on the nose. A tight, juicy, dry wine with zesty acidity on the palate. The wine finishes off with a long aftertaste completing a satisfying Riesling. Produced from 30 year old vines from the Thorn family vineyard. Recommended.

Grant Burge Barossa Vines Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2006. Well expressed gooseberry and cut grass aromas. Lovely dry to medium-dry palate with zesty acidity, but well balanced with some softness and nice length on the palate. Well made. Recommended.      

Howard Park Riesling 2006  Very pale, inviting. Lovely defined minerality and citrus aromas. Very dry with zesty acid but delivers good length of palate. Very well made. Outstanding.

Olssens Riesling 2006, Central Otago, NZ New Zealand Rieslings are blossoming and about to take off on the international scene in a big way. Olssens is one producer that is producing the goods. Lovely piercing minerality with a racy palate. Just fantastic drinking now but you could easily store for another 10 years. Outstanding.

Iron Pot Bay Gewurztraminer 2006, Tamar Valley, Tasmania. Just what you want to see from a Gewurztraminer, bags of lychee and rose petal aromas. Hint of residual, but pretty dry and balanced by some nice acidity. Soft and beautiful. This style deserves a bigger audience. Outstanding.

Scorpo Pinot Gris 2006, Mornington Peninsula, Vic. Mineral nose with hints of subtle pear.  This wine really delivers in the mouth. Rich, round structure with some hints of residual sugar; but all in balance to provide real texture on the palate. Scrumptious.  Highly Recommended. 

Watershed Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2006, Margaret River WA.  Pale green in appearance. Pristine Sauvignon nose displaying the right amount of gooseberry/cut grass and finishing with a hint of herbaceous capsicum. Elegant dry and crisp on the palate. Good length and texture whilst retaining its fresh light character. Great value for money from an up and coming Margaret River producer. Highly Recommended. 

Vinden Estate Verdelho 2006, Hunter Valley, NSW.  Lovely tropical fruit aromas with a well balanced palate showing a touch of sweetness but expertly balanced by crisp acidity. Verdelho at its most enjoyable. Recommended. 

Vasse Felix Semillon 2005, Margaret River, WA eight weeks in French oak gives this wine an nice lick of oak on the nose as well as citrus aromas with some leesy characters. Fleshy soft and round, lovely weight, excellent drink now style. Tasted Jun 06. Recommended.

PierroSSB- LTC 2005, Margaret River, WA.  Delicious gooseberry tropical fruit aromas. This wine simply delivers a pure expression of fruit, lovely rich middle palate hint residual which adds to its charm. LTC- little touch of chardonnay. Recommended.

Spring Vale Pinot Gris 2006, East Coast, Tasmania. A very attractive Pinot Gris. Classic well defined, rich pear aromas accompanied by a soft, dry, fleshy palate, displaying good length.  Highly Recommended.

Dessert Wines

Kellermeister Eiswein 2006, Barossa Valley, SA. A$24.50 This frozen concentrated Semillon is a surprise. Scrumptious pineapple core, apricot and ripe peach. Rich and intense on the palate but retaining a certain freshness that makes you come back for more. Lovely sweet mouth-feel. Great value for a 750ml bottle. Highly Recommended.

The 4th edition of the Australian Wine Guide recommends wineries and individual wines to assist consumers in touring wine regions and purchasing wines. The following is a list of Outstanding and Highly Recommended wines.

Australian Rieslings - Outstanding

• Castle Rock 06 (Porongurup), Frankland Estate Poison Hill Vineyard 06 (Frankland River),

Grosset Polish Hill 06 (Clare Valley), Grosset Watervale 06 (Clare Valley), Howard Park 06

(Great Southern), Leo Buring Leonay DW117 06 (Eden Valley), O’Leary Walker Polish Hill 06

(Clare Valley), Richmond Grove Watervale 05 (Clare Valley).

Australian Rieslings - Highly Recommended

Alan & Veitch 05 (Eden Valley), Frankland Estate Cooladerra Vineyard 06 (Frankland River), Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Vineyard 05 (Frankland River), Helms Premium 06 (Canberra District), Humbug Reach 06 (Tasmania), Iron Pot Bay 06 (Tasmania), Kilikanoon Mort’s Block 06 (Clare Valley), O’Leary Walker Watervale 07 (Clare Valley), Leo Buring Eden Valley 08, Lark Hill 05 (Canberra District),

Mount Horrocks Watervale 06 (Clare Valley).

Chardonnay - Outstanding

Bindi Quartz 05(Macedon Ranges), Coldstream Hills Reserve 05(Yarra Valley). Curly Flat 04 & 05(Macedon Ranges),  Freycinet 05(Tasmania), Giaconda 05(Beechworth), Leeuwin Estate Art Series 03(Margaret River), Penfolds Reserve Bin A 04(Adelaide Hills), Picardy 04(Pemberton)Pierro 05(Margaret River), Yeringberg 04(Yarra Valley).

Chardonnay - Highly Recommended

 Cullens 04 (Margaret River), De Bortoli 04 (Yarra Valley), Hardy’s Eileen Hardy 03(multi-regional), Hungerford Hill Tumbarumba 05 (Tumbarumba),  Kooyong 04 (Mornington Peninsula)

  Lillydale Estate 05 (Yarra Valley), Phillip Island 03 (Gippsland), Pirie Estate 04 (Tasmania),

 Robert Channon Reserve 05  (Granite Belt), Salitage Unwooded 06 (Pemberton),

 Shaw and Smith M3 05 (Adelaide Hills), Willow Creek Tulum 04 (Mornington Peninsula),

YarraLoch Stephanie’s Dream 04 (Yarra Valley)

Semillon - Outstanding

McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Lovedale 05 (Hunter Valley), Thomas Braemore 05 (Hunter Valley) Tyrrell’s Vat No1 06 (Hunter Valley),  Uleybury Show Reserve 02 (Adelaide Zone) Pepper Tree Alluvius 09 (Hunter Valley)

Semillon - Highly Recommended

Bethany 05 (Barossa Valley), Hackersley 05 (Geographe), Henschke Louis 06 (Eden Valley),

Moss Wood 04 (Margaret River), Piggs Peake Sow’s Ear 07 (Hunter Valley), Rolf Binder 05(Barossa Valley),

 The Islander Wally White 05 (Kangaroo Island), Vasse Felix 05(Margaret River)

Attention Wine Producers

If you would like to submit samples for consideration in the next edition of the Australian Wine Guide as well as reviews on this website please contact Clive Hartley on the following email address. contact@australianwineguide.com