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

Ratings Key

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Red Wines

Lowe Family Tinja Preservative Free Merlot 2010, This wine is designed for people who react detrimentally to sulphur in wine but when you exclude this preservative from the viticultural and winemaking process it makes it exceedingly hard to make a reasonable wine. However winemaker David Lowe has succeeded in producing an attractive wine which displays lovely sweet plum and red fruits and fine dry tannins, medium bodied in weight and provides reasonable length. He sensibly recommends the wine should be drunk within six months. Recommended RRP $20.00 

Chain of Ponds Sunning Hill Sangiovese 2008, Adelaide Hills, SA 14.5%. Red cherry and ripe plum with hints of spice. Soft warm wine with supple gentle tannins and classic hints of sour cherry and raspberries. Distinctly Sangiovese without any pretentiousness. A real crowd pleaser in a drink now style.  Recommended RRP $18-20.00 

Chain of Ponds The Ledge Shiraz 2005, Adelaide Hills, SA 14% Well balanced ripe red fruit driven Shiraz with well integrated vanilla oak. Dry medium bodied with juicy, black cherry fruit and spice on the palate. The tannins are soft and exhibits some attractive cool climate cinnamon notes. Soft, well balanced wine to enjoy now. Recommended RRP $30-35

Man O'War Ironclad 2008,  Waiheke Island, NZ 14.5% Bright and intense ruby red. Clean toasty oak nose with black tea, herbal and medicinal hints. Slight leafiness displaying spot-on cool climate fruit. Complex. Dry, medium plus alcohol, medium grainy tannins but overall well integrated with some nice brambly fruit. Medium plus in length. Ready to drink but can easily develop for 4-6 years. Merlot dominant with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. Very much a right-bank Bordeaux style wine. Highly Recommended

Moppity Vineyards Reserve Shiraz, 2008, Hilltops, NSW. 14.5% Vibrant ruby red with a deeper core. Clean nose with youthful strong primary fruit aromas. The wine displays mocha, chocolate and liquorice. Add some sweet cinnamon spice and a hint of dried fruit- raisins to that! Dry, full bodied with noticeable warm alcohol. Medium intense flavours similar to the nose with the addition of plums and vanilla oak. The wine has medium length and soft medium tannins and acidity. Rich wine with great concentration from a dry, low yielding year. Whilst ready to drink this wine can develop further for 6-8 years. Highly Recommended. RRP $50.00

Pirramimma Katunga Shiraz 2008, McLaren Vale, S.A 14% Ruby red with an inviting inky core. A medium intense wine with youthful primary fruit aromas of black cherry, plum, cedar oak and some spice. There are some intriguing earthy, slight leather, older barrel notes. Dry full bodied wine with well balanced tannins and integrated oak. Plenty going on here with cinnamon spice, plum, cedar, and liquorice. More delightful older barrel notes.  Blind tasted as normal and pleasantly surprised to see this wine was from Australia - I'd picked it as a modern style old world! Highly Recommended

Kalleske Moppa Shiraz 2008, Barossa Valley, S.A. Deep and inky. Fruit driven nose with plum, dried fruits and black cherry. Hints of Vanilla. Palate is again fruit driven in that typical Barossa style for Shiraz that we have come to expect. Gentle tannins, full bodied with roundness from a rich warm climate. Black cherry, liquorice, vanilla essence and prune flavours. A popular and distinctive wine from Barossa's leading organic small producer. Recommended  14.5% RRP $28.00

Pirathon by Kalleske Shiraz 2008, Barossa Valley, S.A. Deep opaque with youthful intensity. Chocolate, vanillan oak with hints of dried fruits and plum puddings. Full bodied immensely rich and fruit driven. Some attractive black cherry with soft well integrated tannins and a long finish. Recommended

Minko Wines Pinot Noir 2005,  Southern fleurieu, S.A. Red fruit focused pinot with hints of sweet spice. Dry, savoury, meaty palate benefiting from 18 months French barriques. An angular wine with nice depth of fruit and drinking well. Ability to keep ageing gracefully. Highly Recommended

Minko Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Southern fleurieu, SA. Inky red with lovely black fruit on the nose - cassis and blackberries-  accompanied by new oak bouquet. Full bodied on the palate, more fruit and juice driven rather than oak, displaying nice acid and medium grainy tannins. Well balanced and nicely structured. 14% abv Highly Recommended

Domaine A Pinot Noir 2005,Campania, Coal River Valley, Tasmania. Black cherry and cedar oak on the nose. As the wine develops in the glass more vegetal and undergrowth notes adds complexity. Dry, firm structure with fine-grain tannins, balanced acidity and savoury and spicy notes come through. This wine will age gracefully. Outstanding

Pepper Tree Coquun Shiraz2007, Hunter Valley NSW.  Plenty on the nose of this wine including strong oaky leather, sweet red berries and a touch of spice. Medium bodied -Hunter style-dry with well integrated smooth tannins and acidity (vital in my books for a red) Very juicy with sweet fruit and spicy oak flavours. Good choice with lamb or even veal. A hint hot on the finish, but a well made wine .Recommended. RRP $31.00

Singlefile Estate Shiraz 2007, Denmark WA. Well focused red berries aromas with a hint of spice and seasoned oak. Also a hint herbaceous which I don't mind (displaying Denmark's cool climate). Sweet black cherry middle palate with soft approachable tannins which makes this a refreshing medium bodied style red suitable for a wide range of food. Recommended. RRP $33.00

Domaine du Parc Saint Charles ‘La Pinede’ Côtes du Rhône, 2006. Medium bodied dry red with attractive bitter cherry aromas and a hint of raspberries and spice. Supple and round, with well integrated acidity and soft tannins making this wine a pleasure to match across a wide range of dishes. Recommended.

Rosé Wines

Kilikanoon Second Fiddle Rosé 2006, A firm rose with good length, packed with fruit. Strong strawberry and cherry aromas. Nice drop.  Highly Recommended.

Dromana i Rosato 2005. Very pale with a lovely light pink salmon colour. Delicate floral nose with hints of raspberry. Dry, good length, savoury and excellent length. Highly Recommended.

Scorpo Rosé 2006,  Mornington Peninsula, Vic. Barrel fermented Pinot Noir rosé, oak used is old so minimal pick-up. Pale salmon colour. Elegant rose petal, floral notes with light crisp palate. Bone-dry and elegant. Recommended. 

Golden Ball Cherish Saignee 2005 (Rosé) Beechworth, Vic. The 05 is drawn from a blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Grenache. Free-run juice was collected then settled and fermented in French barriques.  The wine has a glorious salmon pink colour, similar to the rosé of Provence. Lovely lifted floral, rose-petal aromas. Rich and powerful (for a rosé) on the palate with lovely mouth texture, retaining some good acidity. Excellent value. Highly Recommended.

Castagna Allegro 2005 (Rosé), Beechworth, Vic A wild yeast barrel fermented Shiraz rosé with a lick of Viognier (there should be a new term identified for this wine style for both Castagna, and Golden Ball. As rosé seems too simplistic). Inviting pink coral in colour, the wine displays savoury, floral, potpourri notes accompanied by lifted fruit aromas of strawberries and apricots on the nose. Those savoury notes continue on the palate with intensity not seen in any other rosé I’ve tasted. This wine is elegant and textured with great length, simply superb drinking and worth every cent. Don’t over chill. Outstanding.

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 Pinot Noir - Outstanding

Bass Phillip Reserve 04 (Gippsland), Bindi Block 5 05 (Macedon Ranges), Bindi Original 05 (Macedon

Ranges), Curly Flat 03 (Macedon Ranges), Dalrymple Special Bin Reserve 05 (Tasmania) , Domaine A 05

(Coal River), Freycinet 05 (Tasmania), Henschke Giles 05 (Eden Valley), Yeringberg 04 (Yarra Valley)

Australian Pinot Noir - Highly Recommended

Bass Phillip Estate 04 (Gippsland), Bay of Fires 05 (Tasmania), Coldstream Hills 05 (Yarra Valley),

Coldstream Hills Reserve 05 (Yarra Valley), Hungerford Hill Tumbarumba 06 (Tumbarumba), Paringa Estate

05 (Mornington Estate), Pirie Estate Reserve 05 (Tasmania), Phillip Island The Nobbies 05 (Gippsland),

Silk Hill 04 (Tasmania), Spring Vale 05 (Tasmania), Stoney Rise 05 (Tasmania)m Stoney Vineyard 04 (Tasmania), Stoniers  KBS, Windmill and Reserve  04 (Mornington Peninsula), TarraWarra Estate 04

(Yarra Valley), Willow Creek Benedictus 04 (Mornington Peninsula)

Australian Shiraz - Outstanding

Bindi Pyrette 05 (Heathcote), Cape Mentelle Wallcliffe 03 (Margaret River), Castagna Genesis 04

(Beechworth), Chateau Tanunda Lyndoch 05 (Barossa Valley), De Bortoli Reserve Release Syrah 04

(Yarra Valley), Henschke Mount Edelstone 04 (Eden Valley), Kilikanoon Reserve 02 (Clare Valley),

Meerea Park Alexandra Munro 05 (Hunter Valley), Paul Osika 04 (Heathcote), Saltram the Eight Maker

03 (Barossa Valley), Thomas Kiss 05 (Hunter Valley), Torbreck The Factor 04 (Barossa Valley),

Torbreck The Sturie 05 (Barossa Valley), Watershed 04 (Margaret River).

Australian Shiraz - Highly Recommended

Arakoon  Doyan 03 (Mclaren Vale) , Bannockburn 03 (Geelong), Chateau Tanunda Greenock 05

(Barossa Valley), Clonakilla Hilltops 04 (Hilltops), Coriole 04 (McLaren Vale), Giants Step Sexton Jones

Block 04 (McLaren Vale), Gilberts Reserve Shiraz 04 (Mount Barker), Hardy’s Tintara 04 (McLaren Vale), Kilikanoon Covenant 04 (Clare Valley), Meerea Park Terracotta 05 (Hunter Valley), Penfolds Kalimna

Bin 28 04 (S.A blend), O’Leary Walker the Clare Reserve 04 (Clare Valley), Olivers Taranga HJ Reserve

02 (McLaren Vale), Penley Estate Special Select 04 (Coonawarra), Picardy 03 (Pemberton), Plunkett

Reserve 04 (Strathbogie Ranges), Pyrenees Ridge Reserve 05 (Pyrenees), Richmond Grove Limited

Release 02 (Barossa Valley), Seppelts Mount Ida 04 (Grampians), Thorn Clarke William Randell 04

(Barossa Valley), Torbreck Descendent 04 (Barossa Valley), Waterwheel 02 (Bendigo), Wonga Estate

04 (Heathcote).

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Attention Wine Producers- Samples now being accepted for inclusion in the 5th Edition

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