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Ken Gargett

Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
Grazing Collection Rose

Alkoomi Rosé 2025

A most attractive Rosé for enjoying over the next couple of years, this is the palest of pinks – just...
Grazing Collection Shiraz

Alkoomi Shiraz 2023

A deep garnet/red hue, the nose offers spicy notes with plums, chocolate, aniseed, black cherries, coffee grinds and subtle hints...
Alkoomi Collection Riesling

Alkoomi Frankland River Riesling 2025

Another example of just how impressive the Rieslings from Frankland River are. The colour here is a very weak lemon....
Alkoomi Collection Malbec

Alkoomi Malbec 2023

Frankland River is proving an excellent location for a range of unexpected varieties and good, solo Malbec is a fine...
Gudilly Pinot Gris

Sorby Adams Gudilly Pinot Gris 2025

Single vineyard Pinot Gris from the Riverland region, which impresses right from the start. The colour is as pale as...
Gudilly Pinot Noir

Sorby Adams Gudilly Pinot Noir 2024

South Aussie Pinot Noir from a single vineyard, this is delicious drinking and stonking value. A great advertisement for just...
Gudilly GSM

Sorby Adams Gudilly GSM Barossa 2024

Generous and approachable drinking from a fine example of the famous Barossa blend, from a single vineyard, and a fine...
Gudilly Fiano

Sorby Adams Gudilly Clare Valley Fiano 2025

Fiano is fast becoming a mainstream variety on the Australian wine landscape and we will all benefit from that. This...
Thomson Estate Double Pass Shiraz

Thomson Estate Double Pass Shiraz 2022

The idea here is to blend two different parcels of Shiraz with the intention of creating a whole greater than...
Thomson Estate W&J Riesling NV

Thomson Estate W&J Clare Valley Riesling 2024

An excellent year in the Clare Valley continues to provide us with an impressive array of fine Riesling. This has...
Thomson Estate W&J CV Shiraz

Thomson Estate W&J Clare Valley Shiraz 2021

From a superb Clare Valley vintage, this is a very dark maroon colour, with notes of leather, aniseed, soy, chocolate,...
Byrne Reserve Sangiovese

Byrne Family Sangiovese 2023

A crimson/garnet hue, this pleasing effort with Italy’s most famous grape exhibits a savouriness to it. There are notes of...
Riposte Katana Chard NEW NV

Riposte The Katana Chardonnay 2024

The fruit hails from a designated vineyard in the Kenton Valley in the Adelaide Hills and saw a partial wild...
Riposte Sabre PN NEW NV

Riposte The Sabre Pinot Noir 2024

Reduced crops in 2024 in the Adelaide Hills, but the trade-off was superb quality for the wines. A mix of...
Riposte Cutlass Shiraz NEW Bottle NV

Riposte The Cutlass Shiraz 2023

From a single vineyard in the Woodside sub-region, fermentation was in two batches – the first saw half whole bunches...
Riposte Foil SB NEW NV

Riposte The Foil Sauvignon Blanc 2025

A cracking vintage for Savvy (and more) in the Adelaide Hills in 2024. The fruit here is from two high...
AramisHeirSyrahNV

Aramis The Heir Syrah McLaren Vale 2019

Another fine year, the wine has an inky dark maroon hue. The nose is redolent of black jellybeans, a fruit-loop...
AramisHeirSyrahNV

Aramis The Heir Syrah McLaren Vale 2018

If the previous decade had a vintage to challenge 2016, it would undoubtedly be 2018, and this is a wine...
AramisHeirSyrahNV

Aramis The Heir Syrah McLaren Vale 2017

This vintage may not match its legendary predecessor, but this wine certainly exceeds vintage expectations. Near black with purple rims,...
AramisHeirSyrahNV

Aramis The Heir Syrah McLaren Vale 2016

From one of the really great vintages for the region, this is a very dark magenta hue. The nose reveals...
AramisHeirSyrahNV

Aramis The Heir Syrah McLaren Vale 2015

The Heir represents the estate’s best Shiraz vines coming of age and we have the opportunity to look at a...
Aramis Vineyards O'Aristocratis BS

Aramis O’Aristocratis Sparkling Syrah McLaren Vale 2005

The ultimate love-it-or-hate-it style of wine, this Sparkling Shiraz (or Syrah, in this case) is attractively packaged, but much more...
Fields of Anfield Rd Shz Cab

Claymore The Fields of Anfield Road 2024

When one thinks of Claymore wines, two things come to mind – cracking Clare Valley wines and an unfathomable devotion...
One Lovely Day Shiraz resized

Claymore One Lovely Day Clare Valley Shiraz 2022

From the excellent 2022 vintage in the Clare Valley, one which also saw good quantity as well as quality, this...

Stories

Penfolds Collection Credit Marten Ascenzo

Penfolds 2025 – Ken Gargett

Penfolds Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling 2025 ($45)A classic Bin 51. It might be early days but this wine suggests...
MartenAscenzo Penfolds PenfoldsMediaPreview D

Penfolds 2023 – ‘The Aussies’

There is no release more anticipated by winelovers in Australia than the annual Penfold’s Collection and of course, most especially...

Artisans of the Barossa (2021 Grenache Project)

One of the more interesting projects currently afloat in Aussie wine at the moment, especially appropriate given the skyrocketing interest...

Alkina – The Curious Box of Paradoxes

Alkina is a curious box of paradoxes. Seemingly unlimited resources but still tiny; a small local operation yet part of...

Cumulus and Quilty & Gransden

They say that Disneyland is the happiest place on earth. Perhaps, but I would suggest that the Australian wine industry...

Greenock Creek New Releases 2021

It was back in 1984 that the first grapes were picked for the inaugural vintage from Greenock Creek wines. Taken...
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