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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.
msv artisan cabernet sauvignon

Murray Street Vineyards Artisan Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Warm climate Cabernet from a cracking vintage here, 93% of the fruit hails from the Greenock Estate with the remainder...
msv artisan shiraz

Murray Street Vineyards Artisan Shiraz 2021

The fruit here exhibits sub-regional characters from Gomersal and Greenock, with 85% of the fruit from the latter. There is...
msv artisan cabernet shiraz

Murray Street Vineyards Artisan Cabernet Shiraz 2021

The great Aussie red blend from a superb vintage, the split here is 65% Cabernet and 35% Shiraz. The source...
msv artisan grenache mataro shiraz

Murray Street Vineyards Artisan Grenache Mataro Shiraz 2021

The famous Rhone blend done Barossa style. The fruit is sourced from three blocks of Grenache, the oldest dating back...
NV Voices of Angles white no vintage

Charles Melton Voices of Angels Adelaide Hills Shiraz 2021

My understanding is that the name here dates back to a Springsteen concert in Adelaide quite a few years ago...
BHWshiraz

Bec Hardy Family Crest Shiraz 2022

South Aussie Shiraz which spent eight months maturing in older French oak hogsheads. Under Diam, as are all in this...
FamilyCrest RedBlend Bottleshot

Bec Hardy Family Crest Reserve Red Blend 2022

The colour here is a deep blood red. Much bolder in flavours and aromas than many, with a core of...
BHWcabsauv

Bec Hardy Family Crest Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

A static stainless fermenter was used here, with the grapes spending nine days on skins, for those who enjoy the...
charley bv shiraz

Chateau Yaldara Charley Barossa Valley Shiraz 2021

Barossa Shiraz from a cracking vintage, under cork. This is seriously impressive now but has real potential to improve even...
Charley

Chateau Yaldara Charley Shiraz 2021

A gleaming dark cherry hue for this pleasing Shiraz from McLaren Vale and other regions around South Australia. From an...
charley sh cab

Chateau Yaldara Shiraz Cabernet 2021

Currency Creek in South Australia is the source for this famous Aussie blend, which has been bottled under cork. An...
charley cab merlot

Chateau Yaldara Cabernet Merlot 2022

A South Australian blend which is bottled under cork. Garnet hue, the nose exhibits a rather alluring hint of funk,...
Chateau Yaldara Charley Shiraz sa

Chateau Yaldara Charley South Australia Shiraz 2022

Cracking value South Aussie Shiraz. Under cork, which is a little curious, but presumably it sees overseas markets. A crimson...
Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon Bottle Shot

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

A fascinating wine which offers all the amazing qualities that Margaret River Cabernet possesses, but it walks the fine line...
CWCo BV Shiraz

Curator Wines Barossa Shiraz 2022

First up, put this wine at the top of your bargain buys list. Cracking value. It hails from five plots...
Leeuwin Estate Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay Bottle Shot

Leeuwin Estate Prelude Chardonnay 2023

It has been said many times that there are plenty of wineries – from Margaret River and elsewhere – which...
Rosily Merlot nonvint

Rosily Merlot 2022

If I may, I am always delighted when I open a box of samples and see wine from these guys....
Rosily SauvignonBlanc NoVint

Rosily Sauvignon Blanc 2024

A very fine example of Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc. The team do use a little French oak in the winemaking...
Vine Sean Grenache NV

Haselgrove Vine Sean McLaren Vale Grenache 2024

Apparently, the Celtic translation of Old Vine is Vine Sean, hence the name. The grapes are crushed to open fermenters...
Carillion Expressions Cabernet Merlot Petit Verdot Orange

Pepper Tree Carillion Cabernet Merlot Petit Verdot 2021

A fine Bordeaux blend here, exhibiting a maroon hue. The nose has black fruits to the fore with tobacco leaves,...
Stockmans Ridge Signature Range Cabernet Franc NV()

Stockman’s Ridge Signature Range Orange Cabernet Franc 2022

From a single vineyard in the Orange region, the colour here is a deep crimson. We have aromas of red...
Stockmans Ridge Rider Cabernet Sauvignon NV()

Stockman’s Ridge Orange Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Cabernet Sauvignon from the volcanic soils of the Orange region, this is good value and thoroughly enjoyable drinking. A crimson...
SFE pinot noir

Strelley Farm Pinot Noir 2023

There is something rather nifty about looking at a wine, making assessments and doing the review, only then to discover...
CHATEAU CRES RICARDS OENOTHERA ROUGE

Château des Crès Ricards Oenothera 2022

From the Terrasses du Larzac region west of Montpellier, the vineyard is a 70/30 split of Syrah and Grenache. Carbonic...

Stories

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...

Duval on Grenache

The name, Duval, is and always will be inextricably linked with Grange. John Duval was chief winemaker at Penfold’s from...
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