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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.
Driftwood Artifacts Sav Blanc Semillon

Driftwood Artifacts Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2024

From Margaret River, this was once known as a ‘classic dry white’ blend for those in the West. The category...
Cape Landing Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Cape Landing Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

A wonderful example of Margaret River Cabernet – desert island drinking, if ever there was. The fruit hails from a...
Cape Landing Blackwood Chardonnay

Cape Landing Blackwood Chardonnay 2024

Whole bunch pressing here, followed by nine months maturation in French oak barriques, 43% of them new. The colour here...
Cape Landing Blackwood Syrah

Cape Landing Blackwood Syrah 2023

Shiraz from Margaret River, this saw equal amounts of destemmed and whole bunches in the fermentation, followed by ten months...
Cape Landing Blackwood Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon

Cape Landing Blackwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

Margaret River Cabernet has established itself as one of the great wine styles of this country – world domination is...
Cape Landing Blackwood Silvereye Sauv Blanc

Cape Landing Blackwood Sauvignon Blanc 2024

From a vineyard in the Forest Grove sub-region of Margaret River, the wine spent seven months on lees in French...
Cape Mentelle Chardonnay NV

Cape Mentelle Chardonnay 2023

The fruit for this fine Margaret River Chardy comes from two very different vineyards south of the Margaret River township,...
Cape Mentelle Heritage Chardonnay NV

Cape Mentelle Heritage Chardonnay 2024

The team’s prestige Chardonnay, this is always one of the gems from Margaret River. Two vineyards provide the fruit and...
Cape Mentelle Heritage Chardonnay NV

Cape Mentelle Heritage Chardonnay 2023

The vineyards supplying the fruit for this stunning Margaret River Chardonnay are the Crossroads and Chapman Brook vineyards, located in...
Cape Mentelle Heritage Shiraz

Cape Mentelle Heritage Shiraz 2022

It is perfectly permissible to feel just a little bit sorry for Margaret River Shiraz, always in the shadows of...
Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

The Cabernet Sauvignon fruit sourced from the various parcels across Cape Mentelle’s Margaret River vineyards is destemmed and lightly crushed,...
Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

Early days for this very fine Marg River Cab and there is improvement ahead, but for those lacking the patience,...
Austin's Riesling

Austins Riesling 2024

Riesling from Geelong is not a common sight but a welcome one, nonetheless. Naturally, a slightly different style to the...
Austin's Pinot Noir

Austins Moorabool Valley Geelong Pinot Noir 2024

The team’s vineyard at Moorabool Valley in the Geelong region has 90 acres of Pinot Noir (out of a total...
Austin's Shiraz

Austins Moorabool Valley Geelong Shiraz 2023

We get to the serious stuff here. From the Moorabool Valley in the Geelong region, there is a small contribution...
Austin's Riesling

Austins Riesling 2023

The fruit, from the Moorabool Valley in the Geelong region, was given a cold fermentation in tank after harvest, before...
Ft Pinot Noir

6FT6 Geelong Pinot Noir 2024

Twenty years ago, the team set out with an aim to make terrific Pinot, which was also fabulous value. Not...
Austin s Chardonnay

Austins Moorabool Valley Geelong Chardonnay 2024

A very fine single vineyard Chardonnay from the Moorabool Valley in Geelong, the team usually incorporate around one-quarter to one-third...
Ft Sauvignon Blanc

6FT6 Geelong Sauvignon Blanc 2024

From the Sutherland’s Creek sub-region in the Moorabool Valley at Geelong, the colour here is a yellow straw. This falls...
Ft Pinot Gris

6FT6 King Valley/Geelong Pinot Gris 2024

The team have ventured beyond their usual locale at Geelong and incorporated some King Valley fruit in this rather excellent...
Ft Shiraz

6FT6 Geelong Shiraz 2023

From the Moorabool Valley in the Geelong region, this is a cool climate Shiraz which offers immense and immediate pleasure....
Altus Rise Wildlight Chardonnay

Altus Rise Wildlight Chardonnay 2024

Chardonnay from Margaret River continues to excite lovers of this great grape around the world and it is terrific to...
Altus Rise Ascension Chardonnay

Altus Rise Ascension Chardonnay 2024

This superb Margaret River Chardonnay is a barrel selection, from their quality French oak barrels, which saw regular lees stirring...
Arila Gardens Gardens of Moppa Shiraz

Arila Gardens Moppa Shiraz 2023

From the Arila Gardens vineyards on Moppa Road in the Barossa, a small percentage of whole bunches were included in...

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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