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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.
CapeBarren RareBird Shiraz

Cape Barren Wines Rare Bird Shiraz 2020

Each batch of fruit from McLaren Vale spent fifteen days on skins before fermentation in a mix of tank and...
DevittMoore WP CW CabSav

Devitt Moore CW Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

The fruit here, from a stellar vintage, comes from a single vineyard of terra rossa soil in Coonawarra. Maturation was...
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Angas King McLaren Vale Shiraz 2016

The mirror image of our Clare Shiraz, this is an opaque maroon hue. There is also evidence of oak here...
AKClareValleyShirazA

Angas King Clare Valley Shiraz 2016

Always a fascinating experience to compare and contrast wines – same grape/s, same maker, same vintage, same oak regime, same...
Bottle Image Galante Pinot Grigio

Galante Pinot Grigio 2023

Italian Pinot Grigio remains as popular as ever and it is easy to see why with crowd pleasers like this....
Castelli Estate NV Estate Sparkling TWP

Castelli Estate Sparkling NV

A very fine sparkler from the Great Southern region of Western Australia is not something we see every day. This...
CFV limited Shiraz Hi Res fix

Curtis Limited Series McLaren Vale Shiraz 2021

From a great region and a stellar vintage, expectations were high for this wine. And more than met. A cracker....
Churchview Estate The Bartondale Shiraz

Churchview The Bartondale Shiraz 2020

A superb example of how good Shiraz can be in Margaret River. Indeed, a wine which raises questions as to...
Churchview Estate The Bartondale Cabernet Sauvignon

Churchview The Bartondale Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

A classic and impressive Margaret River Cabernet, something the region does ever so well. The colour here is a dark...
Churchview Estate Limited Release Cabernet Malbec Merlot Petit Verdot

Churchview Limited Release Cabernet Malbec Merlot Petit Verdot 2022

A complex Bordeaux blend from Margaret River, deep mauve in hue, and with pronounced aromatics, this has a long and...
BW Pinot Gris DV (no region)

Brokenwood Pinot Gris 2024

Brokenwood has long sourced quality grapes from all around Australia, which is very wise when you hail from a region...
BW ILR Reserve Semillon DV

Brokenwood ILR Reserve Semillon 2018

Always one of the superstars of Hunter Valley Semillon, the ILR is never released without at least a good five...
BW IV Mendoza Chardonnay DV

Brokenwood IV-Mendoza Chardonnay 2023

For the first time since 2016, the team have considered the fruit here – their vineyard neighbours Giaconda in Beechworth,...
BW Wade Block Vineyard Shiraz DV

Brokenwood Wade Block 2 Vineyard Shiraz 2022

This is the 22nd release from the Wade Block 2, in McLaren Flat – not bad for a vineyard just...
BW Verona Vineyard Shiraz DV

Brokenwood Verona Vineyard Shiraz 2022

The Verona Vineyard in the Hunter was first planted back in 1968. It is located across the road from the...
hilltopsshiraz

Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2023

This is ridiculous value. If the limited supply, or the price, of their iconic Shiraz Viognier puts you off, but...
Parish Vineyards Riesling

Parish Vineyard Sorell Riesling 2024

Tassie Riesling can suffer from the same malady as that from New Zealand, a little too much fierce acidity. Fortunately,...
Parish Vineyards Pinot Gris

Parish Vineyard Pinot Gris 2024

A superb Pinot Gris from the Evandale region in Tasmania, the cooler climate has done wonders for this grape. The...
Parish Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

Parish Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Sauvignon Blanc from a warmer part of Tasmania – the cooler regions might just make the variety a little too...
Riposte Dagger PN NEW NV

Riposte The Dagger Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills 2024

We have had scimitars, stilettos and katanas, even a cutlass. Now daggers and sabres. A fine Pinot Noir from the...
Riposte Sabre PN NEW NV

Riposte Sabre Pinot Noir 2023

This is the next step up from the team in their Pinotsphere, and while it is already drinking beautifully, putting...
Mumm US Sparkling Napa Prestige Cuvee HR

Mumm Napa Prestige Cuvée NV

We don’t see a lot of sparklers from the Napa Valley in California, which is rather a shame as there...
YL Chardonnay SD

Yarraloch Chardonnay 2021

If anyone ever lost track of just how good the Yarra Valley can be for Chardonnay, the wines from this...
YL Chardonnay SD

Yarraloch Stephanie’s Dream Chardonnay 2021

This is the team’s pointy end Chardy and deservedly so. A cracking wine. Pale lemon gold in colour, with hints...

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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