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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.
PEN RWT Bin Shz BValley GEX FB Cork

Penfolds RWT Bin 798 Barossa Valley Shiraz 2023

Penfolds’ non-Grange Barossa Shiraz. 100% French oak, all hogsheads, with 69% new, the remaining 31% one-year-old, this cracking red certainly...
PEN StHenri Shz SouthAus AUS FB Cork

Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 2022

This is certainly a very fine St Henri, although unlikely to sit with the absolute greats. Maturation is a very...
PEN Bin CabSauvShir SouthAus AUS FB Cork

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2023

Always a star of the Collection, year after year. The blend, as it almost always is, falls marginally in favour...
PEN Bin Shz Marananga FB Cork

Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz 2023

A very successful, sub-regional release from the heart of the Barossa, maturation is for 17 months, in a mix of...
PEN Bin Shz Coonawarra AUS FB Cork ()

Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2023

A cooler climate Coonawarra Shiraz, maturation was for a year in French oak hogsheads, 26% new and 39% one-year-old. An...
PEN Bin Shz GEX FB Cork

Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz 2023

Today, the fruit is sourced from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Padthaway, rather than just the Kalimna vineyard which...
PEN BinA Chard AHills AUS FB SC

Penfolds Reserve Bin A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2024

Bin A is sourced from the Adelaide Hills. It enjoys full barrel fermentation, part of which is with natural yeasts,...
PEN Bin PNoir Tasmania GEX FB Cork

Penfolds Bin 23 Pinot Noir 2024

The fruit here is sourced from Tasmania and maturation is in French oak barriques, 30% of which were new, with...
PEN Yattarna Chard Yattarna AUS FB SC

Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2023

The fruit for this very fine Yattarna, a standout for the vintage, comes from Tumbarumba, Adelaide Hills and Tasmania. The...
PEN Bin Chard MultiRegion AUS FB SC

Penfolds Bin 311 Chardonnay 2024

The fruit for this fine release of Bin 311 is sourced from vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, Tasmania and Tumbarumba....
PEN Bin Riesling EValley AUS FB SC

Penfolds Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling 2025

A classic Bin 51. It might be early days but this wine suggests that the Eden Valley has enjoyed another...
Krondorf Settlers Shiraz bottle shot

Krondorf 121 Settlers Shiraz 2021

The reincarnation of a winery on which many of today’s wine lovers cut their teeth, this is their prestige release...
Riddoch The Federator Cabernet Sauvignon bottle() ()

Riddoch The Federator 2022

The Riddoch Estate in Coonawarra has released an Icon wine, the Federator – which sounds a bit like a combination...
Pirramimma The Earl Shiraz

Pirramimma The Earl Shiraz 2022

Gorgeous and plush McLaren Vale Shiraz here, named in honour of the family’s heritage, Earl of Hartfell and Earl of...
DGR bottle mockup

Leconfield DGR Cabernet Shiraz 2022

From a favourite Coonawarra winery, this is a very fine example of the great Aussie blend – Cabernet Sauvignon and...
Twisted Trunk Reserve Shiraz

Glen Eldon Twisted Trunk Reserve Shiraz 2023

A small patch of Barossa Shiraz, planted way back in 1865, provides the fruit for this stunning and deeply flavoured...
MtBeraALATEMPRANILLO

Mt. Bera A la Naturale Tempranillo 2024

Similar to its GV sibling, in a squat bot, amphorae fermented, only 468 bottles were made. Again, a vineyard in...
MtB W&F Pinot Noir

Mt. Bera Wild & Free Pinot Noir 2023

Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir, fermented in French oak with 10% whole bunches. The wine then saw nine months maturation in...
Mt Bera AH AMPHITHEATRE Blaufrankish

Mt. Bera Amphitheatre Blaufrankisch 2024

Blaufrankisch is a rather obscure red from Europe which has, until recently, been largely the preserve of a single grower...
MtB RWC Tempranillo

Mt. Bera Running with the Cows Tempranillo 2023

Cute name and terrific packaging for this famous Spanish variety, this example from the Adelaide Hills. The colour is a...
MtB W&F Cabernet Merlot NV

Mt. Bera Wild and Free Cabernet Merlot 2023

Just 450 cases made of this most appealing Cab Merlot blend from the Adelaide Hills. Fermentation was in French oak...
CastleRock A&W PinotNoir

Castle Rock Porongurup A&W Pinot Noir 2024

This is named after Rob’s parents, Angelo and Wendy, the founders of Castle Rock. They planted the first vines in...
Wild Game The Earl Pinot Noir

Wild Game The Earl Mount Gambier Pinot Noir 2024

From the Mount Gambier region, there is a contribution from new French oak maturation here. The colour is an appealing...
Single Vineyard Barossa Shiraz

Little Giant Single Vineyard Barossa Shiraz 2023

The fruit for this gem hails from the Light Pass sub-region of the Barossa Valley. Fermentation is in stainless steel...

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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