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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.
Golden Horseshoe Chardonnay

Brown Hill Golden Horseshoe Reserve Chardonnay 2023

This fine Marg River Chardy underwent full barrel fermentation. A gleaming pale gold hue, the nose exhibits an array of...
Trafalgar

Brown Hill Trafalgar Cabernet Merlot 2022

A Cabernet dominant blend with Merlot, all from Margaret River, which sees the individual components treated separately before the final...
Bill Bailey Shiraz Cabernet

Brown Hill Bill Bailey Shiraz Cabernet 2022

Whilst this West Aussie version of the great Aussie blend apparently appeared on a TV show which has someone called...
Fimiston Shiraz

Brown Hill Fimiston Reserve Shiraz 2022

Margaret River Shiraz remains one of our most underrated styles. Its problem stems largely from the fact that varieties like...
Great Boulder Cabernet Shiraz Merlot Malbec

Brown Hill Great Boulder Cabernet Shiraz Merlot Malbec 2022

A bit of a fruit salad style with numerous varieties included in this blend, but it works. A crimson garnet...
NV Georgie May Chardonnay

Geoff Merrill Georgie May Chardonnay 2023

Named after Geoff’s eldest daughter, this is a lovely Chardy, just redolent of fruit flavours. A pale lemon hue, there...
gm reserve chardonnay nv

Geoff Merrill Reserve Chardonnay 2022

The blend here is 53% McLaren Vale fruit, with the remaining 47% from Coonawarra. It is a barrel selection from...
Hatch Vesey Shiraz Front Cropped

Hatch Vesey Shiraz 2023

Alf Vesey worked at Penfolds for almost half a century, including for a time as their Master Winemaker, during which...
Hatch Watervale Riesling Front Cropped

Hatch Watervale Riesling 2024

Clare Valley Riesling, here from the Watervale sub-region, is one of the great gems of the Aussie wine treasure chest....
Hatch Flaxmans Riesling Front Cropped

Hatch Flaxman Valley Riesling 2024

A classic Eden Valley Riesling, from a great year, and in particular, the Flaxman Valley sub-region. A very pale lemon...
Hatch St Johns Shiraz Front Cropped

Hatch Lyndoch Shiraz 2023

The colour here is a dense maroon purple. A quintessential Barossa Shiraz with a nose of chocolate, plums, cassis, mocha,...
RISKY MALBEC V

Risky Business Malbec 2023

Solo Malbec is always interesting and this example, dominated by fruit from Margaret River, is not only most appealing but...
vin hm rose v NV TRANS

Vinaceous Margaret River Rosé 2024

The team like to keep the making of this wine in the style of as much minimal intervention as they...
risky pinot rose v NV TRANS

Risky Business Pinot Noir Rosé 2024

From West Aussie Pinot Noir, often with a good contribution from Mt Barker, this is pale pink in hue. The...
VIN VOODOO MALBEC DOM V NV

Vinaceous Voodoo Moon Malbec 2023

Always great names and fabulous labels from these guys, not to mention cracking value wines. This is an almost equal...
Stonefish Chardonnay

Stonefish Single Vineyard Margaret River Chardonnay 2024

Bargain priced Marg River Chardy is not to be dismissed easily. One may wonder why the marketing team chose one...
LVR Chardonnay

Stonehaven Limited Vineyard Release Padthaway Chardonnay 2024

An elegant style of Chardonnay from the Padthaway region, this is a deep yellow in colour. The nose exhibits notes...
Stonefish Cabernet

Stonefish Single Vineyard Margaret River Cabernet 2021

The Stonefish range continues to offer delicious drinking and cracking value. Crimson purple in colour, with gentle but well handled...
Empyrean Cabernet

Reschke Empyrean Coonawarra Cabernet 2018

From a single vineyard in Coonawarra, this fine Cabernet has the benefit of both being from a wonderful vintage and...
Dona GSM

Ulithorne Dona GSM 2020

From McLaren Vale, this famous Rhône blend is nearly equal parts of the trio of grapes – 35% Grenache, 33%...
Dona Shiraz

Ulithorne Dona Shiraz 2021

McLaren Vale Shiraz from a thrilling vintage, this wine sees a little over a year in older French oak. An...
Cape Barren FlyingGoose Shiraz

Cape Barren Flying Goose Shiraz 2020

Opulence has a name – the Flying Goose Shiraz. Under diam, the wine has an opaque maroon hue. The nose...
Ben Shiraz

Schild Estate Ben Schild Single Vineyard Shiraz 2021

For me, this is one of the absolute stars of the Schild range and might just be the best value...
Angus Brae Shiraz

Schild Estate Angus Brae Single Vineyard Shiraz 2022

From a hillside vineyard north of Lyndoch, the wine is an opaque purple. The nose oozes notes of chocolate, blackberries,...

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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