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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.
Alkoomi Collection Riesling

Alkoomi Riesling 2023

Free run juice with a stainless-steel fermentation, the colour is a very pale lemon, while the nose offers notes of...
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De Bortoli Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé NV

Fizz made from Pinot Noir sourced from the Yarra Valley, parcels were fermented discretely and given five months on lees...
Wills Domain Paladin Hill Chardonnay

Wills Domain Paladin Hill Chardonnay Margaret River 2023

Margaret River Chardonnay continues to show the world just what a star it is. This is the flagship release from...
Wills Domain Eightfold Chardonnay

Wills Domain Eightfold Chardonnay 2023

The team aim to preserve the vibrancy and freshness of the wine by ensuring that only a small percentage goes...
BrownBrothers Patricia Shiraz mL

Brown Brothers Patricia Shiraz Victorian 2019

From a trio of vineyards around Victoria – 40% from the Pyrenees, 36% from Henty and 24% Bendigo – the...
BrownBrothers Patricia Chardonnay mL

Brown Brothers Patricia Chardonnay 2022

The fruit here was from Tasmania’s Tamar Valley, whole bunched pressed and barrel fermented. The wine then spent eleven months...
BrownBrothers Patricia PinotNoir&ChardonnayBrut mL

Brown Brothers Patricia Pinot Chardonnay 2018

The Patricia Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fizz has established itself as one of the finest of all Aussie bubbles, perhaps...
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Eight at the Gate Family Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

The team offer this as their prestige release – Cabernet from a cracking vintage which has spent two years in...
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Eight at the Gate Family Selection Chardonnay 2022

From Wrattonbully fruit, only free run juice is used here, in a mix of new and older French oak barrels,...
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Eight at the Gate Chardonnay 2022

A single vineyard Chardy from Wrattonbully fruit, which was fermented in tank on lees, with occasional batonnage. A very pale...
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Eight at the Gate Pinot Gris 2023

From Wrattonbully fruit, a single vineyard, there was a quick pressing to avoid picking up too much colour, though there...
paringa sparkling shiraz nv fx

Paringa Sparkling Shiraz 2022

The ultimate love-it-or-hate-it style of wine. The fruit here is from South Australia, presenting as a deep purple/maroon. This is...
ShirazUngrafted

Hewitson Ungrafted Shiraz 2021

A few whole berries included in the ferment here, which is in open vats with heading-down boards for three weeks,...
SeppeltsfieldRoadShiraz Black

Hewitson 66 Seppeltsfield Road Shiraz 2021

Named after the address of their winery, the fruit here comes from deep sandy loam soils in the Barossa and...
Unity Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Allegiance Unity Coonawarra Cabernet 2022

This is a seriously good Coonawarra Cabernet, young, perhaps, but with enormous promise. The wine is deep red in colour...
The Artisan Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz NV

Allegiance The Artisan Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz 2022

Quality McLaren Vale fruit here, which spent a lengthy period in French oak, a proportion new. Deep maroon hue, the...
The Artisan Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Allegiance The Artisan Reserve Cabernet Coonawarra 2022

From the legendary Coonawarra region, the wine saw extended time in French oak, a significant percentage of it new. Crimson...
Kindred Sparkling Cuvee NV

Allegiance Kindred Sparkling NV

The name Kindred has links to Orcas and who among us doesn’t love killer whales, although I am a little...
Warramunda Estate Pinot Noir

Warramunda Pinot Noir 2023

An attractive pale garnet hue here for this appealing Yarra Pinot. Spices, red fruits, redcurrants, dried herbs, and warm earth...
Warramunda Estate LivZac Pinot Noir

Warramunda Liv Zak Pinot Noir 2023

The Yarra Valley has established a most deserved reputation for some of this country’s best Pinot Noir. This one kicks...
Warramunda Estate Chardonnay

Warramunda Chardonnay 2023

Another very fine Yarra Chardonnay, although this one is a little more muted at this stage. Under cork so that...
Warramunda Estate LivZac Chardonnay

Warramunda Liv Zak Chardonnay 2023

Stunning stuff from the Yarra Valley, the juice undergoes a wild fermentation before spending nine months in French oak barrels,...
Mitolo Jester Malbec

Mitolo Jester Malbec 2021

This wine, from a vineyard in the Sellicks Road sub-region of McLaren Vale, spent 14 months in a combination of...
Mitolo Jester Cabernet Sauvignon

Mitolo Jester Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

This wine, from a McLaren Vale vineyard, spent 13 months in a mix of older French (80%) and American (20%)...

Stories

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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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