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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.

Penley Estate Black Bull Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Again, we have a classically structured Cabernet from Coonawarra, from an excellent vintage. Opaque maroon in colour, this is concentrated...
Yalumba Winesmiths Pinot Grigio NO VINTAGE

Winesmiths Pinot Grigio 2L Cask

This was my pick of the whites in these two-litre casks and I can assure anyone considering purchasing one that...
Yalumba Winesmiths Sem Sauv Blanc NO VINTAGE

Winesmiths Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2L Cask

Premium wine casks may seem like an oxymoron but the team at Yalumba/Winesmiths have more than achieved it. Whereas so...
Yalumba Winesmiths Dry Rose NO VINTAGE

Winesmiths Rosé 2L Cask

For me, Rosé in a two-litre cask, or I should say a Rose this good in a two-litre cask, was...
Yalumba Homefullness Shiraz Bottle Shot

Yalumba Homefullness Barossa Shiraz 2021

This is a wine made in partnership with Forage Built, an organisation helping to fight homelessness, hence the name. From...
Earthworks Cabernet Sauvignon No Vintage

Earthworks Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

As with the Shiraz, the wine sees a blend of French and American oak, and again, from a superb vintage....
Earthworks Shiraz No Vintage

Earthworks Barossa Shiraz 2021

A stunning value, generously flavoured Barossa Shiraz. The wine spent time in a mix of French and American oak and...
Yalumba Winesmiths Sauvignon Blanc NO VINTAGE

Winesmiths Sauvignon Blanc 2L Cask

The Yalumba/Winesmiths range of two-litre casks have lead the category in quality terms for so long that one wonders if...
Yalumba The Y Series Lighter Chardonnay No Vintage

Yalumba Y Series Lighter Chardonnay 2023

A pleasant, fresh Chardonnay, following the trend of lower alcohol – down to just 7% here. Hardly more than a...
Yalumba The Y Series Lighter Pinot Grigio No Vintage

Yalumba Y Series Lighter Pinot Grigio 2023

Lighter alcohol wines are all the range, so no matter what the old dinosaurs may think, time to get on...
Smith&Hooper Cab Sauv Merlot NV

Smith & Hooper Cabernet Merlot 2021

A controlled fermentation was followed by 11 months maturation in a mix of French barriques (of which, 9% were new),...
YALUMBA The Steeple Shiraz No Vintage

Yalumba The Steeple Barossa Shiraz 2019

A single vineyard (1.34 hectares) Barossa Shiraz from the sub-region of Light Pass, this was the vintage in which the...
Yalumba Homefullness Shiraz Bottle Shot

Yalumba Menzies Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

A classic example of Cabernet Sauvignon from a top vintage and the famous Coonawarra region, this is excellent buying. Maturation...
Yalumba Homefullness Shiraz Bottle Shot

Yalumba Octavius Barossa Old Vine Shiraz 2018

A famous wine which, fortunately, does not receive quite the extended oak treatment it once did. From Barossa vines dating...
Leconfield Reserve Shiraz

Leconfield Reserve Shiraz 2020

If their Cabernet Franc represents good value, this is a staggering buy. The wine spent time in a mix of...
Leconfield Lonicera

Lonicera by Leconfield Coonawarra Merlot Cabernet Franc 2023

Lonicera is the genus name for honeysuckle (and who among us did not know that), and Coonawarra is the local...
James Kalleske Mt Benson Cabernets Field Blend

Short Stories Mt Benson Cabernets Field Blend 2022

This field blend from the Mt Benson region includes Cabernet Sauvignon, playing the leading role, along with Merlot and Cabernet...
Cape Landing Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Cape Landing Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Great to see a premium Marg River Cab which already has some maturity to it. Ten months maturation in French...
Cape Landing Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Cape Landing Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

This Reserve is several years older than its sibling but no less impressive. Deep, dark maroon hue. Spices, redcurrants, cassis,...
Cape Landing Blackwood Cabernet Sauvignon

Cape Landing Blackwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Another very fine Margaret River Cabernet, which for me, pips the earlier vintage. Cherry-red in colour with a mix of...
CAPE LANDING Blackwood Heritage Cab Sav

Cape Landing Blackwood Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

We step up even more here. This is a bit exciting and a wonderful example of a fine Margaret River...
Cape Landing Blackwood Cabernet Sauvignon

Cape Landing Blackwood Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Margaret River Cabernet is one of this country’s great wine styles and, over recent years, we have seen a number...
Cape Landing Reserve Syrah

Cape Landing Reserve Syrah 2021

A wonderful and equally impressive follow-up to the superb 2020. Deep garnet hue here, the aromas include raspberries, cherries, florals,...
Cape Landing Reserve Syrah

Cape Landing Reserve Syrah 2020

The team see this wine as more akin to the best of the Northern Rhône, rather than a typical bold...

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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