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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.
Syrah

Cloudbreak Adelaide Hills Nouveau Syrah 2023

Shiraz from the Adelaide Hills, or Syrah as it is often dubbed to differentiate it from the big, bold Barossa...
B Cloud Break Chardonnay

Cloudbreak Adelaide Hills Limited Release Chardonnay 2022

Love the stumpy bottles. Surely they’ll catch on, at least to an extent. The wine, from the Adelaide Hills, is...
B Cloud Break Pinot Noir

Cloudbreak Adelaide Hills Limited Release Pinot Noir 2022

Again with the stubby bottle – love them. Pinot Noir from the Adelaide Hills, with a 5% contribution of Gewürztraminer....
Penny's Hill The Agreement Sauvignon Blanc

Penny’s Hill The Agreement Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Adelaide Hills Savvy, this is near transparent in colour and a fresh, crisp and attractive example of one direction the...
Penny's Hill Malpas Road Merlot

Penny’s Hill Malpas Road Merlot 2022

McLaren Vale Merlot from the Malpas Road vineyard planted in 1991. The wine is a deep maroon hue, while the...
Penny's Hill Cracking Black Shiraz

Penny’s Hill Cracking Black Shiraz 2022

The wine spent fifteen months in French oak barrels before selection for the final blend. The colour a near black/purple,...
Penny's Hill Edwards Road Cabernet Sauvignon

Penny’s Hill Edwards Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

This is a single site Cabernet from McLaren Vale, planted in 1993. Ten days on skins, after pressing the fermentation...
HeritageSeries OVGren

Lou Miranda Estate 1917 Centenarian Old Vine Grenache 2023

There has been a veritable influx of cracking older vine Grenache from the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale in recent...
GoldenLionShirazBV btt

Lou Miranda Estate Golden Lion Shiraz 2020

Appealing Barossa Valley Shiraz, with a dark magenta/garnet hue. The nose exhibits notes of dry herbs, chocolate, warm earth and...
LeoneChardonnay btt

Lou Miranda Estate Leone Chardonnay 2022

Barossa Chardonnay from a Rowland Flat vineyard, planted back in 2005. Fermentation and maturation were both in a combination of...
FierceIII PinotGrigioBV btt

Lou Miranda Estate Fierce III Pinot Grigio 2023

The grapes used here hail from a 1.2 hectare vineyard at Rowland Flat in the south of the Barossa, with...
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Cerbaiona Santinovo 2020

The new management expanded the wines on offer from this stellar estate, including a straight Merlot (San Vito) and this...
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Cerbaiona Brunello di Montalcino 2019

Cerbaiona is a small operation in Brunello di Montalcino which has achieved legendary status in a short time, for any...
Longboard Shiraz

Longboard Bellbrae Estate Shiraz 2022

Shiraz from Geelong, the wine has seen the influence of French oak. A dark purple colour, the nose is full...
Longboard Pinot Noir

Longboard Bellbrae Estate Pinot Noir 2022

Geelong Pinot Noir has a strong fan base for obvious reasons. This wine has a pale, warm ochre hue, aromas...
Longboard Rose

Longboard Bellbrae Estate Rosé 2023

From Geelong, this has a lovely burnt orange sunset colour. We have notes of spices, raspberries and fresh florals. There...
Longboard Pinot Gris

Longboard Bellbrae Estate Pinot Gris 2022

From the Bendigo region, this is a pleasing style of Pinot Gris. Deep gold in colour, we have notes of...
Lange Providence Road Cab Sauv

Lange Estate Providence Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

From a combination of estate and grower fruit, this is a wonderfully appealing Frankland River Cabernet. The parcels were fermented...
Lange Travelling Stock Route Cab Sauv

Lange Estate TSR Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

An appealing Great Southern Cabernet (some Merlot in the blend?), which is a little more rural than others in the...
Lange Providence Road Shiraz

Lange Estate Providence Road Shiraz 2022

A very attractive Frankland River Shiraz, there is no restraining the spiciness of this wine. A ruby crimson colour, together...
Lange Providence Road Chardonnay

Lange Estate Providence Road Chardonnay 2023

Chardonnay from the Frankland River region in the West, this is from the famous Gin Gin clone from Block 7...
Lange Travelling Stock Route Shiraz

Lange Estate TSR Shiraz 2022

A range of parcels of top notch Shiraz from the Frankland River/Great Southern are fermented discretely, with the inclusion of...
Lange FifthGen Shiraz

Lange Estate Fifth Generation Shiraz 2022

There will always be differences, subtle or otherwise, between Shiraz from the famous South Aussie regions and those from the...
Sunrach Shiraz NV

Haselgrove Sunrach Shiraz 2021

Great vintage in McLaren Vale gives this wine an early advantage. ‘Sunrach’ is the Celtic word for special, quite apt,...

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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