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Ray Jordan

Ray Jordan has been writing about wine for more than 40 years. His first articles were published in the early issues of national wine magazine Winestate in the late 1970s when he worked in Sydney as a newspaper correspondent. From 1989 Ray wrote more than 3000 columns as a regular newspaper wine columnist. He currently writes a regular column for the special business publication Business News and is one of the main contributors to national wine platform Wine Pilot. In 2017 Ray co-authored The Way it Was – A History of The Early Days of the Margaret River Wine Industry and previously wrote Wine in the Blood: Australia’s Family Wine Estates, published in Mandarin and English. In 2011 Ray was awarded WA Wine Press Club Jack Mann Memorial Medal for his contribution to the WA wine industry. His love of wine is as strong as his love of the blues and tasting the thousands of wines that cross his bench each year allows him to indulge in both.
Martins LTD shiraz NV bottle shot

Curtis Martin’s Vineyard Shiraz 2022

Rich, opulent, smooth, seamless, and thoroughly engaging Shiraz from this excellent season in McLaren Vale. The nose is quite beautiful,...
New Reserve Chard High Res

Hutton Reserve Chardonnay 2025

These Hutton wines always offer so much. There’s power and intensity with great fruit concentration, but they are impeccably crafted,...
Smuggler GSM

Richard Hamilton Smuggler GSM 2023

A spicy and slightly peppery example of this Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvèdre blend that strongly reflects the longer, cooler season. There’s...
Richard Hamilton Ghost Hill Shiraz

Richard Hamilton Ghost Hill Shiraz Signature 2023

This full-bodied McLaren Vale Shiraz is loaded with the typical juicy satsuma, plum, and red-fruit notes reflected on both nose...
Richard Hamiton The Surgeon

Richard Hamilton The Surgeon McLaren Vale Shiraz 2023

The first thing you notice is the colour; so deep, dark, almost impenetrable. The aromas reveal dark plum and blackberry...
Richard Hamilton Sombra Tempranillo

Richard Hamilton Sombra Tempranillo 2025

Here’s a McLaren Vale Tempranillo that really nails the style for current, delicious drinking. It’s soft and quite supple, with...
Richard Hamilton Long Stem Sparkling Fiano

Richard Hamilton Long Stem Sparkling Fiano

I have to say that of all the sparkling wines I’ve tasted in Australia, I don’t think I’ve seen one...
Richard Hamilton Les Collines Pinot Gris NV Low Res

Richard Hamilton Les Collines Pinot Gris 2025

A juicy and textured Pinot Gris, loaded with all the typical characters you might expect: apple, crumble, a little spicy...
Plantagenet Three Lions Riesling base

Plantagenet Three Lions Riesling 2025

Opens with a distinctive spicy bath salts aroma, typical of the region. This is from the Wyjup North vineyard and...
Plantagenet Three Lions Chardonnay baseNV

Plantagenet Three Lions Chardonnay 2025

This is from the Rocky Horror vineyard, planted in 1999. It is a more sophisticated Chardonnay than you might expect...
Plantagenet Three Lions PinotNoir NV LR

Plantagenet Three Lions Pinot Noir 2025

The fruit comes from the Rocky Horror vineyard and is a mix of clones, with the aim of emphasising fruit...
Plantagenet Three Lions SyrahPinotNoir base

Plantagenet Three Lions Syrah Pinot Noir 2024

The aim with this wine is to produce a chilled red style. It’s bright, lively and youthfully presented, offering stacks...
Plantagenet Angevin Riesling ()

Plantagenet Angevin Riesling 2025

This takes the Three Lions range up a notch. Careful vineyard management, including different picking times, adds complexity and completeness...
Plantagenet York Chardonnay

Plantagenet York Chardonnay 2025

Here is a wine that combines richness with tension, weight and power. It was picked over several separate harvests before...
Plantagenet Normand PinotNoir

Plantagenet Normand Pinot Noir 2025

The fruit is sourced entirely from the Rocky Horror vineyard using only clone 777. The nose is still quite closed,...
NV BRUT RES png

Riversdale Estate Brut Reserve NV

This is made from the three classic Champagne varieties: Chardonnay, the dominant variety in this case, Pinot Noir and Pinot...
NV EST Riesling

Riversdale Estate Riesling 2025

This Coal River Valley-sourced Riesling really does show why Tasmania is such a good place to grow this variety. The...
NV EST Chardonnay

Riversdale Estate Chardonnay 2025

So much happening within the confines of a well-structured, highly flavoursome Chardonnay. After pressing the free-run juice, once settled, it...
NV EST Pinot Noir

Riversdale Estate Pinot Noir 2025

This is a most stylish and impressive Coal River Valley Pinot Noir. It was whole berry fermented with about 10%...
Estate R Riesling

Riversdale Estate R42 Riesling 2025

An off-dry but beautifully balanced Riesling from the Coal River Valley. Engaging aromas of lemons and lime with a subtle...
The Benbournie Cabernet Sauvignon NV Bottle Shot () ()

Jim Barry The Benbournie Cabernet Sauvignon Cellar Release 2013

In case you’re wondering why a wine from 2013 is still available: the decision was made to hold back a...
Aramis ()

Aramis Vineyards Willunga Creek Reserve Shiraz 2022

This excellent season has been captured quite beautifully in this rich and opulent Shiraz from McLaren Vale. The ripe, plummy...
Small Island Enso Coal River Pinot Noir ()

Small Island Enso Coal River Pinot Noir 2025

A really impressive Pinot Noir from Tasmania, with a wonderfully exotic, perfumed aroma and a thoroughly exquisite, beautifully integrated palate....
Serraluna Montepulciano d Abbruzo ()

Serraluna Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2024

Smooth, in fact velvety smooth, and loaded with lots of dark berry fruit, supported by quite supple, refined tannins and...

Stories

Hayes Family Wines

Hayes Family Wines is a relatively new name for the Barossa Valley, but its roots date back to the middle...

Elderton in Form

It’s one of those weird twists. The Barossa Valley is renowned for its shiraz and one of the best has...

A New Grenache Benchmark from the West

History may show that the Swinney Farvie Frankland River Grenache 2020 was the wine that redefined this variety in WA....
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