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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.
The Paper Nautilus Heritage Block Sauvignon Blanc NV

The Paper Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc 2023

This is a small-batch Sauvignon Blanc from the Heritage Block Renwick Estate, only made in the best years. Unlike many...
Wirra Wirra Church Block Shiraz No Vintage

Wirra Wirra Church Block Shiraz 2023

Another perfectly presented Shiraz under this label. Shiraz has been an important part of the Church Block story, present in...
Wirra Wirra Church Block Grenache Shiraz No Vintage

Wirra Wirra Church Block Grenache Shiraz 2024

What a thoroughly beautiful wine this is from one of McLaren Vale’s finest wineries. It’s about 60% Grenache and the...
Wirra Wirra Church Block CSSM

Wirra Wirra Church Block Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Merlot 2023

Another excellent wine from this famous value-for-money brand. In the winery, each parcel is treated separately through fermentation and maturation...
PHI Gamay Noir NV

De Bortoli Phi Gamay Noir 2024

From the time I brought this one to smell the sweet scents of this variety, I thought it was something...
Riorret Lusatia Park Pinot Noir

De Bortoli Riorett Lusatia Park Pinot Noir 2019

This now has a little age and it’s starting to reveal some rather beautiful characters that comes with cellaring time...
PHI Grenache Amphora NV

De Bortoli Phi Grenache Amphora Freeman’s Bridge 2022

De Bortoli have been using amphora for some years now and here is a perfect example of what it can...
PHI Syrah Grenache NV

De Bortoli Phi Syrah Grenache 2022

De Bortoli have gone to Heathcote in Victoria to source the fruit for this wine. It’s a region that has...
PHI CHARDONNAY NV ()

De Bortoli Phi Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2022

This is sourced from the Lusatia Park vineyard in the Yarra that De Bortoli acquired a few years ago. It...
Love Symbol

Zonte’s Footstep Limited Release Love Symbol Grenache 2023

This is a mighty good Grenache sourced from McLaren Vale. The colour is immediately bright with red and crimson hues....
Excalibur

Zonte’s Footstep Excalibur Sauvignon Blanc 2025

This one comes from a very good season in the Adelaide Hills. Aromas of lemon, meringue, edgy lemon zest and...
Violet Beauregard

Zonte’s Footstep Violet Beauregard Malbec 2023

The wonderful region of Langhorne Creek provides the Malbec for this excellent wine. The region over decades has excelled in...
Butchers Block GSM

Turkey Flat Butcher’s Block Grenache Shiraz Mataro 2023

This is one of the oldest properties in the Barossa and this wine came from some of those original vines...
Butchers Block Shiraz

Turkey Flat Butcher’s Block Shiraz 2023

Yes, there is still a Butcher’s Block in the old restored blue stone cellar door on the property. I like...
TaT Crayères CabShiraz

Terre à Terre Crayères Vineyard Cabernet Shiraz 2023

The exceptionally cool 2023 vintage has contributed to a wine that is both expressive and elegant, built on more European...
Watervale

O’Leary Walker Watervale Riesling 2025

This was an outstanding season in the Clare Valley region of South Australia, and this wine shows both the seasonal...
PHR

O’Leary Walker Polish Hill River Riesling 2025

This exceptional wine from an exceptional vintage shows a clear distinction between it and the Watervale version from the same...
Cape Mentelle Single Site Block Chardonnay

Cape Mentelle Single Site Block 10 Chardonnay 2024

This is an outstanding Chardonnay and quite frankly one of the very best I’ve ever seen from Cape Mentelle. It...
DD Our Fathers CV Riesling

Our Fathers Single Vineyard Clare Valley Riesling 2023

The fruit for this exceptional Riesling comes from a single vineyard in the southern end of Clare Valley. It is...
Our Fathers Barossa Shiraz AG

Our Fathers Special Reserve Barossa Shiraz 2023

A combination of fruit has been sourced from the Ebenezer and Eden Valley regions. And the aim has been to...
GE museum shiraz

Greenock Estate Museum Reserve Shiraz 2018

Wow, this is Barossa Shiraz—it’s big, it’s bold, but there is a classy refinement here. The colour is deep reddy-black...
DiFabioCellarSeries

Di Fabio Estate Cellar Series Cabernet Franc 2018

This was a very good year in McLaren Vale and it’s been captured superbly in this now mature Cabernet Franc....
DiFabioWinemakersSelection

Di Fabio Estate Winemakers Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Merlot 2016

This is a sort of left bank-right bank combination of fruits from McLaren Vale, and although the wine is now...
DiFabioCab

Di Fabio Estate Cabernets Single Vineyard 2018

The quality of the season is immediately apparent; the colour is still vibrant and bright with a ruby red middle...

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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