Fruit from M&B/Howard Park's Great Southern vineyard Mount Barrow. 15% to 20% whole bunches. Matured in puncheons (500L) with 40% new. Separate parcels are matured on lees in oak for 6 to 9 months before bottling. Marchand & Burch, Village, Pinot Noir, Mount Barker, 2024 Medium garnet. Sapid, black cherry and twiggy. Forest floor, cassis nuances, crushed thyme leaf giving herbaceous halo, broad reaching tannin giving textural and youthful grip, with an umami almost kelp like side line. Handsome and dark, fleshy and well fruited. Ready to drink now. RRP: $50 Alc: 13.5% Rating: 92/100 Wine sample courtesy of Marchand & Burch

Fruit from M&B/Howard Park's Great Southern vineyards. Handpicked fruit, whole bunch pressed,, natural ferment in French oak barriques, hogsheads and puncheons (33% new, 33% 1 year old, 33% older). Stirred weekly until dry, then settled on lees in barrel and tank with some parcels going through malolactic fermentation. Marchand & Burch, Village, Chardonnay, Mount Barker, 2024 Medium light straw hue.

Fruit from M&B/Howard Park's Great Southern vineyards. A blend of Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Grenache. Some parts stainless steel and cold ferments held on lees with daily stirring, others into old oak. Partial malolactic ferment. Marchand & Burch, Village, Rosé, Mount Barker, 2025 Bright cerise. Fragrant and floral. Red summer berries, pink grapefruit, hibiscus tea, nectarine slices, peaches n' cream confectionary, tomato leaf and dusty brown spice, Dry palate, carrying good flesh and depth.

The Tahbilk winery is like a living museum and a must visit for any wine lover. Named after Francois Coueslant, the winemaker and manager at Tahbilk from 1877 to 1886. Credited as being responsible for the construction of the iconic Tahbilk Tower and led the fight against the vine louse phylloxera when it appeared on the Estate in 1870 (which wiped out nearly all of Europe's vineyards).

Tahbilk may not be well known for Chardonnay, but if you're looking for riper varietal value, take a peek here. Note bottle image is of 2022, but naught else has changed. Tahbilk, Chardonnay, Nagambie Lakes, 2024 Pale lemon to straw in colour. Nougat and mocha cream, peanut oil, lemon tart, peachy stone fruit, 'French' toast and white lilies. In the chunky end of town, with robust stone fruit and oak spice underpinning honeyed nougat.

Firmly Gris (not Grigio) spectrum. Attractive packaging for the price point. Note, bottle image is of 2022, but nought else has changed save for the vintage year Tahbilk, Pinot Gris, Nagambie Lakes, 2022 The tiniest onion skin bronzing hue to the wine indicating a touch of skin contact. Ripe and varietal: brown and nashi pears, quince paste, musk stick, freshwater pool, cinnamon morning bun and candle wax shavings.

Said it before, and will say it again. Up there with the best value white wines in the world. Note bottle image is of 2022, but naught else has changed. Tahbilk, Marsanne, Nagambie Lakes, 2025 Very pale signature green highlights. Just ripe honeydew and honeysuckle, hints of sweet jasmine florals. Lemon zest freshness, slivered almond savoury and a touch of green apple crispness.

 Moo Brew turned up in 2005. Full disclosure, I was there at the start when the first brewer Owen Johnston (now CEO of HPA) started with the core range. in those bottles (the shape of which was the catalyst of everything). We were alumni of the late 1990's and early 2000's hospitality scene in Hobart, which included working stints during concert security at Mona on the lawns.

DAOSA (Dedicated Artisans of South Australia) is the sparkling arm of Terre à Terre wines: Xavier Bizot and Lucy Croser. Winemaking sees the DAOSA signature: hole bunch pressed, cold settled in tank for two months before racked into old 600L barrels for primary fermentation. 8 months maturation in barrel, with some lees stirring to go through malolactic fermentation. Tiraged on 31st of January 2018 and then aged for 90 months in bottle before being disgorged on 5th of June 2025 with a dosage of 4g/L…

DAOSA (Dedicated Artisans of South Australia) is the sparkling arm of Terre à Terre wines: Xavier Bizot and Lucy Croser. Fruit is whole bunch pressed then cold settled in tank and racked into old 600L barrels for primary fermentation. Then 6 months maturation with some lees stirring and with malolactic fermentation. Tiraged in October 2021 before aged for over three and a half years in bottle.

Congratulations to Calabria Family Wines who have just celebrated their 80th Anniversary. Unfortunately I was unable to join their party, so the family curated a 4 pack of their wines to send through, including this homage to the legacy of Calabria's founder, Elisabetta Calabria. Open ferment, 10 days on skins before 12 months in 25% American and 75% French oak.

Rutherglen is the spiritual home of Durif in Australia, but Calabria steal a little bit of thunder from over the Murray River with consist. Stainless steel ferment, twice daily pump-overs (juice over skins) for 8 days during fermentation. Racked to 100% American oak Hogsheads and Barriques 12 months maturation. Calabria Family Wines, Three Bridges, Durif, Riverina, 2024 Crushed blackberries and brambles, chunky blood plum, pencil shavings, prunes and dates with big vanilla dollops from the American oak.

Calabria's Alternato range showcase 'alternative' wines from the Barossa. This only compliments the new wave Italianate/Australian cuvee a tavola style. Calabria, Alternato, Montepulciano, Nero D'Avola, Barossa Valley, 2024 Bruise purple with a bright rim. Hulled cherries, halved raspberries, bluestone, ink, Danish pastry, blueberry conserve, crushed basil leaf, vanilla tips, fennel  and hints of squid ink. Bold, with a silky front palate flowing through to drying, mesh like tannins (perfect for food!) Has a betwixt and between feel, it wears its heart on its sleeve with ripe upfront fruit, yet shows its roots with herbal undertones and that drying tannin.

Calabria, based in the Riverina, but that's a bit of a tough region for high quality Chardonnay, so they reach out to prime areas, in this case the Adelaide Hills, but have previously sourced fruit from Tumbarumba French oak fermentation and 9 months maturation sur lie. Some parcels allowed to go through MLF. Vegan friendly winemaking (if that's important to you).

De Bortoli's new Spritz releases follow on from the 2024 successful Limoncello Spritz release  and pigeon pair to the Lemon & Lime. Base is a wine of Prosecco (Glera) grapes. I hope I don't get my Spanish and Basque country visitation rights revoked with this review. De Bortoli, Sangria Spritz, Riverina, NV Deep bruise colour. Cocoa, clove, plum, cherry, cola syrup, white pepper, pickled walnuts, pink grapefruit and a medicinal herbal, bitter citrus undertone.

De Bortoli's new Spritz releases follow on from the 2024 successful Limoncello Spritz release. Base is a wine of Prosecco (Glera) grapes, De Bortoli, Lemon and Lime Spritz, Riverina, NV Tennis ball yellow/green in colour. Potent nose, squeezed lemon and lime, with green apple slices, preserved lemon, candied lime peel and a little vanilla crème: Like if someone blitzed a Lemon/Lime Splice™.

With the silly season upon us, more are turning to try their hand at consuming less, non or low alcohol products. This perfectly timed first release is made by John Stokes of Wood Park Wines (who has the ability to craft incredibly age-worthy wines) and by Kathy Walsh (with 30 years in wine distribution). King Valley Shiraz grapes from north-eastern Victoria.

Named after a notorious stretch of road in the Adelaide Hills. Longview, Devil's Elbow, Cabernet Sauvignon, Adelaide Hills, 2023 Deep garnet, bright rim. Earthy blackberry melange, turned earth, mocha, boysenberry ice cream, powdered cocoa, choc beetroot cake, sliced green capsicum, damp black tea leaves and a cigarillo hint. Medium bodied and framed. Balances structure and elegance without forsaking fruit focus (nor does it go the other way with jammy ripeness).

Whole bunch pressed, but no extended skin contact for the winemaking. So fresh, so clean. Also possibly Australia's most awarded Pinot Grigio (someone has to have the title). Longview, Queenie, Pinot Grigio, Adelaide Hills, 2025 A welcome return to form after the last vintage I reviewed (2023). Pear flesh chunks, tin pear juice, sliced white stone fruit, lemon dishwashing soap (in a good, clean way), nettle tea and dinner table candle.

While the label has changed from the old school, muscular hound, the wine keeps the same intent. 5% barrel fermentation and some lees stirring during winemaking for depth. Longview, Whippet, Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills, 2025 Very pale lemon colour. Fragrant, but not pungent. Lemonade citrus, pink grapefruit, feijoa, citrus blossom, icing sugar, jalapeño, young cut spring asparagus and bramble. Runs racy through the front and the corners.

Cool(ish) climate and still (relatively) budget friendly too.  Note, the bottle image is of 2019, but nought else has changed. Longview, Yakka, Shiraz, Adelaide Hills, 2023 True garnet in colour. gunflint, meaty depth, plum jam, molten choc and ganache, there's a little coconutty oak that smells a touch young and raw (that will settle down). Some earthy moss like undertone and blueberry, plump, bright and puppy fleshed, hovered over with white pepper.

Longview now have found their stride with GV after planting in 2010. Winemaking sees the cloudy juice fermented cool in stainless steel and fermented dry. Longview, Macclesfield, Grüner Veltliner, Adelaide Hills, 2025 The tiniest suggestion of bronzing to the pale lemon hue. Pomme fruits, white pepper spice, green leafy herb nuance with juniper-gin like focus, almond croissant and verbena. On the plus side of lightly framed.

Cool ferment and stainless steel for the most awarded Riesling in the Adelaide Hills. Longview, Macclesfield, Riesling, Adelaide Hills, 2025 Ripe and floral. Signature white stone fruit, grapefruit pith, cool river stones, star jasmine florals, light cinnamon toast and Meyer lemon zest. Inherent refreshment in a tight and taut frame. A touch more austere than the nose suggests, so don't serve too cold to allow the fragrant profile to balance the crisp and lively acidity. Long tail with a neat chalkiness for an extra tooth-pleasing experience. RRP: $32 Alc: 12% Rating: 93/100 Wine sample courtesy of Longview Vineyard

Grown by Wallington wines in Canowindra, New South Wales. The Grenache had 100% Whole bunch in the fermentation, with a little carbonic maceration in the ferment mix. Renzaglia, Grenache, Tempranillo, Central Ranges, 2024 Medium garnet, clear rim. Green jalapeno. spice, Medicinal, licorice, yeast spread with dark cola nut, roast meats, raspberry, cherry, boysenberry flesh, tea cake and a little earthy mushroom.

Grown by Paul Baguely at the classy First Ridge Wines in Mudgee, New South Wales from the  Coriole clone of Sangiovese. Renzaglia, Sangiovese, Mudgee, 2024 Slightly turbid appearance to the mid garnet hue. Tobacco leaf, raspberry, cherry, tomato leaf, chicory, fennel and a little medicinal spice. Medium weight. A little sappy in texture, yet structured. Damp cherry with leafy lift. Fine and etched tannins with a juicy, yet polished finish. RRP: $37 Alc: 12.5% Rating: 92/100 Wine sample courtesy of Renzaglia and Define Wine