Australia

As ever, rock solid Margaret River cabernet, ticking the boxes for all the right regional and varietal qualities as it goes along. Just on the full side of medium-bodied, the flavours of cassis and cedar build on the palate, escorted along by the fine but firmish tannin that rolls on through the finish to linger in the aftertaste. Enjoyable now or for years to come. (SC)

97+ points. Tight and intricately detailed, as always, with bright citrus, peach and white nectarine fruits overseen by a mist of flint and struck-match complexity. Hints of grilled hazelnuts, almond butter, vanillin oak, clover blossom, crushed riverstone, crème fraîche, ozone, oatmeal and sea spray. Lightly textural, with a beautiful taut mineral line, the flavours precise and drawn out along its length. This has a tight mineral cadence, a touch of apple-skin pithiness, preserved lemon, nougat and a pristine, sustained finish with a flair of umami. This is a producer and a site that is in the finest of form. No wonder the French are nervous – once again, world-class Australian chardonnay. (DB)

The 2021 RunRig is an impossibly bright and vibrant wine, with intense power and structure to match the impermeable fruit. Not much more can be said of this wine other than that it came from a magnificent vintage that experienced healthy winter rains in the lead up to the growing season and dry conditions throughout the growing season. The wines have been lauded, and in the case of a wine like this, it is evident why. Like the 2018 vintage, you could drink this anytime, but one would counsel patience. 15% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. (EL)

It’s still a baby, but there is no question of what lies within. Tuberose, lemon leaf, green spice, preserved lemon, toasty oak, cracker and perfumed white peach. On the palate, flavour is concentrated and intense, and combined with the firm structure of this wine, powerful enough to hold up to the oak. There’s vibrant, lacy acidity, ripe and powerful Gingin fruit, yet in no way eding towards fleshy. It’s voluminous and complex, but laser-beam precision keeps things taut. The palate blooms with opulent florals, doughnut peach, nectarine skin, lemon blossom, crushed roast cashew, orange blossom and crushed citrus leaf. A silvery salinity on the finish tickles. A wine of polish, precision and immense power, yet all in balance. This is one for the distance. (CC)

96+ points. This is a wonderfully expressive pinot noir from one of Tasmania's finest sites. 50% whole bunches in '25, and those filigreed amaro and dried spice elements are woven beautifully into the wine. The fruit base is pure dark cherry, damson plum and wild strawberry fruits, with souk-like spice, dried meats, Chinese barbecue shop, shiitake broth, dried citrus rind, meadow flowers and layers of spice and rocky nuance. It's an immediately attractive wine, with blossoming flavours kept in check by fine, sinewy tannins, taut, mineral-laden acidity and a long draw of flavour on the finish, the wine sailing gracefully and true throughout. (DB)

A refined yet savory nose of blackcurrants, wild blackberries, mocha and iodine. The palate is full-bodied with finely integrated tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of mulberry bush, olive tapenade and ferric earth. Very chewy and structured with an underlying freshness. Delicious.

Memorable, complex, aromatic and explosively deep, with a mix of palo santo, dark chocolate, black olive, espresso and hazelnut butter. The pure fruit at the core is a mix of ripe huckleberry, boysenberry and wild blackberry, with dense but polished tannins. Savory notes of dried rosemary and sage, cigar box, dried apricot and sandalwood linger on the epic finish. *Collectible* (MW)

Bid on this bottle of 1994 Penfolds "Bin 707" Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Valley South Australia (95JH). James Halliday: "Deep purple-red; a wonderfully fragrant, powerful and intense aroma proclaiming Cabernet Sauvignon at the height of its youthful power leads on to a formidable palate, crammed with fruit and oak, but with tannins to lose (as the Californians are fond of saying). Needs years to begin to give of its best but will sweep all before it before it is finished in its show career. Top gold medal winner at the 1997 Sydney Wine Show. " (07/2011)

Bid on this bottle of 1973 Seppelt Moyston Claret.

Takes only a millisecond, once you taste the wine, for the mouth to flood with juicy lime flavours plus splashes of tropical fruits. Totally delicious now, but has the structure to develop well into the next decade.

Grown on vines with an average age of 45 years. Complex aromatics lead to a complex palate. Anise, slate, lime and wet stone characters make a persuasive, and distinctive, pitch at quality. There's flavour here, but it also feels fine-boned and delicate; it has an elegance about it. (CM)

Harvested from just the home block with a small addition of wine from Leongatha, this spent 14 months in 40% new barrels. There is a breezy freshness to the red fruit on the nose alongside swirling, darker fruits of the forest which emerge, perfumed with iron-oxide and petrichor. The palate is concentrated, brimming with juicy fruit and a kind of urgency. There is a lick of liquorice bitterness and tannins that show density and finesse towards the finish. Fine acidity makes this precise and totally mouthwatering. In a league of its own in the Bass Phillip stable: self-assured and exquisitely balanced.(AK)

Fruit off the Leongatha vineyard, destemmed, wild-yeast fermented, left 2 weeks on skins and aged in French oak, 25% new, for 14 months. A selection of the best barrels was then put aside for the Estate. Striking aromatics set the scene: a heady mix of florals, forest floor, blood orange and spiced cherries. The palate unfurls with a core of sweet-savoury flavours from fruit and oak, fine tannins and everything superbly integrated and aligned. There’s complexity, detail and definition all in one. (JF)

An elegant style, almost gentle with every element from fruit and acidity to tannins neatly in place. It’s a complete wine. Red cherry accents, rose petals, charred radicchio and a host of spices for good measure. It continues to unfurl beautifully in the glass. As seamless as it gets thanks to superfine tannins and a powder puff of acidity. (JF)

Warm with orange and spice notes, this gin is earthy and woodsy, finishing with a hint of bitter orange peel. Mix this mouthwatering gin made in Australia's Yarra Valley into Negronis and other bold-flavored cocktails. (KN)

Made mainly from WA's Gingin clone and planted in Gruyere on the same grey clay as Applejack. Whole bunches pressed into French puncheons with 20% new oak. Smells tightly wound and concentrated with aromas of ripe peach and nectarine, together with just a hint of lanolin and apple custard. Equally powerful and punchy on the palate. This has more of everything, including sprightly acid and some phenolic grip on the very long, stone-fruit pithy finish. Today, this is my pick of the 4 single-vineyard 2021 chardonnays, but who knows what will come out on top in 5 or even 10 years from now! (PR)

The 2021 Tir na N'og Old Vine Grenache is dark, spicy and brooding on the nose, with layers of Christmas spice, black and red berries and the earthy base of licorice and iodine. In the mouth, the wine silky, dark and statuesque. The tannins are very finely countersunk into the fruit; they are chalky and gently grippy and shape the fruit in the mouth. With very good length of flavor through the finish, this is built to last some time. Very smart. (EL)

The 2022 The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz is so pretty—floral, red fruited and fine. This is a beautiful iteration of this wine. Ironically, there's a coastal freshness about it—kelp, brine, crushed shells—given it is nowhere near the coast. It's capacious and mineral and so fresh. The tannins are fine and neat, and the wine has incredible focus and line through the long finish. It's very impressive, potentially one of my favorite releases of this wine to date. It has wholly Barossa fruit this vintage. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. (EL)

What a release from a warm vintage. Aromas of lemon confit, white flowers, nectarines and flint with white peaches and a touch of spice and cookies. The medium-bodied palate is textural and generous yet balanced with fresh acidity and some structure from phenolic grip. Wild-fermented in old barriques. Great value.

One of the distinctive features of this wine, and in a way a DNA link to all Art Series cabernet, is its savouriness. It’s the rolled tobacco, nori, iodine and whiff of new leather plus the cedary oak, but these are not separate, they form a whole impression. There’s also the core of excellent fruit, the structure, the supple tannins and the bright acidity. And the joy of drinking it. (JF)

The infusion of Sangiovese with the Shiraz has produced a wine of vibrant luminosity. In the mouth, the 2021 Il Briccone is pure and driven by firm fruit tannins that splay through the finish in a chalky, almost chewy way. There is blackberry, raspberry, plum skin and pink peppercorns, with black cherry, cocoa nibs and a hint of chinotto. (EL)

It's sweet-fruited and fresh – it's a chillable red wine – but it has more shape than you might expect, and lovely (red-berried) fruit too. It's been made for quaffing, but if you're going to do something, do it well, and that's what they've done here. (CM)

Penfolds nailed the great vintage, making a wine that is perfect in every way. The blend of 97% shiraz and 3% cabernet sauvignon comes from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley and Magill Estate in Adelaide, in that order, and as usual spent 18 months in new American hogsheads. Its detail is superb, with light and shade allowing blackberry and plum fruit pride of place, but there's also flashes of spice and licorice. It's as mouthwatering with the last taste as the first, and 7.3g/l of acidity leaves the mouth fresh.

Bid on this bottle of 1979 Penfolds "Grange" Shiraz South Australia (94WS). Wine Spectator: "Big and broad, it's gloriously spicy and rich, pouring out its licorice-scented plum, prune, berry and smoke flavors like a fountain, yet it remains harmonious and marvelously balanced. (HS)" (01/1997)

Referred to as ‘Baby Grange’ as components of the wine are always matured in the same American oak hogsheads that held the previous vintage of Grange, Bin 389 (first made in 1960) is always a Cabernet-dominant Cab-Shiraz – the great Australian blend. This year it just makes it, with 51%, the fruit for both varieties coming from McLaren Vale (45%), Padthaway and Barossa Valley. The 12 months in oak (33% new) adds a creamy coconut sheen to the generous mouthful of summer pudding berries, fleshy blue plums and more savoury tones of fennel salami, mocha and cigar box spice. Fine tannins, bright acidity and a firm structure deliver power and polish, already approachable but with a long life, and more complexity, ahead. A standout this vintage. (TG)

Very vibrant with a savory undertone, giving aromas of blood plums, blackberry compote, tobacco leaves and cloves. The palate is full-bodied with finely integrated tannins, bright acidity, a generous mouthfeel and notes of dark cherries, dried herbs, iodine and mocha. A balanced yet powerful blend of 50% grenache, 31% shiraz and 19% mataro. Drink or hold.

Four Pillars spent five years working out how to distill with cold-pressed olive oil and dried olive leaves from Cobram Estate in Victoria, and the result is unlike anything else in the category. It has a richness and weight that most gins simply don't, anchored by rosemary, bay leaf, macadamia nut, and lemon myrtle — a botanical lineup that somehow feels both Australian and Mediterranean at the same time. If you're a Martini drinker, this is your gin. The texture alone elevates the drink into something worth slowing down for. It's equally good in a simple G&T over ice with a sprig of rosemary, and if you want to go deep, try it as a Gibson with fino sherry and cocktail onions. Savory, bright, and genuinely distinctive.

Mild lemongrass and pine aromas lead the nose. The palate treads lightly with mild lemon and lime. Fleeting lemon-sugar sweetness winds into a fiery pink peppercorn exhale. Botanicals include yuzu, ginger, turmeric and sencha genmaicha (Japanese green tea with roasted brown rice).(KN)

A blend of 48/28/13/6/5% grenache/mataro/carignan/counoise/shiraz from vineyards in Lyndoch, Gomersal, Seppeltsfield, Marananga and Greenock. I guess this is the wine that started it all. It's a Côtes du Rhône blend, sharply priced, with a connection to a famous Parisian wine bar; a juicy plum and spice-forward wine that is a joy to drink. Light on the artefact and high in effortless drinkability, finishing stony, spicy, meaty and moreish. A classic. (DB)

Located at the foot of the Brokenback Ranges in Australia’s oldest wine-producing region, the Hunter Valley, Leogate Estate was first planted in the 1970s by “one of the founding fathers of the modern Australian wine industry”, Len Evans AO OBE. Current custodians Bill and Vicki Widin bought the original 50-hectare Brokenback Vineyard in 2008. They have used their own knowledge and experience on the land, along with the expertise of others such as senior winemaker Mark Woods, to reinvigorate the property. The Brokenback Semillon is harvested early, so the final ABV is a mere 11.5% and the acid structure is vibrant and lively now as a young wine, but will soften and gain complexity with age.

Copper-tinged brown. Hallucinatory aromas of baked and candied apple, vanilla-poached pear, toffee, sultana raisin, singed orange peel, chestnut honey, marzipan, dried fig, dates, fruitcake and Cinnabon. Rich and fat on the palate, but remarkably shapely, showing a tangy note of blood orange to lift the supersweet, thick flavors of brown butter, caramel, cappuccino, vanilla sugar and Frangelico. The long, sappy, almost sticky finish is lifted by bright, tangy acids and an insinuating note of five-spice powder. (JR)

A Marananga-born blend of 94/6% shiraz/viognier from the strong 2021 vintage. I guess the Descendant could be considered the 'Baby Run Rig', though, in reality, this probably does the wine a disservice. It's lovely. High-toned and perfumed with some juicy stone fruit tones suffusing through the unctuous spiced plum fruits. Hints of blueberry pie, citrus blossom, veal jus, Chinese barbecue shop, soul-like spice. dried citrus rind, biltong and clove. Velvety in its flow with creamy oak, fine, kinetic tannins and a real textural swell as it slowly fades away. A cracking release. (DB)

This Gin has beautiful dark red color which will add a pleasant visual dimension to a gin and tonic. In the nose there is an interaction of sweet fruit and juniper aromas. In the mouth it is rich and round with the sweetness of the shiraz interacting with subtle botanical and citrus notes. The Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz is a new flavor direction in the gin section providing more depth and choice.

Perhaps one of Australia's most famed sauvignon blancs with a seemingly unnerving level of quality for the pricepoint. No slouch here, a zesty, fresh, bright and crisp rendering of the variety. Resplendent with passionfruit, just-ripe pineapple, lime and cut-grass characters between the bouquet and palate, very even, flows well, finishes with decent length and a light chalky pucker. Just so, done well, easy drinking and moderately complex to boot. (MB)

Patience in spades from this producer to craft wines of such minuscule quantities. I admire the Ricca Terra team for their forward-thinking dedication to alternative varieties. This wine sees some time spent in old French oak, which does graft a sinewy tannic grip to the otherwise plush-fruited and peppery spiced drink. Black cherry and red plum rugged and roughed up. Very good.. (KB)

Sourced from cooler vineyard sites across the Grampians and Victoria, Billi Billi combines a plushness and smooth-running mouthfeel with a lively, peppery spiciness. It's all about the fruit: ripe black cherry and plum partnered to dark roasted spices, allspice and black pepper. A most welcoming shiraz at a welcoming price. (JP)

Aromas of lime zest, lemon sherbet, white flowers, wet slate and subtle herbs. The palate is light and tight, with piercing acidity and notes of grapefruit pith, citrus peel and crushed stones. Linear and focused, with a dry, persistent finish and a powerful undertone that will evolve nicely for years to come.

Abundant black-fruit aromas supported by spices, cedar, crushed stones and violets. The medium-bodied palate has a creamy texture and finely tuned, generous tannins with so much purity of fruit. Grown further away from the ocean with a more continental feel. Delicious and early-drinking yet serious.

Lucid aromas of mint, thyme, green peppercorn and pencil shavings are layered onto a core of plump cherry and raspberry fruit. Granular, hulking tannins cinch the tongue, but they leave ample space for the juicy red-berry fruit on this unmistakably Aussie Cab.

Opened in 2013 by Jeremy Johnson, the cocktail bar Meta was Louisville's crown jewel for late-night imbibing for over a decade. What launched Meta into the national spotlight was an act of pure, unorthodox provocation: Johnson created the Pappy Van Winkle Jello Shot, a stunt born of genuine frustration with bourbon elitism that earned him actual death threats, but also landed the bar in Esquire, Playboy, Imbibe, Food & Wine, and the Today Show. Irreverent to the end, Meta sadly closed its doors in March 2026, ending an era in the city's cocktail culture. K&L has acquired the very last remaining bottles of Meta's storied private barrel selections, including this private cask finished in Palo Cortado Sherry.

Fruit comes off the Leongatha vineyard and a barrel selection – not of new oak, but ones that didn’t have elements needed to go into the estate pinot. Good news, this is well priced in a Bass Phillip context. Sweet pulpy fruit from macerated black cherries to poached rhubarb and baking spices. Tangy and juicy with some chinotto/amaro complexity. Really good to drink today. Don’t wait. (JF)

Deep crimson with aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant pastille and black cherry with hints of dark spice, eucalyptus, turned earth, sage, bay leaf, pressed flowers, licorice and blueberry tart. Some Ribena and herb notes flow in on the palate and there is a broody aspect to the wine's disposition, finishing with chalky tannins and a musky edge to the dark, dark berry fruits. (DB)

Quelle surprise! Penfolds impresses with a multi-regional blend. It's something they do so well; a combination of vineyard resources and masterful blending with such quality and consistency across their 'Bin' range of wines. Deep set satsuma plum, blackberry and blueberry fruits with hints of baking spices, charcuterie, violets, fennel tops, dried herbs, nicely-judged American oak and a gentle earthen hue. There's a lovely, bright fruit presence here; long, flavourful and delicious now with the promise of excellent cellaring potential. (DB)

NASAA certified organic and biodynamic grenache from blocks 18 and 22 on the Alkina Greenock estate, 100% whole bunches, basket pressed into concrete and a small portion into stainless steel for 6 months. Vibrant, perfumed and just a joy to drink with pretty red cherry and plum fruits bound with ginger spice, purple florals, red licorice and earth. Light and airy with chewy tannin grip, bright acidity and a savoury swish on the exit. (DB)

Dalrymple winemaker, Peter Caldwell, turns his attention to Coal River Valley chardonnay here. Light straw with fruit characters of lemon, grapefruit and nectarine with hints of soft spice, grilled hazelnuts, white flowers, lemon butter, creamy oak, fennel, stone and marzipan. Lemony and creamy on the palate with tight, fine acidity and a blast of lemon drops on the finish. (DB)

The 61st vintage, from 101yo ungrafted dry-grown vines, matured for 18 months in 81% French and 19% American hogsheads (34% new). The decision to hold back the release of this shiraz until after the '14 was correct - this is a densely packed wine destined for a long life as vertical tastings have proved again and again, intensity and focus achieved without apparent effort. Medium-bodied, but with compelling black fruits riding on the back of tannins and carefully measured oak.

Frisk “Prickly” Riesling is a playful, lightly spritzy white wine, crafted primarily from Riesling with small amounts of Muscat and Gewürztraminer. Fermented in stainless steel and bottled with a gentle natural fizz, the wine bursts with aromas of lime sorbet, nectarine, white flowers, and a hint of gingery spice. A touch of residual sweetness balances the variety’s naturally high acidity, giving the wine an energetic, mouthwatering character without feeling heavy. At just 10% alcohol, this Riesling has about 40 g/L of residual sugar, placing the wine in an off-dry to medium-sweet style, similar to a Kabinett style. Despite the sweetness, the brisk acidity and slight effervescence keep the remarkably refreshing. Frisk Prickly Riesling is especially well suited to spicy Asian cuisine, seafood, and summer sipping, offering an irresistibly bright and easygoing expression of Australian Riesling that has become something of a cult favorite among lovers of aromatic whites.

Confession: Grange has never been my favourite of the Penfolds portfolio (I am a St Henri girl) but I’ve been converted. And if ever a vintage were to turn me, 2021 was always going to be the one, heralded by many in South Australia as a ‘vintage of a lifetime’. Sourced from sites across the Barossa Valley (66%), McLaren Vale (26%) and Clare Valley (8%), it is a blend of 94% Shiraz and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, which spends 18 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads, and has already integrated seamlessly into the opulent fruit. My initial impressions, hurriedly typed, start with a string of descriptors that detail just how seductive it is already: “Wow! Exotic, inky, generous, silky, ripe, velvety. Immense. Incredible. The whole package!” (My colleague Georgie Hindle wrote: “Classy and so sophisticated. Like looking at a gorgeous man in a tuxedo.”) The trademark Grange volatile acidity presents itself as macerated balsamic strawberries, tapenade and tarmac, joining mouthfilling silky tannins and sumptuous aromas and flavours of boysenberry, root beer, mocha, salted liquorice and crème caramel. If you can ignore its siren call from the cellar, it easily has three to five decades of life ahead. (TG)