2023 Yalumba ‘The Virgilius’ Viognier

Posted on June 7, 2026 by Tony Peters

Recently my wife and I attended a dinner hosted by Yalumba at a very nice restaurant. It was held to mark the 2026 Rare & Fine and Museum Release of their wines. It was a terrific night of food but more so, tremendous wines.

“We don’t remember days, we remember moments.” Cesare Pavese wrote that, and it couldn’t have been more fitting for this dinner, or for the first wine poured. That wine was this one. The pinnacle of Viognier in this country.

I remember tasting it, with my expectations already high, and turning to my wife with something along the lines of, “What a great start to the night.” A small moment, but one that stayed with me. Mind you, the whole night was memorable.

Another incomparable expression of Viognier, and another reminder of why Yalumba continue to hold the mantle as Australia’s champions of the variety.

Yalumba Wine Shop

Region: Eden Valley, South Australia     Price: $57    Source: Samples thanks kindly to Yalumba

Aromatically, this is immediate and unmistakably Virgilius and Viognier. Apricots and a floral lift that are effortlessly inviting. The palate follows with that delightful trademark texture. Silky, layered and subtly powerful in a way that feels innocently deliberate. Stone fruits sit at the core, ripe but never heavy, carried by a delicate line of citrus characters. A subtle spice thread adds an interesting dimension without ever distracting from the fruit. The oak is beautifully judged, offering a nice layer rather than flavour. It finishes incredibly long with flavours that taper rather than fade (I can’t describe it any better than that). An exceptional Viognier. Seamless, balanced, and a reminder of why this wine leads the way in Australia when it comes to this variety.

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2022 Slow Wine Co. Pinot Noir

Posted on May 30, 2026 by Tony Peters

“Confidence isn’t optimism or pessimism; it’s the expectation of a positive outcome.” Rosabeth Moss Kanter (an American sociologist) wrote this and it is a line that came to mind as I tasted this Pinot Noir from Slow Wine Co. Every experience I’ve had with their wines has earned an easy confidence. No hype, no assumption, just the sense that something good is likely waiting under the screwcap. That expectation doesn’t come from marketing or medals. It comes from the simple pattern of honest, well‑made wines of theirs I have tried over time. I approached this wine with that same trust, hoping for the familiar balance of freshness, restraint and charm. And once again, the wine met me exactly where I knew it would.

Slow Wine Co Website

Region: Orange Region, NSW     Price: $36    Source: Wine Swap (Thanks Jen)

I don’t care what anyone says. Pinot Noir is so pretty in the glass, and this one shows it beautifully. Translucent dark‑cherry hues ease through as you lift it to the light. The nose is bright and fresh with red cherry, a little strawberry and a hint of spice. The palate is generous and distinctly varietal with dark cherry flavours leading the way. A red‑fruit freshness brings everything into balance. There’s a savoury note, a touch of oak, and enough acidity for short‑term cellaring but don’t feel you need to. Sitting just shy of medium‑bodied, it carries itself with elegance and poise. A genuinely good wine. Delightful, easy to drink, and very easy to like.

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2025 Y Series Chardonnay

Posted on May 21, 2026 by Tony Peters

It is so easy to judge things, anything and everything, on price. In all honesty, that’s fair when it comes to so many things. The saying, “you get what you pay for” is fair and just in a lot of cases. However, sometimes it pays (no pun intended) to not be so reluctant, so critical, so judgemental. The Y Series wines are the perfect case in point, and in this case, the Chardonnay expresses that point in better than uncertain terms…if that is possible. It’s Chardonnay all the way, it tells you so from start to the finish, and there are no beg-your-pardons. You get exactly what you thought you would but with a ‘here is more than you expected’ thrown in.

Smiths Wine Store Y Series Wines

Region: South Australia    Price: $15 Source: Sample thanks kindly to Hill- Smith Family Estates

Fresh tropical notes lead the way on the nose, mingling with some floral notes and just a subtle flinty note too. The palate is clean and creamy, carrying flavours of melon and apple puree. There’s a gentle savoury edge, slight cashew nut, and delicate spice all of which adds interest without weighing the wine down. The flow of this wine is neat, the acidity refreshing, keeping things lively and inviting. Once again, the consistency of the Y Series shines through. A very respectable Chardonnay that easily provides plenty for the price.

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2025 Y Series Riesling

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Tony Peters

I extend my apologies to all the Riesling producers in Australia whose wines I’ve enjoyed over the years. What I’m about to say takes nothing away from the quality you produce. Okay, so it sounds like a disclaimer, and in many ways, it is, because this wine is such a consistent performer. If I walk into a bottle shop and can’t make up my mind, this Riesling is my fall‑back, my go‑to, my Toyota Hi‑Lux of wines. In a word, reliable. I’ve bought, opened, poured and drunk more bottles of this than I can count. I’ve served it to friends, relatives, Riesling fanatics and deniers alike, and it always comes through. I don’t hide the fact that it’s a favourite, and there’s always a bottle in the drinks fridge. This is yet another release that nails it!

Smiths Wine Store Y Series Wines

Region: South Australia    Price: $15 Source: Sample thanks kindly to Hill- Smith Family Estates

You could serve this up to anyone blind they would immediately know it is Riesling. So varietal! A little floral but lemons and limes are front and centre. On the palate it’s those citrus flavours of limes and lemons that are the expected main players, a nice surprising touch of minerality and some lovely lively acidity that carry this through to reasonably good, long finish. This is a ripper drink for the money.

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2025 Téssera Wines Foxtrot ‘Centurion Old Vines’ Grenache

Posted on May 9, 2026 by Tony Peters

Alfred Lord Tennyson, a rather esteemed English poet, once wrote, “Words, like nature, half reveal and half conceal the soul within.” I doubt very much that Tennyson was talking about wine reviews, but he could have been. When someone pens their thoughts about a wine, they really only reveal the two-dimensional aspect of it. To really experience the ‘soul’ within requires the reader to taste, and subsequently drink it. I think this Grenache is that type of wine. My tasting notes give an insight into the genuine flavour characteristics that tickle the senses of the reader vicariously. However, experiencing the wine itself will reveal the soul of this old vine Grenache to you, the consumer, in a tangible way. It is well worth it, believe me.

Téssera Wines Website

Region: McLaren Vale    Price: $55     Source: Online purchase

To get things started, the lovely perfumed nose with bright red fruits lead the way with cherry and redcurrant giving it a fresh start with a slight savoury note and a hint of white pepper. The palate sits perfectly in that medium‑bodied zone, offering both brightness and some old‑vine depth at the same time. Oak plays a subtle supporting role, adding a touch of dry tannins without intruding on the lovely fruit on display. This may sound a bit odd (but that’s what I do sometimes) but there’s almost like a ‘feng shui’ with the fruit and spice working in harmony. The fruit concentration never tips into heaviness with this well‑balanced, thoughtfully made Grenache that shows just what centenarian vines have to offer in such a wine.

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2023 Yalumba ‘The Signature’ Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Tony Peters

There’s a particular skill in writing someone’s story in the space on the back label of a bottle of wine. A bottle‑sized biography that somehow captures decades of work within a family‑owned winery that has been part of the Australian wine landscape for 175 years. That task fell to Peter Sawrey, the custodian of The Signature’s tradition, who interviewed others and wrote their character into a few honest and succinct lines. When it came to the 2023 vintage, Yalumba asked something different of him. To turn that same craft inward, to write about his own contribution with the same humility and grace he’d always afforded others.

I have no doubt Yalumba have always appreciated Peter’s work, but this year they chose to express it in the most meaningful way they could. By placing his name on the bottle he has helped define for more than three decades. Each vintage of The Signature honours someone whose character has left a lasting imprint on the Hill‑Smith family. For this vintage, the storyteller becomes the Signatory, a gesture that acknowledges not only his years of service but the voice he gave to others. It feels like a full‑circle moment, offered with genuine respect.

Yalumba Wine Shop

Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia     Price: $74    Source: Samples thanks kindly to Yalumba

The 2023 Signature feels like a turning of the page at Yalumba, a vintage shaped by calm, measured precision. Cabernet and Shiraz move together with quiet confidence rather than vying for attention. Black fruits and dark cherry rise from the glass on the first pour, carrying an intensity that speaks to its youth. The palate is voluptuous, slick and fulsome, yet carried by a refined elegance that keeps everything in balance. Black and blue fruits, a little red cherry, liquorice and herbs move in harmony, taking in the oak as the tannins glide across the incredibly long, composed and balanced finish. It’s a gorgeous wine. Generous and already showing the poise of something built to last. A fitting tribute to Peter Sawrey, a steady hand now written into the story he helped shape.

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2025 Ekin Wine Co. Adelaide Hills Gamay

Posted on April 24, 2026 by Tony Peters

It’s been 3,751 days since I started this blog, and in that time I’ve posted 788 wine reviews, including this one. Of all those bottles, this is my first Gamay. That surprises me more than anyone. I’m no “top of the charts” reviewer with a legion of followers, but even so, you’d think a Gamay would have slipped in somewhere along the way. I’ve certainly enjoyed my fair share of Gamays over the years yet somehow, until today, not one has made it onto these pages. So, thank you Ekin Wine Co, a producer whose wines have recently become a part of my blog, for sharing this delightful example for me to try.

Gamay has been slowly but surely finding its footing in Australia over the past decade as with pockets in the Adelaide Hills, Tasmania and Victoria, giving it room to show its lighter, more expressive side. It’s still far from mainstream, but the producers who champion it tend to do so with real varietal intent. This is achieved by small plantings, thoughtful and judicious handling, and a focus on fruit purity.

Ekin Wine Co Website

Region: Adelaide Hills, S.A.     Price: $25 (Absolute Bargain!)    Source: Samples thanks kindly to Ekin Wine Co

Normally, colour isn’t something I mention unless it captures my attention. This Gamay did! It’s bright and vibrant yet deep and luminous. It’s damn nice on the nose too. On the palate there’s plenty of flavour and texture, all carried by that aromatic freshness you notice straight away. Gee it sits pretty on the taste buds. Sounds strange, but it’s the best way to describe it. It’s bunchy, delightfully berry‑basket‑fruit forward, with black and blue fruits leading the way and cherries and raspberries playing the perfect supporting role, rightfully making it all about the fruit, with just a hint of white pepper on a persistent finish. This may be a really good Gamay, but it’s also just a really good wine and worth every cent and then some.

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Y Series Lighter Cuvée Sparkling Wine

Posted on April 22, 2026 by Tony Peters

In the current world climate, there is much to despair. Yet there is always something to celebrate, no matter the size or nature of that ‘something’. Today is World Earth Day, and Yalumba, through their Y Series range, are not only marking the occasion but contributing to it in a positive way by establishing the Y Series Forest.

The Y Series Forest will take shape at Magpie Lane in Victoria, on Waveroo Country. As part of the Reedy Creek Catchment, the project will help restore native vegetation and wildlife habitat. Working with Greenfleet, the site will be planted with local native species to rebuild the Grassy Dry Forest and Valley Grassy Forest ecosystems. In time, it will provide vital habitat for a vast range of native fauna and birds.

All you need to do to contribute is buy a bottle from the Y Series range during the month of April. You’re a winner, and the Y Series Forest is a winner because of your purchase.

Smiths Wine Store Y Series Wines

Region: South Australia    Price: $16 Source: Sample thanks kindly to Hill- Smith Family Estates

In the spirit of World Earth Day, this Lighter Cuvée feels perfectly placed. A sparkling that keeps things light in more ways than one. It opens with fresh citrus, crisp apple and a little pear, all lifted by a gentle floral note. The palate is clean and bright, carrying a soft bready texture that gives it more interest than you’d expect at 7%. There’s an easiness to it, a sense of refreshment without pretence, and the balance between fruit and fizz is neatly handled. The finish is lemony and tidy, slipping away with a crisp finish. It’s a wine that knows its purpose. Uncomplicated, refreshing, and made with the same thoughtful approach that underpins the Y Series Forest project. A simple pleasure with a positive footprint.

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Y Series – Celebrating Earth Month – April 2026

Posted on April 19, 2026 by Tony Peters

The Y Series has always been about accessibility, but this year there’s a thoughtful story behind the wines.

For more than two decades, the Hill‑Smith family has turned sustainability from an idea into action and kept it front and centre of what they do. Wild ferments, lightweight glass, solar power, and native vegetation through their vineyards. It’s the kind of work that rarely makes headlines.

During Earth Month this year, they’ve taken things a step further. Every bottle of Y Series sold through Dan Murphy’s and BWS helps plant and protect a new patch of koala habitat in Magpie Lane, Victoria, aptly named the Y Series Forest.

Ten thousand square metres of restored native vegetation, part of the Reedy Creek Catchment, where all sorts of fauna, and yes, koalas too, will eventually return. To the Hill-Smith family, sustainability isn’t a slogan. It’s just what they do.

While the wines remain approachable and affordable, there’s something meaningful about knowing each bottle you purchase plays a small part in this project. With that in mind, here’s two of the Y Series wines I’ve tasted of this release, and both are worthy of your well-earned dollars.

Smiths Wine Store Y Series Wines

Region: South Australia    Source: Samples thanks kindly to Hill- Smith Family Estates

2025 Lighter Pinot Grigio 7% (RRP $16)

There’s a slight floral lift on the nose, joined by fresh pear and apple, with a gentle hint of honey adding a soft sweetness. The palate follows with apples and pears working in harmony, offering more flavour than you’d expect from a 7% wine. A touch of cinnamon brings a little interest without distracting from the fruit. The mouthfeel is pretty good, carrying a soft creaminess that lingers nicely through the finish. It’s light, of course, but not lacking with the fruit holding its shape and the texture gives it presence. For those wanting something lower in alcohol without sacrificing varietal character, this is a genuinely well‑made option.

2025 Pinot Grigio (RRP $15)

The nose shows a slight floral note, but it’s the distinctly varietal fresh pear characters that really shine, with a little apple in there too. The palate follows suit with fresh pears and some apple in support, and a hint of cinnamon bringing a subtle layer of interest. It carries a touch more weight than expected, almost a Gris‑like richness, giving the fruit something to sit on. The texture is nicely balanced with enough freshness to keep things lively and enough fruit to carry through to a reasonably long finish. At $15 this is very good value, and when it’s discounted (as it often is), it becomes exceptional value for an easy‑drinking, varietally true Pinot Grigio.

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2023 Angullong ‘Fossil Hill’ Tempranillo

Posted on April 15, 2026 by Tony Peters

“Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.” Albert Einstein wasn’t talking about wine, of course, but the sentiment still applies. Some wines are so easy to enjoy that we tend not to slow down and give them the attention they deserve. I think Angullong’s Fossil Hill range falls into that category. They have a certain “un no sé qué” that is quietly valued by those who drink them.

Tempranillo might be a Mediterranean variety, but it has found a comfortable home in Orange, where the balance of fruit, savouriness and structure seems almost effortless. It’s the kind of wine you can drink happily without thinking, yet it rewards you the moment you pause and take notice. The 2023 release is another reminder that sometimes the most satisfying wines are the ones that simply earn attention and accolades without the headlines.

Angulong Website

Region: Orange Region, NSW     Price: $30     Source: Sample thanks kindly to Angullong Wines and Define Wine

The nose opens with blackberry and black cherry, a gentle herbal edge and a touch of spice. The palate follows with those dark fruits sitting comfortably alongside a savoury note, a welcome addition that doesn’t weigh the wine down. The tannins feel fine-grained, offering a food‑friendly structure that sits true to the variety. There’s a lovely persistence here too, the fruit carrying through with good varietal focus. It’s a delightfully approachable, well-made Tempranillo that brings both generosity and a genuine ‘yum factor’ in equal measure.

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