2015 Slow Wine Co. Pinot Noir (Museum Release)

Posted on May 31, 2025 by Tony Peters

There are many things that are inevitable in life and one of them is moving further away from being young. I don’t mind having birthdays, not at all, but it is such that, regardless of what you do, nature has some say in how quickly and gracefully you move into those later ‘young’ years.

As French author, Jules Renard is quoted as saying, “It’s not how old you are but how you are old.” This can be related to many things, humans included, but when it comes to wine, I think it can be more nuanced. This is a wine that brings this quote into play and specifically when it comes to the complexity Pinot Noir can develop as it ages.

Slow Wine Co Website

Region: Orange Region, NSW     Price: $50    Source: A wine tasting with Slow Wine Co

It is ten years old and, yes, showing some maturity, but it is still a lovely, elegant wine. There’s dark cherry, some earthy notes, subtle spice and leather, nice textural feel across the palate while the tannins are smooth and integrated finishing with a nice savouriness on the pretty good length. So, when it comes to the “how you are old” part of the quote, I would say, this wine is very well indeed!

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2022 Yalumba ‘The Signature’ Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz

Posted on May 10, 2025 by Tony Peters

“Don’t work for recognition, but do work worthy of recognition” American author, H Jackson Brown Jr was quoted as saying. I can’t help but relate this to Paul Midolo, who has been recognised by the Hill-Smith family by being named the Signatory for the 2022 Yalumba The Signature release.

From what I have read about Paul, he went about his job, whichever role he was doing over his 30 year career, not for the recognition but in such a way that tells me he enjoyed it and enjoyed working for the Hill-Smith family. They clearly appreciated it and felt he was deserving of recognition by acknowledging him in this way. A very worthy 51st Signatory. Congratulations Paul Midolo.

Yalumba Wine Shop

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

I’ll kick this off with four words. Delicious. Impressive. Serious. Phenomenal.

The aromas are intensely inviting, perfumed and youthfully complex brimming with black fruits, subtle mint and herbal characters, aniseed and just a hint dark chocolate. The flavours on the palate do not let up, and I type that with some emphasis. Bold yet elegant and precise. It has richness and concentration of black fruits that seem to sail effortlessly across the palate, supported by dark plums, cedary oak characters, herbs and delicate spices that complement the voluptuous fruit intensity. The tannins are fine with a slight graininess but, goodness me, it has great length. Then there is a wait-there’s-more moment as that length reminds you of what you just tasted. Gee this is good!

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2021 Levantine Hill Glen Garvald GSM

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Tony Peters

Most of the time, on a bottle of wine, you will see the type of variety clearly displayed, be it Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or any other variety you care to think of, is there for all to see. When walking into their local bottle-o, everyone knows exactly what they are getting.

It is fair to say, and I am sure many wine drinkers alike would agree, that the acronym GSM (short for Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvèdre for those who are not aware), is just as recognisable on a bottle of wine in a bottle shop or on a wine list.  I realise that sometimes the blend can differ for various reasons, but even if you saw GMS or SGM or MGS(unlikely) you would be pretty safe in the knowledge that the wine contains Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre (also know as Mataro or Monastrell). Normally GSMs are associated with the Barossa Valley or McLaren Vale. This version of the blend, from the Yarra Valley, is a very good example indeed.

Levantine Hill Website

Region: Yarra Valley, Vic     Price: $45     Source: Gift

A lovely ruby red colour in the glass, it is quite fresh and aromatic with ripe red fruits showing the way with a nice herbal touch too. This vibrantly inviting, juicy, medium-bodied wine provides the palate with flavours of ripe raspberries, plums, chocolate (more on the dark than milk side, a little spice and herb characters are there too, while it finishes with good length. I don’t know what percentages of the varieties are in this wine, but it doesn’t matter. Each of the variety’s strengths are on display in this nicely balanced blend.

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2019 Huntington Estate ‘Tim Stevens’ Signature Shiraz

Posted on April 12, 2025 by Tony Peters

I worked in a job for 36 years and, sadly, towards the end of my working life, I was deemed ‘old school’ for no other reason than I had been around for so long. I could still do my job in the ‘modern era’ and use all the mod cons and technology available to me, achieving the same results that I had for over three decades. I would also like to add the ‘old school’ way was appreciated just as much as the more ‘contemporary’ way by those I connected with during that part of my working life. Winemaking technics can travel between ‘old school’ and ‘contemporary’ depending on both the individual winemaker and the traditions of the winery.

I appreciate and take my hat off to winemakers like Tim Stevens who don’t hesitate to produce a wine that may well be in the mould of older style, which I think this wine is, with the knowledge that it still has a place in the modern wine world, and rightly so. I enjoyed this (pre-release) Shiraz and I have no doubt my grandsons will too (if they turn out to be red wine drinkers).

Region: Mudgee, NSW     Price: $100    Source: Samples thanks kindly to Huntington Estate

There was a boldness and a headiness about it this wine that really appealed to me right from the start. It stood its ground and refused to budge, providing a lasting experience for the consumer along with instant gratification. Rich and generous on the palate thanks to some dark fruits with a nice mid palate plumminess while delicate herbs and spices add their two bobs worth. There is a little fruit sweetness in there along with some oak showing its hand, and the tannins say hello on the nice long finish. This is not built for today, clearly, which comes as no surprise with the Huntington Estate wines. This wine is worth the investment considering there are wines two and three times the price out there.

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2023 Angullong Crossing Reserve Chardonnay

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Tony Peters

In case you weren’t aware, the average person has over 60,000 thoughts a day, 90% of which are repetitive. Now, I realise those thoughts, and the repeating of them, could and would be about sooooo many things because of our interactions and experiences throughout any given day.

When I sat down to write this, I thought about this wine…again. I reckon, adding all the times I thought about this wine from taking it from the fridge, pouring it and tasting it, I would’ve used about 30,000 of my ‘allocation’ of thoughts on this one subject. Mind you, that is not a complaint. Quite the opposite actually. It is a Chardonnay well worth investing your thoughts into also.

Angulong Website

Region: Orange Region, NSW     Price: $50     Source: Sample thanks kindly to Angullong Wines and Define Wine

I mistakenly let this wine get too cold which ultimately led to the aromas and flavours being initially muted. Thankfully, because of where I live, it didn’t take long for it to show itself very nicely in both areas. The nose is expressive and vibrant, varietal stone-fruits showing through with delicate citrus undertones and just a hint of spice. The palate shows great balance between being generous and flavourful while having a lovely citrussy freshness to it thanks to stone-fruit characters of ripe peaches coupled with some fleshy pear notes and green apple acidity. Some lovely texture and macadamia nut like creaminess play a part in the depth and generosity of this wine as it finishes with great length. This exemplifies why I drink and enjoy Chardonnay.

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2021 Huntington Estate Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

Posted on March 29, 2025 by Tony Peters

I know I use a lot of quotes from people who are famous, infamous and all those in between but I try to ensure they are relevant to what or who I am writing about. And, guess what? Here I go again with another that I think is pertinent to Huntington Estate winemaker, Tim Stevens. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Thanks, this time, to Will Durant, an American historian and philosopher.

I have been lucky enough, and had the privilege, to have tried many wines from Huntington Estate for close to eight years now. It may well be me, but I think Tim has developed the very good habit of ‘excellence’ when it comes to the wines he sends out into the world. This Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz blend is part of the ‘habit of excellence’ that Tim has.

Region: Mudgee, NSW     Price: $100    Source: Samples thanks kindly to Huntington Estate

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This is such a wine that even the aromas don’t let up. They keep on giving as they keep on drawing you back to experience them again. Obviously, there came a time to actually try the wine. Rich and deeply generous, there is much on offer from this youthfully exuberant Cabernet Shiraz blend. A tame full-bodied wine with lovely dark fruits courtesy of blackberries, blackcurrants, some dark plums and cherries. Complementing those characters are; creamy dark chocolate, a little earthiness, savouriness and tannin presence, and a finish that, just like the aromas, keeps on giving. Great!

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2022 Angullong ‘Crossing Reserve’ Harriet

Posted on March 22, 2025 by Tony Peters

Henri Matisse was a famous French visual artist. Now, I’ve looked at his work and I liked some of it but, I have to say, some of it is a bit out there…from my perspective anyway. I can only think that he lived by a quote of his I recently read; “Creativity takes courage.” That is so true when you think that most people, no matter their vocation, would stick to the ‘norm’ or the ‘expected’ instead of pushing boundaries.

Winemaker, Ben Crossing has been very creative when it comes to this wine. A unique blend of Sangiovese (40%), Sagrantino (40%) and Montepulciano (20%) that exemplifies “Creativity takes courage” to a tee!

Angulong Website

Region: Orange Region, NSW     Price: $50     Source: Sample thanks kindly to Angullong Wines and Define Wine

I really liked how things started with this wine aromatically. It was quite vibrantly youthful with fresh red and blue fruits, dried herbs, slightly floral and a little earthiness too. On the palate is where it really shows itself. A basket full of fresh, juicy berries of all persuasions come together to form the lush, savoury and flavourful feel to this better than medium bodied wine. There is acidity and tannin present also but I the generous fruit flavours and texture on the lovely long finish. A very good wine indeed.

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2019 Huntington Estate ‘Special Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Tony Peters

I was listening to the radio and a fellow mentioned how computers have been programmed to play chess and, ultimately, win.  I am not surprised at what computers are capable of these days but they are incapable of ‘experiencing’, ‘feeling’ or ‘emotion’ of winning. And, as much as Artificial Intelligence (or AI as it is more commonly referred to) can generate notes about a wine and, obviously, it is unable to live the sensory stimulation, the dopamine delivery or the simple pleasure that actually goes with tasting good wine as I did when I tasted this Huntington Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

On this occasion, instead of sitting at a computer and seeing my notes appear on a screen, I sat in my favourite chair and verbalised my thoughts about this wine, sometimes with hand and arm movements, sometimes with facial expressions. All of which a computer nor AI can do. It was quite refreshing and liberating.

Region: Mudgee, NSW     Price: $54    Source: Samples thanks kindly to Huntington Estate

There is so much I could say about this wine but I thought it best to curb my enthusiasm just a tad. It is still quite a youthful yet deep purple colour as it sits in the glass exuding aromas of black fruits, a little spice and a touch of oak too. The generous black fruit flavours don’t hold back on the palate either. Blackberries, blackcurrants and dark plum characters aplenty and some nicely played oak and tannins for good measure. While it is rich and generous, there is an elegant and smooth mouthfeel to it on the finish that gives a ‘refined gentleman’ stature to it.

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2024 First Ridge Pinot Grigio

Posted on March 15, 2025 by Tony Peters

I have mentioned previously about the view, by some, that the wine industry can be like the fashion industry. Trends come and go and change regularly. You only need to look at how Chardonnay was the darling of the white wine world (and still is I think) and we cannot forget the wave of Sauvignon Blanc that flooded our shores from across the Tasman Sea. It seems things could be shifting again. Pinot Grigio/Gris had the second biggest increase in tonnes harvested in 2024 behind Chardonnay. 70,757 tonnes of Grigio/Gris grapes were harvested, an increase of 27% on 2023. Sauvignon Blanc increased only by 4% on its 2023 harvest.

I have been fortunate lately to have tried some Pinot Grigio/Gris from a couple of different regions and, it must be said, the quality has been really good. All credit to the winemakers, of course, because the ones I have tried recently seemed to have much more personality and interest to them. I am liking how this trend is progressing.

First Ridge Website

Region: Mudgee, NSW     Price: $29    Source: Sample thanks kindly to First Ridge and Define Wine

An invitingly aromatic wine, it showed all the hallmarks of the variety and then some in a most impressive start. It’s a very interesting wine on the palate where it has balanced those fresh and crisp characters of a Grigio with pleasant textural elements of a Gris. Plenty of pear fruit coats the palate nicely while a lemon like citrus note stimulates the taste buds even more. That textural feel provides a lovely mouth-feel before it finishes with a moreish, refreshing appeal. An excellent example. Nicely done indeed.

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2022 Yalumba Y Series Tempranillo

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Tony Peters

I may well be a wine enthusiast, but I will openly admit to enjoy saying the word ‘Tempranillo’ and rolling my tongue when saying it too (as best I can). This is beside the fact I like the variety, having done so for many years. There are so many reasons I could offer up for this but it simply comes down to being such a versatile food wine and delicious to drink. It must be said though, sometimes you may have to open your wallet a little wider than you would like to grab something that will justify your outlay. How does $15 sound? I have no doubt I have your attention right about now.

This one, and others from the Y Series from Hill- Smith Family Estates, is incredibly sympathetic to the wine consumer during this cost-of-living crisis we are negotiating our way through. If you are a staunch red wine drinker, regardless of the variety and looking for a bargain, then look no further. Here is a wine that will not let you down.

Y Series Wines Website

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

I realise the price of this Tempranillo is what is going to attract wine drinkers to this but there is so much more that will easily convince them to return to the bottle shop and get some more. Let’s start with the plentiful aromatics. Dark cherries, plums, blue fruits, delicate spice, and herbs. The palate is no slouch either. Black cherry, dark berries, a touch of dark chocolate, a little spice along with a leafy note too and soft smooth tannins show up on the damn good finish to this wine. Impressive to say the least. Widely available and accessibly priced.

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