Wine Region: Victoria

(2024) Rich, meaty nose, a little bit baked in character. Quite smooth, but rather one dimensional, a firm, slightly aggressive quality to the acidity, a bit a of raspberry lifts the finish. £13.99, but 'Angels' buy for £12.99

(2024) Mostly Shiraz, possibly with around 5% white varieties. Just a beautiful, coffee infused, sumptuous and soft nose, with that undertow of dried blood and game, but so mellow and sweet on the palate. Caressing, resolved, unruffled stuff the finish long and seamless.

(2024) Bright, solid, sweet wine, more into the rich chocolate and luscious dark berries and Maraschino cherry spectrum. Rich, pure, lovely fruit richness and supple quality. Very polished this, super-fine tannins and elegant acid balance.

(2024) Fabulous fragrance here, the violet and rose lift, but the cool climate meatiness and sizzle of bacon fat. The palate is dry and may have lost a little of its fruit concentration, but that's immaterial, as it has a succulent, subtle red fruit and terrific balance.

(2024) From the Macedon Ranges. More youthful colour than the Levantine Hill. Fragrant, a little more perfumed with a floral and herbal character, crunchy cranberry touching into pomegranate. Lovely palate, the supple, harmonious mid-weight gently filled with red fruit, supported by a little chocolate oak, and balanced beautifully into the finish. Apparently about one-seventh the price of the Levantine Hill, but I really liked this.

(2024) From the Yarra Valley. Quite a developed soft colour for 2017. Quite fragrant, with a little balsamic and fig character, gentle truffle giving more interest. Lots of fruit sweetness on the mid palate, and the acid and tannin framework supports nicely. Long and fairly showy, but impressive.

(2024) Biodynamic certified, 100% barrel-fermented with 20% new oak. Interesting aromas, reminding me of seeds and nuts, a dukkah character, a touch of orange and a light natural yeast hay-like earthiness. There is a sweetness to the mid-palate, beautifully ripe apple and ogen melon fruit, barely touches into a more tropical place. Long and beautifully balanced. This is a bit of a cult wine in Australia, selling for around $90 if you can find it, but sadly not in the UK.

(2024) From the Upper Yarra. 30% new oak, fine and mealy character, lovely rounded stone fruit, also a fine lime skin grip on the finish, balanced acidity. Not in the UK at time of review.

(2024) From Rutherglen, this was bottled in 1975 but the label states the age of the wine as 'unkown'. Made from 'brown muscat'. The nose moves from grilled meats, to nuttiness, to cedar, to espresso to toffee. All the rancio characters are there, but so is luscious, ripe nectarine, the Muscovado sugar weight and richness is absolutely stunning. Super sweet, long, a bittersweet serious nuance to add to the fresh cut of the acidity. An amazing bit of Australian history drinking so beautifully.

(2023) Another cross-state blend, this time fruit comes from Yarra Valley in Victoria and Margaret River in Western Australia. A tinge of gold to the colour here, but aromas are of restrained, cool fruit and a creamy rather than toasty oak, ripe pear and touches of tropical fruit, but all tempered and elegant. In the mouth it is a similar picture: perhaps a little more of the tropical, with notes of mango and pineapple, but again there is restraint and balance, the oak supporting rather than dominating. No UK retail stockists listed at time of review.