See this guide to our autumn collections.
Here's a very mixed bag of nearly 150 Australian wines tasted in London over the past few weeks. As usual, the wine reviews are shown by colour and then in descending score order. As you can see, we are already starting to see some of the wines from Australia's next generation, a world away from the more technological big company offerings.
WHITE
90% Sémillon, 10% Viognier, the former picked in two stages and...
Mostly Sémillon with some Viognier. This is lovely, from the...
This fine example of a uniquely Australian wine style took top...
Some leesiness and lots of acidity. There is green freshness...
A bit simple. Fades very suddenly. Really a bit ordinary. (JR)
Lovely crackly, smoky aromas. Soft texture. A little residual...
Apples and leesiness on the nose. But refined on the palate with...
(Also a wagyu beef farm!) Oxidative and funky. Lots to chew on....
Classy, stylish: oak and fruit in the trendy fashion. Convincing...
Lovely development already – petrol and lime and smoke. Has much...
Pleasingly weird, but at the expense of purity – which is a...
Very restrained, introvert nose. Bone dry finish. Not really for...
100% Chardonnay. 100% barrel fermented and carefully matured in...
100% Chardonnay. Bunch pressed, the juice was then cold settled...
100% Chardonnay from 15 year-old, vertically shoot-positioned...
48% Sauvignon with 37% Semillon and 15% Riesling. Plantagenet...
Pale bright straw. Smells a bit leesy – not as original as some...
Ukrainian surname. Vineyard he planted 15 years go. Three to...
Pale green gold. Quite peachy nose. Real skeleton to the...
The old Giaconda vineyard but just the Roussanne. Rick splits...
Lots of late harvest rain and lots of botrytis. The same...
40% French barriques, 40% MLF.
Gorgeous vanilla ice-cream oak...
First vintage under 'Alea' name was 2012 (prior to that, was...
33rd vintage. Ripe, succulent, very very bright and compact...
Smooth yet sharp – like scissors through silk. Apple and lime...
From the Yarra Valley, Tasmania, Tumburumba and Adelaide Hills...
Sweetcorn relish and tropical fruits. Well contained oak...
Much more obviously oaked than the 2012, tasted alongside. A...
Very pale. Lean and restrained, yet with incredibly ripe fruit...
Pensive for Viognier – doesn't explode out of the glass. Has the...
Surgical Chardonnay – tight, pinched and linear. Has a lovely...
Lime juice, white flowers, fine and lithe. Classic dry Riesling...
Grassy and creamy – a very distinctive combination. Medium body...
Dry, as crisp as ice and with that lovely youthful lime zing...
Leesy, creamy nose. Dry on the palate, with stone fruits and...
Very powerful aromas. Peach and apricot yoghurt – real clarity...
Pleasant unoaked fruitiness. Clean, drinkable, light. Pretty...
Playful reductive matchstick character on the nose – deliberate...
Lean, restrained – almost muted. Lovely acidic line – very...
Tight but expressive too – the oak is showing nicely, giving...
Vibrant gooseberry fruit. Positively buzzes with energy. Has...
Custard cream nose. Soft and balanced, but a bit plain. Well...
Very green-beany. More vegetal than fruit. Well defined flavours...
Leesy and creamy. Soft, supple mouthfeel. Classic green apple...
Toasty and honeyed like a Hunter Semillon. Still fresh citrus...
Lime juice, flowers, some talc. Very, very youthful but with...
Lovely purity and reticence on the nose, then a tight knit...
Thought to be century-old vines. Mt Langi used to buy from this...
ROSÉ
From a 500 ml bottle with a beer cap. Not much nose. Very very...
100% Grenache. Certified organic and planted just before WW2. 24...
58% Grenache, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon plus Pinot Noir, Pinot...
RED
Named after HMS Investigator, which carried Captain Matthew...
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Shiraz, 5% Viognier, the last two co...
Pale ruby. Warm, gentle nose that approaches you in a cloud. The...
Estate-grown grapes, hand-picked, wild yeasts. 60% whole bunch...
Estate grown, hand-picked, wild-yeast fermented and bottled...
A blend of Merlot, Shiraz and Nebbiolo – estate grown, hand...
Stunning. Sage, mint, black pepper, black cherry. Beautifully...
Chewy and dense and dry. Lots of fruit there. More rewarding...
There is lots of what looks like useful information on the back...
Excellent density and ripeness: effortless yet thoughtful. Great...
Violets and lots of interest with a dry finish. Exciting. (JR)
Tamar Valley. Light ruby. Correct and transparent. Sweet start...
Smoky firework sort of scent. Great character, loads of mineral...
Firm minerally savoury wine with sinew and a dry finish...
Soft and gentle. Tugs at your sleeve rather than shouts at you...
Syrah, Merlot and Mourvèdre. Magic – has all the spice of Syrah...
68% Grenache, 19% Shiraz and 13% Mataro. The vines here are...
Schist and clay soils. Blend of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz...
From Suzanne Trott, the owner of Blewitt Springs. Salty and...
Dark crimson. Sweet and a bit simple. Very tart and tough. The...
Dark crimson. Not 100% clear fruit on the nose. It's quite hard...
Mid ruby. Lightly tobacco leaf nose. Lots of sweet impact on the...
Dark crimson. Not too sweet, not alcoholic. Mildly medicinal...
Cabernet Sauvignon. Underwent malolactic fermentation in...
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Petit Verdot, 12% Malbec, 5% Merlot...
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from 15 year-old vines planted on...
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a dry vintage which needed careful...
100% Shiraz, grown biodynamically on Walter Clappis’ own...
48% Shiraz, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Tempranillo. The...
100% Shiraz with grapes sourced predominantly from the Riverina...
87% Pinot Noir with 9.4% Mataro to add body and 3.6% Tyrian for...
Dark crimson. Masses of American oak – really a bit forced and...
Bright, pale cherry red. Autumn undergrowth rather than obvious...
Vineyard between Torbreck and Greenock Creek, shared with John...
Same as Fugazi, made in a barrel and rolled. Left for 186 days...
Blewitt Spings, planted in 1947. Dry grown. About 60% whole...
Made by Amber from a vineyard size of a tennis court with...
This is the one wine that Amber makes. Name of a song by The...
Bottled in August! 82% Grenache, 18% Syrah. Fresh, vibrant fruit...
66% Grenache, 34% Syrah. Certified organic vineyard on Paringa...
Very dark crimson. Very luscious and glamorous nose. Firm, dry...
Deep crimson. Very healthy sheen. Luxury Syrah! It would be...
Warner vineyard like the Roussanne. He makes a bit of wine for...
Same vineyard as the Cabernet Franc. Mid crimson. Low-key nose...
Made Beaujolais style. Bright mid cherry red. Cool, fresh...
From an old vineyard that supplies the Riesling as well. Seppelt...
Old vines planted in 1969. Old Taltarni vineyard which has...
Harem Series. Single vineyard – one of the Yarra's few granitic...
Harem Series. Two weeks before harvest they got classed as a...
From the Harem Series (although that's not on the label). A...
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc. Strikingly leafy...
Smooth red fruit on the nose with a really subtle stalkiness...
Muddy tawny colour. Fragrant, leafy, soft and tactile. Just a...
Very tawny colour. Not so fresh as their 1971 'Hermitage'...
Tawny and garnet. Lovely wood polish, spice, chocolate and...
Mid garnet. Rather closed nose. Definite acetaldehyde character...
Bronze and garnet. Very earthy, not much fruit at all. Not...
Mixed bramble jam on the nose; very voluptuous mouthfeel...
Bright purple. Very confected, porty nose. Sweet, creamy oak. A...
Explosively stalky nose – I can understand this being divisive...
More prominent fruit than the Gippsland bottling. Riper, less...
Really aromatic and expressive. Very youthful, bright red fruit...
Interesting – this has a funkiness missing from the other two...
Juicy, absolutely pure red and black fruit. Shows just how great...
Includes 4% co-fermented Riesling. Very dense and restrained...
Equal parts Grenache and Shiraz, with a bit of Mourvèdre. Meaty...
Dense, chocolatey, black olive, black cherry – power with grace...
Charming fleshiness and complexity – some soy and sage character...
Sweet and creamy – much more 'New World' than most of their...
Fruit cake, creamy oak. Super fine tannins, lovely exotic...
Mint and eucalypt – so distinctive. Who said Australia doesn't...
Some reduction on the nose. Definitely eggy. Much purer and...
Fabulous chocolate and black olive character, so finely crafted...
Eucalypt, blackcurrant juice, slight grip. Forthright and easy...
Good juiciness. Not sure how significant the Viognier is from an...
Juicy, easygoing red fruit with that McLaren Vale ripeness...
Appealing ripe black fruit – youthful, playful, juicy. All the...
Red fruit compote, a smidgen of tannin on the finish. Showing...
Aromatically much more developed than their Chardonnay. Rhubarb...
Plump, jammy but not baked – retains a freshness and violet...
54% Petit Verdot, 46% Malbec. Still showing some fermentation...
Planted in 1998 next to Georgia's Paddock. Intense, juicy and...
Glossy ruby. Full, earthy, leafy nose – very impressively ripe...
Interesting, esoteric flavours alongside the red fruit – some...
Smooth, gentle, ripe red fruit. Light smoke. Not as convincing...
