Wine Reviews

Ratings Key

Outstanding (Score range 95-100)

Often an internationally recognised, leading brand or winery – but not always! Produces a classic wine that is a faultless representation of the style/variety. Complexity on the nose and a seamless palate are an example of the hallmarks of an outstanding wine.

Highly Recommended (Score range 92-94)

A quality focused wine that has plenty of style. Length of palate and intensity are often key characteristics of highly recommended wines. These producers could be the ones to watch in the future.

Recommended (Score range 89-91)

An above average well-made, reflection of the style/variety, which often represents good value for money.

Rating

Category

Region

Price

Vintage

Scotchmans Hills

Intense rich black cherry fruits with a hint of reduction in the background. Elegant wine similar to a Northern Rhone wine. Textured, juicy with nice acid profile and punchy tannins. Blackberry and black cherry flavours all combine to produce a dry long finish.

Rating: Outstanding

RRP: $78

Scotchmans Hill

Lovely depth of aroma on the nose displaying spice, floral and hints of struck match. Black cherry flavours drive the medium bodied palate. Slightly tannic finish which leads me to think it will benefit from some bottle age.

RRP: $45

Scotchmans Hill

Muscular wine displaying darker red berries such as redcurrants and cherry. Firm, textured palate with even a hint of licorice coming from the start of some tertiary development. Long finish.

RRP: $78

Scotchmans Hill

Nutty, butter with lemon peel and white peach aromas. Showing some slight development. Elegant, poised and well-balanced palate. Fruit shines through, but in a refined way maintaining a citrus acid liveliness. Drinking perfectly at present. Fabulous stuff.

Rating: Outstanding

RRP: $78

Scotchmans Hill

lovely autolytic style with strong bready, leesy nose. Strong and powerful palate with bags of flavour and a long finish. Impressive stuff. Barrel fermented and 8 months on lees.

Rating: Outstanding

RRP: $65

Bannockburn Wines

Spot on cool climate nose displaying black olives, white pepper and cured meats. Well balanced, elegant, medium bodied palate that is delightfully savoury with more black olives and charcuterie on the long finish.

RRP: $45

Bannockburn Wines

A darker focused fruit Pinot displaying redcurrants, cranberries, rhubarb and root vegetables. Intense firm palate with black cherry and more cranberries. Well integrated cedar oak on the palate and plush tannins with well balanced acid on the long finish. Interesting single vineyard wine sourced from vines grown on volcanic soils.

RRP: $79

Bannockburn Wines

This wine pulls out all the bells and whistles. Rich nose displaying creamy lemon tart, almond nuts, white peach and ever so toasty. The palate doesn’t disappoint and follows the rich nose. Full bodied, textured and toasty, yet it retains a slightly lemony, tart edge that makes for a linear palate. Bags of flavoursome oak and peachy stone fruits on top of the citrus driven acid finish. Outstanding example of Australian Chardonnay.

Rating: Outstanding

RRP: $69

Banks Road Winery

Nice cherry, raspberry and strawberry driven nose. Dry and savoury on the palate with a firm front palate coming from the whole bunch component. Well balanced as the wine travels along the palate to elegant long finish. Still looks youthful.

RRP: $65

Banks Road Winery

Cherry and Turkish Delight nose. Elegant and textured palate that is dry, light bodied with racy acidity and a touch fleshy. Made from Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir.

RRP: $25

Banks Road Winery

Accomplished nose displaying cashew nuts, lemon pith, peachy stone fruits with a touch of salinity thrown in for good measure. Full bodied with buttery crème brûlée MLF notes, but still with bags of ripe stone fruits. Rich style which is typical of Geelong and ultimately pleasing.

RRP: $38

Banks Road Winery

Lees driven nose on this barrel fermented Pinot Gris. Almond nut driven palate with macerated pear and ever so creamy whilst retaining a light body framework. A touch warm on the back palate.

RRP: $30

Banks Road Winery

Powerful, yet attractive fruit driven nose of green capsicum and split pea. Fresh vibrant and texture driven palate with a touch of creaminess to add interest beyond the primary fruit. Attractive wine.

RRP: $26

Banks Road Winery

Aromatically driven with lovely primary fruit displaying strong pear and red apple. Generous dry palate with well balanced acidity .

RRP: $26

Scotchmans Hill

Complex nose with salami cured meats, black pepper and hints of struck match. Dry, medium bodied wine with a smooth, elegant palate and a long finish laced with velvet tannins. Outstanding cool climate Syrah.

Rating: Outstanding

RRP: $78

Scotchmans Hill

Light primary fruit displaying red cherries, herbs and a touch of pepper. Juicy, crunchy, fruity palate with cola and hints of black cherries. Fine light delicate tannins on a medium bodied palate.

RRP: $45

Scotchmans Hill

Very light aromas of herbs and violet/floral notes. Silky palate with soft acidity and fine tannins producing a well balanced light bodied wine. The flavours follow the nose with sage and dried flowers.

RRP: $45

Scotchmans Hills

Made from the P58 clone, the wine has been cellared before release and it benefits from this time in the cellar. Lovely golden colour. Opulent aromas of toast, honey, laced with lemon zest and peaches. Intense, powerful palate that displays bags of ripe stone fruit flavours. Well balanced and incredibly long on the finish. Delicious.

Rating: Outstanding

RRP: $78

Scotchmans Hill

Oatmeal, new oak and butter cream on the nose. Medium bodied with noticeable fresh acidity balancing the buttery flavours before returning to a mealy, nutty finish.

RRP: $45

Scotchmans Hill

Nutty, pear and green apple skin aromas. Creamy, textured palate that is round and soft. More nuts and almond flavours on the medium bodied palate. Long nutty finish. Stylish wine.

RRP: $40

Provenance Wines

Rich intense aromas of black cherries and white pepper, oh so Northern Rhône on the nose. Medium bodied with fragrant, floral flavours and a touch of garrigue and lavender. At it develops more savoury notes come out with cured meats that linger on the slightly tannic finish. Exemplary cool climate Australian Shiraz.

Rating: Outstanding

RRP: $52

Austin's Wines

Lovely sweet, bright, briary fruits supported by a touch of pepper and vanillan oak. A medium bodied wine dominated by strong black cherries and plums. Good levels of acidity create a juicy mid palate before the slightly soft, stalky, tannins produce an elegant finish. Well composed ‘curated’ wine! An interesting wine on a number of counts: interesting modern label design, it is fermented in a 620 litre concrete egg for 3 weeks and then matured in 50% new Croatian oak.

RRP: $45

Austin's Wines

An off dry style which is pleasing to see. The nose is pleasantly floral with touches of stone fruits. The 15 gms of residual sugar gives a lovely textured mouthfeel whilst the important acid component provides suitable support and balance which leaves the palate with a lively touch of sappy lemon pithe.

RRP: $45

Austin's Wines

Traditional styled Chardonnay with a rich, buttery, vanilla oak and stone fruit driven nose. Generous full bodied palate with a creamy palate showing well integrate oak and fruit. Satisfying wine.

RRP: $45

Clyde Park

Multilayered nose with a bedrock of primary rich, liqueur, black cherry fruits. Underneath there is a layer of white pepper and cured meats supported by some sweet vanilla oak. Dry medium plus body with plush tannins that have that sticky quality. More ripe black cherry fruits with touches of jammy black fruits and licorice. The fruit weight demonstrates that this is from a warmer year, but it still retains a cool climate edge, especially on the palate.

RRP: $85

Clyde Park

Delightful primary fruits that are cherry driven with undertone of dried thyme and sage. Light, but nicely textured wine that is, at present, dominated by primary red cherries. It has a lovely, powdery, silky, tannin structure that build on the back palate producing a long satisfying finish. A wine that shows promising signs for medium term cellaring.

RRP: $85

Clyde Park

Cool climate nose with white pepper, cloves, graphite and touches of struck match. Dry, medium bodied with well integrated acid and soft tannins. More white pepper on the palate with tobacco and a cured meats. Satisfying wine.

RRP: $48

Clyde Park

Brooding nose with hints of struck match, cedar oak and cherries. Firm, savoury style of Pinot with powdery tannins, meaty, cedar and a touch of bouquet garni flavours. Acid comes at the back palate to drive home a fresh finish hinting at longevity. Sourced from MV 6 clone, close planted, from the1988 vineyard established by Garry Farr.

RRP: $85

Clyde Park

Primary fruit nose driven by redcurrants, raspberries and cranberries. Dry lively palate with a hint of dried herbs that dances with sour cherry flavoured acidity on the fleshy medium bodied palate.

RRP: $48

Clyde Park

Made from P58 clone. A lovely full bodied wine displaying toasty, creamy crème brûlée notes laced with salty, saline, cool climate notes. Supple, velvet palate with well integrated acidity and great intensity of fruit coupled with a dash of minerality which produces a long finish.

RRP: $85

Clyde Park

A complex nose displaying peach stone fruits, butter, cashew nuts with a touch of cooler climate stony minerality. Elegant, medium bodied wine with citrus flavours highlighting good acid. Long satisfying finish.

RRP: $48

Attwoods Wines

Citrus and nectarine stone fruit nose with vanillan oak. Whole bunch, barrel fermented with wild yeast produces a rich full bodied powerful palate. Well integrated oak. Finish is long and buttery.

Rating: Outstanding

RRP: $55

Attwoods Wines

Lovely example of Geelong Pinot. It’s a savoury wine, rather than the aromatic pretty red fruit driven style. Deeply coloured for a Pinot displaying redcurrant, cranberries . A hint of mocha and meat on the palate with a firm, dry, slightly tannic profile. Textured medium finish.

RRP: $65

Attwoods Wines

Made from just two barrels this wine spends an amazing three years resting on lees. 50% new oak. The wine is rich and powerful. It has lovely smoky oak notes as well as some nutty, bready aldehyde aromas, reminiscent of a Vin Jaune or Fino Sherry. Round and fleshy, textured palate.

Rating: Outstanding

RRP: $75

Clyde Park

On the nose the wine displays refined red berry fruits with well integrated spicy, cedar oak. Dry, meaty, substantial palate, rich and round with polished tannins. Accomplished, complex Pinot that feels heavier than 12%. MV6 clone. The tiny block F, planted in 1989 is on volcanic clay loam soils with basalt.

RRP: $75