Tyrrell’s Vat Semillon is at the very top of my Hunter semillon tree. No doubt makers like Thomas and Meerea Park are hot on the heels of the big one but Tyrrell’s have nearly all the great vineyards. I love Mount Pleasant Lovedale but I am still a Vat 1 man. Vat 1 A No. 1 Mister. Me love you long ... semillon. It’s resulting in more fruit flavour, softer acidity and unheard of approachability...

No preamble this time, except to say that the Iron Pot Bay winery is situated on the banks of the Tamar River. A nose of white asparagus, cut grass, unripe citrus fruits and a bit of spice – quite delicate flavours with an underlying richness. The palate shows asparagus, green ...

I liked the 2003 version of this wine, so opened this with high expectations. A pleasing colour – a vibrant red with splashes of purple. The nose is full-on, with black fruits, spice, milk chocolate, vanilla and earth, cinnamon, and a bit of volatile acidity. It just smelled like a ...

This one was a youngin’, so it was given a couple of hours in a decanter before it was tasted. The nose is quite earthy and meaty, floral and a bit stinky, with ripe blackberries and sunshine, stones and if you were being critical, a touch of VA too. The ...

From the Coal River Valley in Tasmania. On the nose, gooseberries and musky fruits, lemons, none of that grassy asparagus-ness. There are sweet tropical fruits on the palate, lemons and lychees, unripe pineapple, quite full bodied and different to what the nose would suggest. The finish is satisfying, drying and ...

This is one of our house reds, and it is about time I wrote a note on it. And with a flick of the wrist, I was into the bottle. Aromas of black fruits, tar, fruitcake and a bit of spirit. The palate showed blackberries, spices and baked earth, and ...

This was served after a brace of Pinots. It was deep red, bright and with a very clean nose. It showed the candied fruit of young grenache with a little extra licorice and cinamon from the other varieties. The palate has the same lovely intense, pure fruits. The Grenache is ...

I suspect this is the first 2003 Bordeaux that I have had. Deep red colour that is very bright. New world style of very bright fruit and oak. Very clean with great balance of Cab and oak aromas on the nose. The palate has the same bright fruit and oak ...

I tried this in-store recently and liked it, so I bought a bottle. I also bought their “Rimage” Syrah 2004, Tête de Cuvée, and will try this soon I reckon. Anyway, back to the standard Shiraz: red cherries and plums, black pepper, creamy oak, smoke and green peppercorns. The palate ...

Long time friends who helped me with my first Pinot Noir in 1980 brought this in a bag for dinner last week. It was a good example of aged cabernet showing a hint of the green pepper and a good whack of cassis flavour and a bit of tobacco and ...