It was an overnight success 40 years in the making when it made its debut a couple of years back. 2015 GC Chardonnay by Farr was the best Australian-grown Chardonnay we drank from that celebrated vintage. We weren't the only ones swept off our feet. “This stands tall in the pantheon of top-end Australian Chardonnays, planting its own stake in the ground through sheer length,” proclaimed James Halliday. Its majesty wasn't lost on Campbell Mattinson: “This is a Chardonnay of presence if ever there was…

Wantirna Estate is a haven, an innocent bucolic fantasy seemingly oblivious to the din of modernity just beyond its borders. When Reg Egan planted it in 1963, he thought it inevitable that the vineyard would be swallowed by the suburbs, which back then petered out some way off. Thus it was conceived, to a degree, as an experiment - a chance to stick some vines in the ground to see what grew best on this cool-climate frontier. In went the likes of Riesling, Crouchen, Pedro…

Koomilya - A Dedication by Stephen Pannell After working 39 vintages, including nine in Europe, I've spent plenty of time in vineyards and wineries to ponder: Why do I love wine? Why do I love making wine? What is it exactly that makes a great wine? I think that all great wines obey a set of rules, and the most important of these is that wine should have a sense of place; the best possible expression of where they are from. Put simply, a wine…

Are the Middletons on a roll? That’s one way to look at it. After all, this Yarra Valley estate was named Winery of the Year 2018 by James Halliday, and has just had its Quintet anointed with Heritage Five status in the Langton’s Classification of Fine Wine VII –cementing the Bordeaux blend’s position as one of Australia’s five greatest wines. But conceiving this as a winning streak is misleading; both of those accolades recognise constant devotion to site and standards, plus accumulated wisdom – not…

Since 1868, Domaine Jacques Prieur has created one of the rarest mosaics of terroirs in Burgundy. Today it is probably the only estate owning vineyards on the greatest appellations both of Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits: Chambertin, Musigny, Clos Vougeot, Echézeaux, Corton, Meursault or Montrachet. This amazing collection is completed by other prestigious appellations and three clos monopole sites. Several of these phenomenal parcels of vines were snapped up at the turn of the 20th century by Jacques' great uncle, while Jacques himself…

Labruyère Champagne Grand Cru is the relatively young enterprise of top-flight French vignerons, the Labruyère family. The estate has almost 6 hectares located in Verzenay and Verzy, with holdings comprising 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay.  In 1873, an unofficial ranking placed Verzenay among the top three crus in Champagne, which is why the Labruyères settled upon this village on the glorious Montagne de Reims for their Champagne adventure. Of the 320 grape-growing villages in Champagne, just 17 are ranked Grand Cru for the quality…

As we skip into sparkling season, what better time to land a range of superstar wines from a brilliant grower in Champagne? Even better, Jean-Marc and Oriane Sélèque are celebrating a terrific harvest from 2018, with a glorious, abundant harvest (a jubilant tone echoed by their friends and near neighbours, the Chiquet brothers of Jacquesson). So lots to get stuck into, lots to look forward to! We started off with Solessence (“essence of soil”), the non-vintage white and rosé blends of the three key Champagne grapes…

We're delighted to introduce you to the domaine of Jean-Pierre Latour. Ours was a friendship kindled a few years back when we first had a look as his wines, as scarce as they are alluring. The scarcity, from Jean-Pierre's point of view, meant there was little need to force things (and this is a place ruled by patience and grace). But that allure - well, that meant that we weren't going to wait too long. We got a chance to catch up again in March,…

We're absolutely over the moon for Judi Cullam of Frankland Estate, who was last night awarded the Len Evans Award for Leadership at the annual Gourmet Traveller WINE awards. Peter Forrestal wrote a lovely piece for the magazine, in which he explained the rationale behind bestowing this prestigious accolade on this bright, warm and generous woman. "Drive, determination and charisma, these are the leadership qualities that make Cullam a deserved winner of the Len Evans Award," he wrote. "They underpin her love affair with Riesling, which…

Intense and tensile wines are the calling card here, pure and unadorned by style and consistently high in quality. Indeed, I sometimes think that Louis Michel is the most underrated of Chablis’s great domaines. William Kelley, Wine Advocate September 2018 "The bad news is there’s not much wine; the good news is they’re both very good,” Guillaume Gicqueau-Michel said of ’16 and ’17 when we visited the domaine in March. Chablis has been lashed by a catalogue of meteorological mishaps over recent harvests, with this…

It's been a monumental month on the imports front, so let's start with that. A lot of conversations, laughs and tastings from our European trip in March this year have resulted in some amazing wines landing on these shores. Joining the portfolio this month are: Frédéric Mabileau of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil in the Loire Valley; Domaine Latour-Giraud from Meursault; Domaine Jacques Prieur, whose outstanding holdings span the very best addresses of the Côte d’Or; and Domaine Labruyère of Moulin-à-Vent in Beaujolais. These friendships have been building for…

Domaine Labruyère is the Beaujolais estate of the top-flight French vigneron family behind Champagne Labruyère and famed Burgundy producer Jacques Prieur. Now in its seventh generation, Domaine Labruyère is one of the oldest wineries in the Moulin-a-Vent appellation. Its history here dates back to 1850, when wine grower Jean-Marie Labruyère settled in les Thorins, a hamlet of Romanèche-Thorins. He acquired 25 acres of well-located vineyards. The later acquisition of the famous “Clos du Moulin-à-Vent”, a unique monopole, epitomises the restless quest for excellence of subsequent…

Frédéric Mabileau is famous in his region for producing stylish, reliable and affordable wines. Christelle Guibert, Decanter Magazine We had a thoroughly rewarding trip to ProWein earlier this year, much of it spent catching up with members of the CellarHand family, plus a chance to fruitfully follow up on promising conversations with other excellent growers who’ve since joined the fold. The one unexpected find was delightful domaine in the Loire. Frédéric Mabileau is an organic-certified, biodynamic grower based in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. Run by Frédéric and Nathalie…

No questions here: this is a wine of outstanding quality. Campbell Mattinson on the ’17 Chardonnay Really elegant and long. Nick Stock on the same Quite impeccable from all angles. Campbell Mattinson on the ’17 Pinot The palate unleashes energetic, tangy flavours of red cherries with a thread of meaty, spicy oak. Nick Stock on the same It has a superbly fragrant perfume, multi-faceted and lifted, with charm and refinement. Huon Hooke on the 2017 Little Hampton An impressive, elegant and interesting Pinot. Nick Stock…

Corymbia is the deep-rooted, far-sighted vision of husband-and wife-team, Rob and Genevieve Mann. The Mann name is synonymous with Western Australia’s Swan Valley, where Rob’s pioneering grandfather Jack worked a remarkable 51 consecutive vintages for Houghton. Rob was just a boy when he joined his father - former Australian test cricketer Tony - in planting the vines on what is now the dry-grown, organically farmed Corymbia vineyard.  Rob was one of the crop of hotshots at Hardys during the reign of Stephen Pannell, before Rob…