Julian and Alana Langworthy appear entirely at home in the pages of the glossies, and are no stranger to the headlines. In the space of four vintages, their Nocturne single-vineyard releases have been one of the most hotly anticipated events on the domestic calendar. Now it's the turn of the '18s, and Julian reckons this is as good a Cabernet vintage as he's witnessed in Margaret River. That's saying somehing. Nocturne's news is the major domestic launch for February, but there's plenty of other goings-on.…

Massive congratulations to Jason Flowerday of TWR, who’s just been named NZ Viticulturist of the Year by Gourmet Traveller WINE. This is fitting recognition for an estate that – while tending some of Marlborough’s oldest vines – has recast this region in a fresh, nature-blessed light. The organic-certified, biodynamic farming undertaken by husband-and-wife team Jason and Anna Flowerday yields wines with pristine purity and transparent terroir expression. They’re layered, textured, engaging and delicious to drink. We’re delighted to see the Flowerdays recognised in this manner -…

Few people have done as much to revive the reputation of German Riesling as Erni Loosen, aka 'Mr Riesling'. His top single-vineyard wines are up there with the best. Anne Krebiehl MW, The Wines of Germany 2018 Dr L Dry Riesling RRP $25 Chalky fresh citrus. Zingy and so crisp that the residual sugar barely shows. Juicy, fresh and quite good value. 16/20. Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com June 2019  2018 Dr Loosen Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr Grosses Gewächs RRP $74 Super fresh, flinty and fine aromas…

We're hugely excited to let you know that the 2018 German GG Rieslings have landed and are available to you right now. 2018 was a lovely vintage – a glorious summer with relatively abundant, healthy crops. We’ve tried the wines and they’re resplendent. Full of fruit, yes, and superbly expressive of site with excellent shape and freshness. These top producers are acutely aware of the changing climate and have adapted their farming to make the most of a year like 2018. Coolness, class and character…

Almost exactly a whole year ago, Alana Langworthy stood glamorously behind a table at the CellarHand 20th Anniversary tastings. She had wines to show but only having scavenged them from various cellars, maybe a bottle-shop fridge or two. The range – the last release of Alana and Julian’s Nocturne Single-Vineyard wines – had all sold out. Almost exactly a whole year ago... Demand for these wines has been red-hot since day one. Julian and Alana don’t hide their light under a bushel. They don’t hide…

A light breeze of floral & herbal aromas drifting across from a summer meadow. Quite exquisite. Michael Schmidt on '18 Pettenthal GG 2018 Gunderloch Fritz’s Riesling RRP $23 Fritz's Riesling grows in a very small and special part of Rheinhessen called the Roter Hang, a name meaning “red hill“ due to its red-slate soils. The Roter Hang is located between the village of Nackenheim and the village of Nierstein, 20km south of the city of Mainz. The red colour comes from a high proportion of…

Rieslings from Christmann are like balm. Though they are never loud, there is something subtle and true about them that gets under your skin. Anne Krebiehl MW, The Wines of Germany 2018 A. Christmann Riesling RRP $39 The Pfalz Riesling is produced from the first few picks of grapes in our classified sites. These are always harvested at the perfect degree of ripeness limiting the amount of fruit acid to a moderate level. The wine unites the minerality, finesse and elegant fruit of the sandstone…

“It’s more like gardening than farming. Everything has to look perfect!” says Philipp Wittmann as he leaps from a vineyard wall to clip a stray vine tip before it grows unruly. This isn’t vanity, though. Handsome though he is, Philipp is all about performance. It’s his duty to coax every vine into the most beguiling wine it can be. Organically certified since 1990 and biodynamic since 2004, Philipp’s parcels of his beloved Rheinhessen are a haven where nature thrives. Limestone rules around his home in…

You’ll recall how Dönnhoff pulled it out of the bag in ‘17. It was a vintage the family had practically written off, after spring frosts decimated the crop. Uneven ripeness across the parcels meant even more passes than usual for the pickers, but the late-season weather yielded a superb if depleted haul from these superb sites in the Middle Nahe. So how did ‘18 measure up? It was a year of abundance, with extreme rainfall in May and June setting things up for a bumper…

The whole idea of Burgundy is a convoluted one and the more you delve the more apparent this becomes. Inheritance laws play a big part in this. In the case of the Boisson family Bernard says ‘Je suis mort’ with a twinkle in the eye followed by a belly laugh by which you can’t help but be reminded of another Chardonnay and Pinot Noir great from closer to home who’s a great soul but doesn’t suffer fools - one G. Farr of Geelong. What M.…

“Enjoy how much better value it is than so many red burgundies.” That’s what Jancis Robinson wrote about the 2017 edition of Dominique Piron’s top cuvée. Morgon is Piron’s patch, and the president of Inter-Beaujolais – the body tasked with extolling the virtues of Gamay in its homeland – expresses it to the max. “They seem to have had a string of good vintages in Beaujolais, and I think I like the playful and fruity 2018s quite a lot,” wrote The Wine Front’s Gary Walsh…

Biodynamically farmed for 22 years now, Domaine Ostertag is one of those places whose virtues are so simple, strong and enduring that you kind of forget to mention them. Conviction and constancy hold sway in the family's farming. They follow the season, follow the vine, follow nature - and thus the spirit and the vital wines flow. We're due a recap on what this looks like. With André taking a step back to heal from Parkinson's - a disease that's afflicted him for more than…

We're entering the third year of our relationship with the super-talented husband-and-wife team at JmSélèque. And the start of a new decade seems like a good time to introduce the latest instalment of Jean-Marc and Oriane's excellent wines. The Solessence trio that underpins the range have quickly established themselves as staples among grower-conscious fizz lovers here in Australia. Their combination of freshness, character and assured balance give them the thrill factor we should all expect from Champagne. The other non-vintage wine here is the latest…

by Ed Merrison “You seem immensely calm, Geoff,” I said after listening to a bloke who’d spent the previous Friday watching his car, tractors and shed go up in flames as fires tore through the Adelaide Hills and scorched a third of his “spiritual home” – the vineyard he planted with his late father Henry and his own bare hands, 37 years ago. And Mr Weaver, Hills pioneer and stalwart of humbly hand-farmed Australian wine, responded with trademark equanimity. “I don’t think there's much point…

First and foremost, this is a massive thank you being with us this year as we’ve celebrated a pretty significant milestone: CellarHand’s 20th Anniversary. This is also our opportunity to wish you the best for the festive season, with a chance to spend some hugely happy times with those who mean the most to you. In honour of this send-off to 2019, we’ve put together a list of 20 wines that’ve moved us in our 20th year – wines to toast your accomplishments this year…