It was so good to have our great friend Frédéric Blanck of Domaine Paul Blanck on these shores again this summer. Of course, it's just bloody nice to see a member of CellarHand’s European family in the flesh. But on top of that it was great to be reminded afresh of the joie de vivre of these organic wines that so purely and proudly show these grape varieties – gradually and beautifully ripened in the dry Alsatian climate - through the prism of the region’s…

Here we go: SV release no.6. Julian’s lucky number, apparently - and couldn’t we all do with a little luck right now? Well, we’re fortunate to have these. As you know, Nocturne comprises two wine ranges. The latest sub-regional (‘SR’) releases (which are, to quote their authors, “epic”) arrived in spring 2021. And as is traditional, we kick off the New Year with the top dogs: Single-vineyard Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The SV Sheoak Cabernet Sauvignon and SV Tassell Park Chardonnay remain, as ever, awesome…

“The second half of 2021 was remarkably similar to that of 2020 — wild winds in early winter whipped trees onto fences and sheds; we cooked and ate by candlelight for days; the ground was so wet that tractors and utes were bogged every day; the sheep were very fecund and the golden wattles were a beacon of brightness and renewal for us in lockdown in our rural part of ‘metropolitan Melbourne’. Our vines, animals and pastures haven’t heard of Covid so our day-to-day work…

Singular, exhilarating and tingling with mineral intrigue – it’s going to be a white Christmas, all right. Here’s a selection of diverse and detailed delights; you’ll find notes and reviews beneath the table: WINE REGION RRP       RIESLING           2016 Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Riesling Frankland River $52 2018 Loosen Barry Wolta Wolta Riesling Clare Valley $120 2017 Paul Blanck Riesling Schlossberg Grand Cru Alsace $80 2019 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Spätlese Trocken Pfalz $82 2017 Gunderloch Pettenthal Riesling Grosses…

CellarHand will, as always, do everything within our power - right up to the last minute - to get your wine to you throughout this festive period. However, we ask for your patience and understanding as the logistics network comes under unprecedented strain, causing a great level of uncertainty all along the chain. In light of this, we urge you to order your wine as early as possible to give it the best possible chance of getting to you in time. In addition, we hope…

  “I have been visiting Cigliuti since the early ‘90s or so and every time I come away more impressed than before,” wrote Ian D’Agata, author of Italy's Native Wine Grape Terroirs, after his visit to the estate last year. “These are, and always have been, some of the very best Barbarescos of all, and I never cease to be amazed at how the family has tweaked and improved their wines over time,” he went on. “Not the least of their charm is how well…

Deep, detailed and deliciously refreshing… Choose a red that will reel you in and lift you up this summer. Here’s a selection of somewhat sophisticated options; you’ll find notes and reviews beneath the table: WINE REGION RRP       PINOT NOIR           2018 Scorpo Eocene High Density Vineyard Pinot Noir Mornington Peninsula $87 2017 Taupenot-Merme Gevrey-Chambertin Burgundy $182 2017 Jean Tardy Nuits-Saint-Georges Bas de Combe Burgundy $190 2017 Latour-Giraud Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes Burgundy $190 2013 Bernhard Huber…

Jeez, if ever there was a year where the Champagne was kept on ice, it was 2021. But whatever happens next, we’ve come this bloody far and it’s time to celebrate in style. Here’s a selection in white, rosé, red and sweet; you’ll find notes and reviews beneath the table: SPARKLING REGION RRP       WHITE           NV Airlie Bank Yarra Cuvée Sparkling Yarra Valley $24 NV Stefano Lubiana Brut Reserve Tasmania $45 2020 Frédéric Mabileau Orgasmic Pét Nath Loire…

Summer’s here, and it’s time to sink pink! (In moderation, naturally.) We’ve got a lovely selection of rosé right here ready for you, in fizzy and still styles to suit every shade of the season. You’ll find notes and reviews beneath the table: ROSÉ REGION RRP       SPARKLING           2021 Chalmers Col Fondo Aglianico Heathcote $36 2015 Stefano Lubiana Brut Rosé Tasmania $55 2014 Hattingley Valley Rosé England $91 NV JmSélèque ‘Solessence’ Rosé Champagne $120       STILL…

WINE REGION DRY? RRP         2020 Gunderloch Fritz’s Riesling Rheinhessen Dry $24 2020 Dr L Riesling Mosel Dry $25 2021 Frankland Estate Riesling Frankland River Dry $30 2020 Wittmann 100 Hügel Riesling Rheinhessen Dry $30 2020 Domäne Wachau Terrassen Riesling Federspiel Wachau Dry $32 2019 Villa Wolf Wachenheimer Riesling Pfalz Dry $32 2021 clos Clare Riesling Clare Valley Dry $32 2020 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Riesling Pfalz Dry $33 2020 Weaver Riesling Adelaide Hills Dry $35 2020 Paul Blanck Riesling Alsace Dry $36 2019…

"One of my most favourite wines," says Wine Front's Gary Walsh of the beauty leading off the domestic news. High praise indeed but then Wantirna Estate’s Amelia is used to the adulation, and the new-release 2019 is superb. Also creating a stir on the home front are releases from Stephen Pannell and Shadowfax. The former has hit a fantastic groove with his Adelaide Hills Protero label, adding the top-of-the-tree Capo Nebbiolo to a range that now sports white Pinots, an off-dry aromatic white blend, Barbera and everyday Nebbiolo.…

Growing great wine takes patience. Stephen Pannell knows it as well as anyone. Here’s a man who's worked more than 40 vintages, including nine in Europe. When he started S.C. Pannell in the early 2000s, he'd already risen to the top of the tree at Hardys, off-and-on Australia's biggest producer. By the time he bought the Koomilya vineyard in McLaren Vale, it had already been the subject of a 20-year love affair and the source of a Jimmy Watson Trophy. And then there's Protero. The…

Let's get the bad news out of the way. In a year when grape yields across southeast Australia were down as much as 60%, this gorgeous little vineyard wasn’t spared. Its beloved Chardonnay only managed to fill a measly two barrels in 2020, making this year’s spring release a one-wine offer. On the bright side, lovingly tending vines in between shepherding beautiful juice to barrel and bottle is seen as essential work. That’s good for the cheerful disposition of the Egan family. Another boost comes…

It’s a bit like summiting Everest and realising there’s another peak with a better view a tad further on. Such is the quality of the initial By Farr release, taking in Chardonnay, Sangreal, Farrside et al, that it arrives with feverish anticipation and, often as not, vanishes in a puff of head-spinning smoke. And, mirroring those same vintages – the white one year ahead of the red – we’re treated to an encore that raises that dizzyingly high bar even higher. So now we welcome…

It’s a single-vineyard release but controversially it isn’t all about the vineyard. You can’t downplay the Macedon Ranges’ role in this. A lot of people are still coming to terms with the specialness of this region. The coolest quality wine-growing area on Australia’s mainland milks that natural advantage for all it’s worth in a warming world where people love to drink Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. What does that mean? In a nutshell chez Shadowfax, it means plentiful flavour with the drive and energy to keep…