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Digging for Gold in Western Victoria

featured, Australia

Angus Hughson, Nov 2024

Australia is often accused of being home to bold and brash wines, where bigger is better, but Western Victoria provides a counterpoint to that idea. Here, temperate and continental climates have given rise to wines of style and substance for over 160 years. This report takes a walk through Western Victoria’s myriad regions and showcases surprising diversity, from the ethereal Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs of Macedon Ranges and Geelong to the structured Shirazes and Cabernet Sauvignons of the Pyrenees, Heathcote and Grampians.

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Cellar Favorite: 1990 Henschke Lenswood Abbotts Prayer Vineyard

Cellar Favorites, Australia, cellar favorite

Neal Martin, Oct 2024

The 1990 Lenswood Abbotts Prayer Vineyard from Henschke is a rare old bird. I found little information on this wine, even from Henschke’s website, except that the vineyard was a majority Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Merlot.

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A Snapshot of the Antipodes - La Place 2024

featured, Australia

Angus Hughson, Sep 2024

Fall releases from La Place Bordeaux showcase a selection of wines from around the world. Australian wines have been part of the offerings since 2020. This article features reviews of the new 2024 antipodean releases.

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Book Excerpt: The Australian Ark

featured, Australia

Andrew Caillard MW, Sep 2024

Andrew Caillard MW's The Australian Ark, co-published by our own Angus Hughson, is more than a simple history of the Australian wine industry. It is a 3-volume, fully illustrated social and political history of the nation through the prism of wine. In this excerpt, Caillard tracks important events and characters who have played a key role in the genesis and development of a unique wine culture.

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Barossa 2022: Run, Don’t Walk

featured, Australia

Angus Hughson, Aug 2024

The 2022 Barossa vintage will long be etched in the memories of local winemakers for both triumph and tragedy. For the vast majority, 2022 is a triumph, with plentiful winter rainfall and a long, mild growing season that shaped a vintage for the ages, the best in years. Only sporadic hail intervened, breaking the hearts of some grape growers and winemakers with what could have been.

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Ironing Out The Kinks: Jim Barry The Armagh 1985-2021

featured, Australia, Verticals & Retrospectives

Angus Hughson, Jun 2024

The tale of Jim Barry’s Armagh Shiraz has mirrored the national wine story over the last forty years. Terroirs with the highest aspirations from the outset have taken time to hit their straps, with occasional missteps along the way. Thanks to greater precision in the vineyard and winery, the last ten years have seen this Clare Valley Shiraz slip into a neat groove with a unique mix of sheer power and finesse. This was showcased in this complete vertical tasting stretching back to the inaugural 1985 vintage.

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The Yin and the Yang of Western Australia

featured, Australia

Angus Hughson, May 2024

Western Australia remains a beacon of hope and value in a world of stratospheric fine wine prices. This report shows that, pound for pound, few regions can match Margaret River for finely crafted Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. My first coverage of the emerging regions of Great Southern and Pemberton also showcases wines that are surprising for their subtlety and diversity.

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Cellar Favorite: 1994 Penfolds Grange and 1975 Bin 95 Grange Hermitage

Cellar Favorites, Australia, cellar favorite

Neal Martin, May 2024

During my time in Bordeaux tasting barrel samples, I spend most evenings essentially harvesting tasting notes for my annual “Centuries Of…” article that will appear in due course. Ironically, perhaps the best bottle of wine with a vintage ending in four was not from either the Left or Right Bank but from Australia.

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Victoria: Cutting Edge Meets Classic

featured, Australia

Angus Hughson, Mar 2024

In south-eastern Victoria, the regions of Yarra Valley and Gippsland are leaders in the emerging wave of modern Australian wines thanks to a mix of cool climates and cutting-edge winemaking. This report showcases how these diverse terroirs, coupled with recent mild vintages, have delivered refined Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and even Nebbiolo that challenge traditional perceptions of Australian wine styles and quality.

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Flirting with Perfection - Giaconda Chardonnay 2011-2021

Australia Featured, featured, Australia, Verticals & Retrospectives

Angus Hughson, Jan 2024

There are more famous Chardonnays in Australia, but none are more keenly collected or tightly held than Rick Kinzbrunner’s enigmatic Giaconda. Originally conceived in California, Giaconda not only put the small outpost of Beechworth in Victoria on the international map, it also helped an entire nation to find its Chardonnay mojo. A rare chance to taste the last decade of vintages exceeded expectations and showcased a world-class wine that can compete with the very best.