Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from Margaret River, the Margaret River wine region in Australia, & more.

2019 Thorn Clark Shotfire, Australia, Barossa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  Great nose!  Black raspberries, grilled meats, black pepper and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Black raspberry fruit with underlying char.  Lovely texture.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should  drink well for another ten to fifteen years.  Great on its own, this would be a nice wine with grilled meats or sausages.  Terrific value.

2018 Hewitson Shiraz Le Secateur, Australia, Barossa Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$22.00USD

Inky purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, clay and black pepper.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, lush texture with lots of black raspberry fruit.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue for another ten to twelve years.  This is nice on its own and would work well with BBQ Ribs.  

2020 John Duval Wines Shiraz Entity, Australia, Barossa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$30.00USD

Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is tight at first, then shows some black olives.  With air, black raspberries, char and black pepper, too.  Full bodied.  Lovely lush texture.  On the palate, jammy black raspberries.  Some heat.  Long finish.  This is a big wine and could use about five years of cellaring.  It is nice now, but will improve by 2 to 3 points.  Hold for five and drink for fifteen after that.  Nice on its own, this will hold up to spicy food such as Indian, very nicely.  

2010 Thorn-Clarke Shiraz Ron Thorn, Australia, Barossa Valley, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$70.00USD

This is the top wine from this producer and in a recent blind tasting of Barossa Shiraz it was a virtual unanimous wine of the night.  Inky purple in color, op0aque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, slight black olive, and a hint of clay.  On the palate, this is bright, not jammy, and delicious.  Notes of black raspberries, with some coffee grounds and a hint of spice.  Light tannins.  Long finish.  At age 13, this seems younger, and should go another twenty years.  Great on its own, this should work well with Cassoulet.  

2018 Elderton Shiraz, Australia, Barossa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$26.00USD

Purple in color with ruby hues, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, clay and spice.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, black raspberries, black cherries and slight alcohol note.  14.5% abv.  Drinking well now and should continue for another five to eight years.  Good on its own, this will work with bigger foods or even Meatloaf.  

2020 Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz, Australia, Barossa, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, spice and slight cedar.  With air, a slight cocoa note emerges.  On the palate, this is jammy black raspberries.  Very tasty.  Nice texture.  Good finish.  This drinks well on its own and will work with grilled meats.  A burger would be nice.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

2021 Pewsey Vale Vineyard Eden Valley Dry Riesling, Australia, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$15.00USD

Screw capped.  This is a very nice Riesling and a very good value.  Light gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lots of gun powder/petrol along with some apples.  Medium bodied.  The palate is much fresher with apples and a bit of citrus (tangerines).  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This is nice on its own and should be very food friendly.  It would work well with southeast Asian cuisines.  Drink over the next ten years.  

2021 Hewitson Miss Harry Chardonnay, Australia, Adelaide Hills, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2021
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

This is a high altitude, single vineyard Chardonnay.  Gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has apples, apple cider and slight peach.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, red apples predominate.  Nice finish.  Screw capped.  This tastes older than it is and a bit oxidized, but is still very pleasant.  It will work better with food.  A nice wine with Sushi.  Drink over the next few years.

2011 Clarendon Hills Astralis, Australia, McLaren Vale, Wine review

Vintage: 
2011
Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+
Current Price: 
$190.00USD

Sadly, Shiraz from Australia has gone a bit out of style, but there are still some damn good ones.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black olives and black pepper.  Full bodied.  Nice texture.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this seems just a bit shy of maturity.  Lots of black raspberry fruit, some coffee and black pepper.  Long finish.  While this is a big wine, it is not an ooze monster at all.  Drink over the next fifteen years.  This is great on its own and will work well with Lamb Stew.

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