Grape Observer Wine Review

This wine is the 2015 cabernet sauvignon from Greenock Creek in the Barossa Valley in Australia.  Greenock Creek are best known for their ripe and pure fruited shiraz styles and can produce very high quality wines. I have had considerable success with their “Apricot Block” shiraz in particular. I have had some success with their more restrained and lower alcohol cabernet sauv...

This wine is a long aged riesling from Katnook Estate in Coonawarra in Australia and the 2005 vintage, cellared since purchase. I do not commonly encounter riesling from Coonawarra, a region known for its cabernet sauvignon and not, to any great extent, for any other grape varieties.  Coonawarra itself is one of Australia’s great wine regions. This is a very good riesling and...

This wine is the 2023 vintage of Peregrine’s pinot noir from Central Otago in New Zealand.  This is a good wine though it does not have the same Burgundian character of Peregrine’s now hard to find and outstanding 2022 vintage reviewed here.  The 20...

This wine is Zema Estate’s Family Selection from Coonawaarra in Australia and the 2005 vintage.  Famously capable of long ageing, some lesser Coonawarra cabernet sauvignons can surprise and pass their best drinking window early at around the 10 to 12 year mark. This wine however is 21 years old and is not such a wine. It has typical Coonawarra regional aromas of anise, licori...

This is an outstanding vintage of Rockford’s Basket Press Shiraz in the Barossa Valley and the 2021 vintage.  Rockford’s Basket Press is one of Australia’s leading wines and a pinnacle of Barossa Valley shiraz. Rockford itself is a leading independent producer and does not have a “dud” in its range. Access to its “Stone Waller” mailing list is highly sought after. The 2021 Ba...