Displaying an elegant light ruby with only a modicum of maturity in the edges this classy Pinot reveals amazingly fresh and attractive aromatics of sappy red cherries, minerals, game and integrated new spicy French oak. The medium-bodied palate delivers an instant replay of the descriptors found in the bouquet along with a crunchy succulence, melting fine-grained tannins, excellent length but retains vitality and freshness from some lively acidity. I’ve been impressed with the rare elegance of this particular wine since release and believe it will last for up to a decade if stored in pristine cellaring conditions (although ready to go now). 92 points. A great effort from a difficult vintage!

Mount Barker, Western Australia 12.5% A/V Secured with a screwcap.

This beautifully poised example of Australian dry Riesling retains youthful straw/green tinges to its bright pale gold colour, an exemplary, lively nose of musky limes, green apples, freshly toasted bread, a beguiling minerality, quite unusual suggestions of herbaceousness and a latent whiff of petrol fumes as a top note. The palate carries this wine’s years with astonishing aplomb. Crisp and quite flinty with an abundance of freshly-squeezed lime juice and “Granny Smith” apple counterbalanced with bucketloads of yet-to-fully-integrate mouthpuckering minerally acidity. The finish is taught, dry as a bone and seemingly needs several more years to soften and allow the wonderful fruit to come to the fore and build more towards the back end. 90 points today with better things in store over the next 3-5 years. I estimate this excellent juice has between five and ten years good drinking ahead of it.    

Postscript - after two days open (cap on, in fridge) this wine has improved! More lemon pith and grapefruit to be found on nose and palate (the herbaceous and apply characters have all but disappeared) with the overt acid levels subsiding, allowing more palate length and better overall structure. 92 point rating on tonight’s performance. I’m very pleased I’ve sat on my stash of this for several years!

H. M. Martin, grower, 100% Shiraz grapes from Langhorne Creek, South Australia.

Quite an unusual hazy muted ruby/brownish colour with incredible viscous tears hanging to the side of the glass. Intoxicating, brandied-chocolate nose of aged licorice, spicy, earthy blackberries, dusty old leather, a twist of caramel and a whiff of amaretto - almost a hybrid of styles here - distinctly Australian but with plausible links to a Portuguese thoroughbred. The palate offers up a similar array of complex flavours, possesses a gorgeous silky texture, abundant viscosity, lovely weight and a resolved finish with a modicum of spirit adding a deft touch of astringency. Just the shortest glimpse of the chocolate/licorice/blackberry fruit giving up the ghost at the death, but not enough for me to give this Outstanding wine a rating of 93 points. Drink now or in the next year or three.

St Huberts winery was established in Victoria’s Yarra Valley in 1862 by Swiss settler, Hubert De Castella and within two decades, St. Huberts was regarded as one of the finest wineries in Australia, winning many international wine show awards along the way. Lack of demand for fine table wine through the early part of new century and, eventually, downward economic pressures saw this once great wine region mostly revert back to dairy farming and by 1912 the property had ceased all wine production. In 1966, a resurgence in demand for white and red table wine saw the Cester family re-establish a vineyard and winery of the same name in a similar location to the original site. Subsequently, several changes of ownership have occured, with the giant Foster’s group acquiring possession of this brand after a successful takeover bid for another leading corporate raider of the time, Mildara Blass. Since its reincarnation, some great Cabernet, Chardonnay and the occasional excellent Pinot Noir have been made here. I have extremely fond memories of St Huberts Cabernet’s including an exceptional 1977 and very good to outstanding examples from 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1991 and now I’m just onto the remainder of my 1992’s! All the current release St Hubert wines are competitively priced but, alas, I have no recent tasting experience. One of Australia’s foremost wine critics, Jeremy Oliver certainly rates all recent vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon very well indeed. The track record of this historic winery is certainly good enough to suggest that great things can be done here. The 1992 reviewed below is a remarkably good Yarra Valley Cabernet, worthy of its outstanding rating and will last for another decade if well stored.

Still a saturated ruby red with little bricking in the edge. Initial burst of leafy greens, weeds, briar, cedar, herbs and red capsicum gradually replaced and enhanced with beautiful ripe blackcurrants. What a transition! Eerily reminiscent of a top class Bordeaux for a while, although this penetrating fruit sweetness eventually appears “new worldish”. Palate is wonderfully fresh, of medium body displaying exemplary fruit and oak integration, surprisingly lively acidity, fine lacy tannins and an excellent finish. 92 points 13.3% A/V and sealed with a good quality cork.

Being in the midst of trying to contain a bout of high blood sugars, alcohol consumption is not a good idea and should be frowned upon by all and sundry (including moi), but in this case I had my parents over for fish and salad earlier in the week, opening this bottle for them and I have been drinking about 50-60ml/per day over the last three days. The most surprising aspect of this outstanding wine’s evolution is there’s no downside! In fact, I thought it better tonight than when first opened and without the faintest hint of oxidation - quite remarkable for a wine that’s already been worked aplenty at the winery.

Boasting an attractive, glowing youthful straw colour, lifted aromatics of spicy new oak, bacon fat, meal, some leesy barrel reduction over subdued grapefruit, nectarine and guava fruit and a superbly delineated, tight and focussed palate offering up a terrific array of citrus, stonefruits and complex nutty, leesy characters with the barest suggestion of butter and butterscotch. And to round things out, there’s plenty of bright integrated acidity to maintain freshness as well as an invigorating lengthy departure. My only criticism was an intitial burst of astringency in the finish on day one, that dissipated over the first hour and has not been seen since. One could be tempted to think this of Burgundian ancestry if unaware of its identity - it could pass as a superior Puligny 1er Cru, 6-8 years of age. An extremely impressive effort with some time up its sleeve for further improvement. Drink now-2012+. Screwcap 13.5% A/V. All Adelaide Hills (South Australia) fruit. 92 points