Bob McDonald

9.3

An expiremental Orange Wine we encountered at the Toowoomba Wine Show last year made by Bents Road at Ballandean in Queensland. Whole berries of Viognier Marsanne and Roussanne fermented in terra cotta amphora for 23 days with skins. Cloudy Lemon in appearance. Sinewy on palate. You can taste the bitterness of the skins. Great intense flavours with a waxy texture. Having just been in Copenhagen about a month ago with all of its natural wines, this would be a huge hit. I would not bother cellaring as it is pretty delicious right now. Minuscule production. — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Medium to full bodied and well made in a good vintage from vines planted in 1885 from the Ebenezer sub district of Barossa Valley. Drinking my Barossa Reds in what passes for Winter in Australia this year. Difficult to drink these big Reds in a Queensland summer. I am dreading summer later in the year. Rich ripe and predictable - But it is pretty delicious. I feel Sami-ODI gets more complexity and interest into their Reds than most. — 9 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Bright Crimson with a tinge of purple. Cherries and Tobacco with a touch of wet cement! (I know it sounds odd, but it is there). Medium Bodied with soft tannins. As "Joven" it is designed for early consumption with minimal use of oak. The Granite Belt appears to be ideal for alternative particularly Mediterranean varieties. — 9 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

A riper version of this food friendly Italian white showing more tropical fruit than citric fruit flavours. Bold and flavoursome - a real crowd pleaser from 100% Granite Belt fruit unlike other Ballandean examples. — 10 years ago

Lucy Smales

9.4

Slight pepper, lots of earth & a hint of moss. Just arrived today from our trip to Tambourine Mountain — 10 years ago

Stuart Robinson

8.9

Ridgemill Estate, Granite Belt, Mourvèdre 2014: cherry, plum, twists of licorice through a juicy body. — 11 years ago

Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

9.1

A bit rare; 100 dozen made; about to go on sale; #granitebelt #nebbiolo made by one of Australia's leading specialty vinegar makers; actually the rest becomes nebbiolo verjuice! Lirah #lirah ; now a barley sugar, mature neb with ribbed tannins #drinklocal #drinkqld #aussieaussie #granitebeltwinecountry #2006 @lirah @australianvinegar — 11 years ago

Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

9.0

Excellent gris of the gris style; varietal pear, brassy natural colour; blend of Orange NSW & Ballandean Qld cool climate fruits; sweet fruit & succulent; vibrant acid; wow alongside my fresh passata made for pasta+ marinara sauce @symphonyhill — 11 years ago

Leanne McKnoulty

9.9

A delicious mix of subtle flavours, including mulberry, plum and maple. Food matched with lamb roast basted with rosemary and mint and served with roast beetroot potatoes and feta rocket, for a delectable combination. . — 12 years ago

Andrew Whittle

Co-Owner/Director Summit Estate Wines

9.1

One of ours made by Paola at her peak - 60 Shiraz & 40 Pinot - a lovely soft red with cherry and a little spice — 12 years ago

Erik Veland

9.7

One of our first cellars. A local cheapie, but has aged impeccably. Well worth the wait! — 13 years ago

Scott Rowe

8.9

Tasted at Symphony Hill Wines whilst roaming the Granite Belt today.
One of the stand outs on their list. — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Notes of musk and Lychees. A palate of pure Turkish Delight. A varietally pure and accurate rendition of Gewürztraminer. This Wine was one of the reasons that Mike Hayes was awarded Australian winemaker of the year last week by the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology. The first Queenslander to win this award. Tasted again 29 weeks later with consistent notes. A dead giveaway for Gewürztraminer if tasted blind. — 9 years ago

Ibrahim Shahin

9.3

Great dry yet sweet white. Taken from the owners personal collection as he has shutdown operations of twisted gum — 9 years ago

Doug Allen

9.5

One of my favorites from PRP Wine. I am letting one bottle age for 2 more years. — 9 years ago

Jack Cranley, Backroads Wine Club & Cascadia Premium Wines

9.6

Absolutely terrific wine. Bound to uplift even the most doomy-gloomy mood. As such, it pairs well with political discourse and the prospect of "President Trump." Go ahead, drink those sorrows away. You deserve it.

Beautiful, shimmering golden color. I believe it's actually already deepening with age. (2012 vintage consumed in mid-2016)

On the nose, apricot fruit and unrefined honey dominate but is accompanied with a menagerie of rare and precious aromatics. The result is a feeling of having something truly exotic in your glass. This is a world-class wine for which there could never be any argument over its worthiness. You will be taken by this wine and there's really no way to over-hype it and set the expectation bar too high because this wine will meet it every time.

As we dig in deeper past the obvious top notes, we discover a treasure chest filled with persimmon, sandalwood, white flower, and vanilla bean.

Upon first entry in the mouth you are met with a zippy liveliness but then that melts gently across your palate to really give you a fine, pervasive coating that excites the taste buds in every corner of your mouth. This is a POWERHOUSE of assertive flavor. This wine will stage a veritable coup d'etat upon your complacent palate. There will be an ouster of your resident ennui. No incumbent sense of boredom will be safe from this wave of populist essence. There will be a complete and total transition of power in the halls of your mind's parliament leading to a peaceful but efficacious revolution. With your personal Congress in shambles, this fresh new confederacy shall draft a Constitution that will usher in a new era of utopian cooperation and transcendental civic euphoria!

Sorry, maybe for a little carried away there. For reals though. Drink this wine when you're feeling down and feel the BURN! Well, not really - because the alcohol is really well-integrated. ;) — 10 years ago

Wan Roberson

8.9

Wan had this 11 years ago

Stuart Robinson

8.9

'Hungry Horse' Monastrell/Tempranillo/Garnacha blend. Meaty, really more about black 'fruits of the forest', briar. A little spice and fine tannin. — 11 years ago

Stuart Robinson

9.1

Citrus ahoy! Tangy and tasty - good line of acid — 11 years ago

Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

9.2

A spotless drink; wow, Boireann's Peter Stark extracts some amazing character from barbera in this drink; similar cool continental site to Piemonte but older soils; zippy aromatics if wild herbs, toffee, red flowers and earthy bits; palate coiled in acidity, soft as, lingering fruits of wildness. AUD 25; 14% — 12 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

I had the 2008 Eclipse. Made by Drew Noon MW this wine is no shrinking violet. Masses of flavour - raspberry notes to the fore. 15.5% alcohol a bit hot but a good wine for a cold mid winters night in Toowoomba. 17. Tasted another on 17th July 2015 on a very cold night. Similar tasting notes to a year ago. Snowed in Stanthorpe Qld today. Yes, Sunny Queensland!! The perfect wine for tonight. — 12 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Pale Lemon with a youthful greenish tinge. Aromas of wet straw and starting to develop secondary notes of lanolin and a little toast but a long way to go to reach full maturity. On the palate Citric Acid floods the sides and back of the tongue- mouth puckering. Tastes about 2 years old, not nearly 9 years and at least another 10 years cellaring ahead. Receives no oak influence and only 10.5% Alc. Highly awarded on the Australian Show Circuit with 4 Trophies. from the Royal Queensland Wine Show. From a 10 acre block at the foothills of the Brokenback Ranges in the Hunter Valley. First vintage in 1973 was a labour of love for the partners friends and families with the first grapes carried to the Winery in buckets in the back seat of Len Evans’ Bentley. .....a funny story 😉 — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have to say this is my favorite Chateau to stand in front of and gaze. On the nose, spice, wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, mint, tobacco leaf and dark fresh & dry flowers. It's drinking nicely with silty medium-medium + tannins & full bodied. Ruby, ripe wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, crushed dry minerals, mint, tobacco leaf and violets, dark fresh & dry flowers. The acidity is round and mouthwatering. The long finish has great elegance, beauty, length, tension & balance. It's just starting to hit it's stride and has plenty of life ahead of it. Another 15-20 years. Who said 04 was a difficult vintage? This will continue to improve and will stun with another 10 years in bottle. Photos of the the exterior Chateau front & side, tasting room and Christian Seely Managing Director. Chateau Pichon Baron and Chateau Pichon Lalande were originally part of the same estate. Pichon Baron got it's name when Therese, daughter of the founder, received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville the first President of the Bordeaux Parliament. Chateau Pichon Baron changed because of the Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville. He took over managing Pichon Baron when he was only 19 years old! When the Baron passed away at 90 in 1850, he divided his Pauillac estate. The sons were awarded what became Chateau Pichon Baron and the daughters were given what later became Chateau Pichon Lalande. Pichon Baron went through three rough decades in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Part of the issues were, lack of investment and they machine harvested. The first really great vintages for them were 89 & 90 after Jean Rene Matignon, Jean-Michel Cazes join them and AXA Insurance Company purchased them adding capital. The 73 hectare vineyard of Chateau Pichon Baron are planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. However, the Cabernet Franc and the Petit Verdot are reserved exclusively for the second wine. The terroir is mostly deep gravel, sand clay soils. Pichon Baron uses 80% new French oak and rests in barrel 18 months. @ FogoDeChao

— 9 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

This is the 2015 Symphony Hill Fiano which was crowned Grand Champion of the RASQ WINE SHOW and Mediterranean Challenge. Strongly varietal. Notes of Granny Smith apples and more aromatic pear nuances than the other Fiano entries. Fresh and zesty. A deserving champion. — 10 years ago

Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

9.7

Longevity is a great thing; old barrel aged pinot noir (70%), chardonnay (30%); RD is the essence of Bolly; fab paired with groper from North Queensland ; heureux. #drinkbolly #drinkchampagne #ay #1973 #RD #queenslanddrinks #champagne — 11 years ago

Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

9.1

Opening history at #wildcanary #producerslunch with Barambah Wines #barambah #rackdried #museumred; wine is a magnum of Barambah First Grid Shiraz 2006 — 11 years ago

Stuart Robinson

9.0

Ridgemill Pinot G (so called as it straddles Grigio/Gris on the sensory spectrum). Good aromatics that leap out of the glass, textural and driving length that kinda surprises. — 11 years ago

Stuart Robinson

9.3

Add a + sign here. Tightly coiled, look forward to seeing it unravel. 2012: The Granite Belt's coming of age? — 11 years ago

Peter Scudamore-Smith MW

9.2

Excellent cool region blend of cabernet (50%), petit verdot (40%), merlot (10%) made by South African born Mark Ravenscroft; the region of production-Granite Belt makes seminal verdot; purely outstanding example; Waagee is slang for very good; #cabernetblend — 12 years ago

K.k. Ong

9.5

Enjoying a glass of late harvest at home with family~ — 12 years ago