4/7/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Blackcurrant nose and a touch of spice. Acid explosion initially, bordering on a little funk, followed by tannins both expansive and long. Fruit present, but merely a part of the ensemble. Syrah in style, this reminds me somewhat of Giaconda. Medium bodied, my wife thought a reasonable match with souvlakis tonight. 13% ABV. Que sera, sera.

2/26/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Nebbiolo always manages to stimulate discussion. “What is this?” and “Why don’t you serve me more of this?” were two appropriate questions asked by my wife tonight. The lighter colour is always deceptive: it looks and occasionally smells like a Pinot, but the tannin usually gives it away. This has a nose of roses and a hint of orange peel, with good acid and abundant tannin. Nebbiolo also divides our tasting group: I’m for it noting the fruit can occasionally be lacking. “It lifts the food” is a reasonable observation made by my wife. Whilst I may not have reached official fanboy status as yet, I do think there is still value to be found in Nebbiolo - especially Langhe. 14% ABV. Alas, this was my last bottle - but I will be buying more (Nebbiolo).

2/18/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Acid, dark cherry and spicy oak tannins. Tertiary development underway with fruit now starting to fade a touch. Seemed better prior to, rather than with, tonight’s fried rice. Perhaps something slightly unbalanced about this vintage, but suspect I’m coming in a little late. 13.8% ABV listed - it does feel warmer. Can’t see this getting any better from here but I do have another bottle.

2/13/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

So, I finally got to met Dredgy the other day at a Mark of Cain gig with fellow winemakers (thanks, Nick). You do get the feeling he’s pretty comfortable marching to the beat of his own drum. There’s also not too many Rieslings around like this. Perhaps a John Vickery Eden Riesling if I had to mention a comparison, noting John is a master of the trade. Still relatively pale in colour, whiffs of talcum powder and chalk on opening. Lip-smacking, zinging acidity that hasn’t really dulled significantly since my last tasting in 2021. Length memorable, petulant even. The 2018 vintage was excellent, with the 2023 garnering similar acclaim. Acknowledging my fanboy status, I’ll be laying down some of 2023 and seeing if it stands the test of time like the 2018. Thank heavens Riesling remains resoundingly under appreciated so I can afford to do so. 12% ABV. Please buy some.

2/12/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Lifted leafy nose of red more than black fruit. Medium bodied with juicy acidity and soft tannins, yet still able to coat the mouth. This is a classy super second, arguably better than others’ grand vin. 13% ABV. Vibrancy of fruit and acidity the key, speaking very much of Yarra Cabernet. Drink now BTW.

2/9/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

I bought a case of this wine and followed the recommended path of drinking a bottle occasionally. What I can tell you is that my friend’s theory rings true: Chardonnays are best consumed within 6 years of release. Slowly developing colour, with nose of almond and flinty oak. White peach and nectarine on the palate, with juicy acidity (courtesy of no MLF). This is the wine that best sits in the sweetspot between my and my wife’s preferred styles: lean and flinty with solids contact for me; with fruit and oak richness for her. 13% ABV. This is a lovely wine that is not getting any better - thoroughly enjoy any remaining bottles now. The Yarra remains my romantic home of Australian Chardonnay.

2/3/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Deep red garnet with some separation. Nose of spiced black plums. Mulberries, fine tannins, nice supporting acid and good length. Managed to maintain a degree of juicy freshness despite the 15% ABV, noting a little warmth on the finish if you look for it. Overall a high quality package of this style. My last bottle which I am OK with because I don’t think this is getting any better. 93+ (my wife gave it a 94).

1/30/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Occasionally I find this wine a little lean in fruit with pepper notes dominating. However, this vintage is decidedly more red than black. Medium bodied still, but the mid palate is fuller. Less white pepper and more roast capsicum. Good tannin, acid and mouthfeel. My wife opted out tonight, but importantly before she’d seen the bottle. An excellent match with lamb souvlaki, speaking to a medium bodied European style (French, Italian, or even Greek). 13.5% ABV. This is one of the better vintages of this wine I’ve had - QPR remains impressive.

1/23/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Dark cherry, good acid and savoury notes. Classic Derwent Valley style. Lovely tannins and oak management. 13.7% ABV. Perfect match with my 9 yo son’s fried rice. Still going strong.

1/23/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Good colour. This has definitely softened in recent years. Now medium bodied in a modern style with good acid. I suspect the fruit has faded but I really enjoyed where this was at. 14.5% ABV. Drink remaining bottles over the next year or so.

1/20/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Excellent colour, with eventually a little separation around the rim. The cork looking almost brand new. Rich and dark: mulberry, dark chocolate and spice. Tannins still going strong, softer after our scotch fillets tonight. 14.5% ABV. An opulent Barossa style yes, but also a very enjoyable wine. My wife was a 94.

1/19/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Fanboy status aside, this is another very sound Flowstone Chardonnay. Pale golden colour, nose of oak (25% new) and cashew. Pink grapefruit and peach, with almost a little Nashi pear. Solids contact with acid present but not overly prominent. The usual components are there, perhaps minus the length and the fruit is a touch leaner. 13% ABV. Still excellent QPR - enjoy remaining bottles over the next few years.

1/18/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Nose of almond, new oak and a hint of struck match. White peach and pink grapefruit. Good acid, my wife labelling this as fresh. A leaner style, almost bordering on a little tight at this point. Clean yes, but also some time on lees. Our tasting group met to pick the Chardonnay for one of our member’s wedding: we all chose this wine. 12.9% ABV. Collector apparently a suburb of Canberra, and definitely worth putting a few of these down in the cellar. Drink now henceforward to 5 years plus.

1/15/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Lifted nose of blackcurrant, with a hint of cassis and a leafy component. Red and black fruits, restraint bordering on muted. Medium bodied. Good acid. Tannins still integrating. Do feel would benefit from something to help fill the mid palate. 14.5% ABV. Probably not getting any better.

1/17/2024 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Labelled Shiraz but smells of Syrah, no doubt the Viognier. Black fruit bordering on olive tapenade. Perfect match with salami pizza with olives. Good acid with surely an amount of whole bunch. 14% ABV. Remains one of Australia’s best value wines. Alas, this is my last bottle. 92+.

3/3/2023 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Toasty oak, some new (20%), almost reminiscent of Giaconda. Natural yeast with lees contact, providing at least a little bit of funk. The lovely acid profile could only be Yarra Valley. White peach, pink grapefruit and almonds. Still going strong. 13% ABV. Wow.

1/23/2023 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Lovely nose of cedar and cigar box. Suggestion of mint and cassis on the palate, leading me to swear on my first born’s life this is a Cabernet blend. But alas it is not. Lovely acid profile, and the perhaps open mid palate does speak to the 100% Merlot referenced on the back label. Enjoyable toasty oak influence, and dark quality bordering on olive tapenade. 13.5% ABV. This wine screams Right Bank Bordeaux via Tea Tree Road - a wine that could have only been made by Peter Althaus, RIP. 92+.

1/17/2023 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Somewhere between honey and golden in colour. Nose of lemon lime sorbet. Creamed honey with acid present but not prominent, and a dry finish. An enjoyable package overall, but one wonders what a few grams of residual might add.

12/30/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Nose of oak and tertiary characteristics, noting age. Savoury to the fore: spiced plum and poached cherry. Acid and tannin in balance, the winner not ascertained. I would have said whole bunch influence, but the script reads destemmed with wild yeast fermentation and minimal intervention. 13.5% ABV. A benign strawberry Tamar Valley Pinot Noir this is not. Bravo.

11/27/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Dense, dark colour without bricking. Black cherry and spiced plum. Good acid with hint of funk suggesting degree of whole bunch. Rich, somewhere between Chinese 5 spice and Christmas pudding. 13.5% ABV. My last bottle, but still life ahead. 90+.

11/14/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Lovely crimson colour. Nose of leather, spice and blackcurrant. Ripe seductive fruit, with length from tannins, oak and acid. Some grip on the finish, with hints of olive tapenade. Almost Cabernet-esque on opening; however, time in the glass led to more prominent fruit and oak. 14.5% ABV. Still another 5-10 years in the tank.

10/7/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Golden colour. Initial hints of marmalade opened up into apricot, grapefruit and almond, suggesting minimal if any MLF. Subtle solids contact. A recent bottle elsewhere had lost its lustre, but this still had life ahead. 13% ABV. Grand Cru Chablis via Denmark, Great Southern. 92+.

9/16/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Light golden, straw coloured. Nose of beeswax and honeyed lemon. Lovely zinging acidity, dancing along the tongue. 11.5% ABV. This wine is absolutely singing. 93+.

8/26/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Thought I’d give Ravensworth’s Rhone blend a try. Not the easiest wine to get ahold of I must say. Wow, it’s interesting. Lifted nose, honeyed fruit, texture, acid and some salinity on the finish. A lovely match with Kingfish. 13% ABV. Buy some if you can find any. 92+.

8/25/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Dark almost black cherry. Spice, fennel and toasty oak. Forest floor in abundance, currently porcini mushroom and truffle. 14.4% ABV. Premier Cru Burgundy quality.

8/23/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Ripe lemon-lime nose, with a whiff of chalk and bath salts. Pale straw-colour, suggesting starting development. Lovely acid line dancing on the tongue. Electric almost. Some fleshy texture, with the lees component likely contributing. Length is prodigious. 12% ABV. My wife enamoured.

8/2/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Restrained ripe cherry, lovely acid and tannins, with savoury notes (likely courtesy whole bunch) and oak influence in the background. Adelaide Hills via Burgundy. 13.5% ABV. Flying under the radar.

6/30/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Whole bunch, savoury, poached strawberry. Funky, flannel in that very Yarra way. At least Premier Cru. 13.5% ABV. This is my wheelhouse.

6/20/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Bright colour, vanillin nose with long, silky tannins. Medium bodied and light footed, like a snow leopard leaving minimal tracks. This is an enjoyable expression of the style. 14.5% ABV. I did wonder about the addition of another variety or two to add structure.

6/19/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Still a lovely colour, supported by Diam cork. Savoury nose with spiced plum, bordering on the exotic. Fine, long tannins with the oak treatment not that of a second wine. Fruit in transition, on its trajectory towards tertiary. Acid, quietly but surely, playing its part. 13.5% ABV. Stoney Vineyard has long been one of the best value prospects in the country.

6/18/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Lifted nose, cherry bordering on maraschino, crunchy acidity and long integrated tannins. 14.3% ABV. A fuller style, and I wish I had more. 91+.

6/14/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

If we are lucky we have that friend, the one you invite around that occasionally needs to trim their beard, is usually in flannel, who always turns up and contributes, bringing something to the table every time, regardless of the company. So it is with this wine. Lifted cherry nose with hints of compote. Juicy acidity with lovely long tannins, more from skin than oak. A relatively complex food wine masquerading as something much simpler. A perfect match with pork sausage, complimented by just enough fennel. 13% ABV. You know who you are.

6/5/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Cranberry colour and nose, with lifted red fruits and spice. A little bit of funk, with juicy acidity and tea leaves. The 14.6% ABV is not pervasive. Defies easy description, but is easy to enjoy.

5/27/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Tannins still somewhat firm on opening, supported by good acidity. More almond than cashew, more white peach than pink grapefruit. Mealy, full bodied even, with great length and mouth filling persistence. 13% ABV. Singing.

5/8/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Lovely straw colour, brioche and lemon curd after a measly 11 years on tirage! In a word richness, with the Chardonnay dominance easily picked by my wife. A beautiful match with soft shell crab Japanese, cleansing acidity the key. 12.5% ABV. Spellbinding. 93+.

5/1/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Lifted nose, rich dark cherry and porcini mushroom. As is the way with Home Hill Pinots, this has definitely entered tertiary development. Acid and tannin provide ample structure, and it was a great match with burgers tonight. Still travelling nicely, unfortunately I don’t have too many bottles left. 13.8% ABV. A classy wine.

4/26/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

We recently really enjoyed a trip to Clonakilla, and this prompted tonight’s tasting. A tale of two wines: 2013 Hilltops vs 2014 O’Riada. Apples and oranges, but enjoyable nonetheless. 2013 was a good vintage in the vineyard, and this is clearly reflected in the wine. Elegant lifted dark fruit, with tannins firm but enjoyable. There’s an almost Cabernet-esque poise about it all. Medium bodied and fantastic QPR. 14% ABV. Yum. 90+

4/26/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

The 2014 vintage was described as one of extremes: frost, hail, heat-wave then rain.
In comparison to the 2013 Hilltops, the 2014 O’Raida is softer, almost Pinot-like. Dark cherry, savoury notes, white pepper, tannin, spice all there, but just with a little less meat on its bones. This is a wine comfortable in its own skin, not trying to be anything it isn’t. Drink now. 13.5% ABV. 89+. I will try another bottle in the coming weeks to ensure there is no bottle variation.

4/16/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Nose of red cherry, fennel and spice. Rich, savoury palate with great acid support. Toasty tannins a secondary thought, but providing elegant length. My declared bias is this is my style of Pinot. 13.4% ABV. With a Polish Easter spread this was a match made in heaven. 92+.

4/11/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Dark colour climbing up the glass. Nose of chocolate pudding and vanilla ice cream. Palate of mocha and spiced dark plums. Tannins long, but perhaps still a little chewy. 13.5% ABV. Still kicking. 90+.

4/10/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Dark cherry colour, with nose of spiced plum. Richer style, opulent even, suggesting a focus on picking ripeness. As a result, acid is a little softer. Integrated toasty oak, and tertiary development with stewed fruit and truffle. 13.9% ABV, with a little heat on the finish. Drink up.

4/8/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Light golden colour. Cashew, pink grapefruit and French oak. Balancing acidity, toasty tannins, and complexity on the finish suggesting solids contact. Good length and well integrated. 13 years young, but when the back label recommends decanting you get the feeling this was quite big when younger. 13% ABV. Wow.

4/4/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Dark crimson colour. Enticing nose of mint, cassis and cigar box. Black fruit, integrating mouth-filling tannins and good acid support. Vanilla too, with a hint of spiced Christmas tarts. The 14.5% ABV more prominent as the wine opened up, with a little heat on the finish. Perhaps more opulent than restrained, a very enjoyable aged New World Cab Merlot.

4/2/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Dark crimson with lift on the nose. Fruit in the dark plum spectrum with savoury notes, spice and peppercorn. Integrated, quietly gripping tannins. Seductively nuanced. In a really good place. 13% ABV. Rhone via the Pyrenees.

3/31/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Strawberry colour, with lifted nose and savoury notes. Spice, cinnamon and medium acidity with prominent oak +/- skin tannins. Definite food wine and a lovely match with Quiche Lorraine. As the wine warmed and opened up the only question was whether the fruit could carry the oak treatment. 13.2% ABV. Burgundy clearly the inspiration here. 90-91 points.

3/29/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Cashew, pink grapefruit and toasty oak, supported by acid in the background. Some solids contact and smoky reduction. 13.5% ABV. Overdelivers. 90+.

3/28/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

I’ve sat on these for a little while. Lovely dark colour, with some early separation. Cassis, cigar box and mint on the nose. Palate of dark fruit with a hint of chocolate and bay leaf. Juicy acidity, and still softening tannins. Should easily travel another 5-10 years. 14.5% ABV. Elegantly powerful.

3/24/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Acid hounds please form an orderly queue. White flowers and just a hint of honey on the nose. Linear acidity with lemon pith. Minimal development after 7 years suggests the remainder of my case should continue to age well. 12.5% ABV. This screams out for oysters.

3/24/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Developing colour, with grapefruit and lemon flowers on the nose. White peach and solids impact on the palate. Oak tannins and acid present and providing length. This is so seamless it’s possible to not initially appreciate the quality. Speaks of the Upper Yarra Valley. 13.2% ABV. I’d put on Everything In Its Right Place by Radiohead and kick back and enjoy. 92+.

3/22/2022 - For The Love of Loosen Likes this wine:

Grapefruit, white peach, cashew and nougat. Juicy acidity and still integrating (including new) oak tannins the redeeming features. Struck match if you go looking for it. A slightly less elegant proposition than the 2012. 13% ABV. 90+. Definitely a food wine.