Welcome to Vine Verdicts — Where every bottle gets its say!

Our carefully selected 2025 tasting panel swirls, sniffs, and sips its way through a curated lineup of wines to bring you honest, insightful reviews. From hidden gems to cult classics, we deliver verdicts you can trust.
🍷Straight from the glass to your next great drop.🍷

 MAY 2025

Reviwer @richiesipsvino

1838 RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022
This Cabernet Sauvignon presents as a ruby with a brownish rim colouration, and a nose of medium (-) intensity, with notes of cedar, tomato leaf, with charred wood and very subtle dark plum. The palate shows medium sharp acidity, which promotes a medium intensity of juicy blackberry flavours coupled with subtle black plum, liquorice-anise, chocolate, coffee, caramel, and wood char. The tannins are soft and fully integrated. The alcohol at 14% helps promote the medium body. The length is medium (+) with a juicy & sharp blackberry flavour. In summary, this is a “Good” wine. It is a very smooth, easy drinking wine, with some complexity on the palate and a balanced structure. Fruit notes are restrained but present and persistent, and in combination promote a level of elegance and grace. I would suggest to drink now. Given the elegant style, this wine would pair well with roasted lamb.

Quality: Good

THE PERFECT STORM MCLAREN VALE SHIRAZ 2023

Shiraz makes up approximately 46% of the total variety planted in Australia —so it is “the big gun-wine” in Australia. Looking at my cellar — 807 bottles (41%) are Shiraz of the total holding of 1960 bottles. This Shiraz presents as a deep purple–crimson colouration, with a medium (-) tolight aroma with subtle florals, blackberry, bramble. The palate shows a medium acidity, which is well balanced with medium, soft, fine integrated tannins and a high alcohol of 14.5%.It is textured with a medium (+) body, supported by medium intensity of blackberry and very subtle notes of plum, milk chocolate, vanilla, and oak spice. The length is medium (+) with a creamy blackberry finish. In summary, it is a simple, elegant, youthful Shiraz, which has a balanced structure with austere, subtle black fruits of creamy blackberry. Potentially a signature Shiraz of McLaren Vale? A wine to drink now. Given a lighter style, Shiraz would pair with roast lamb. Actually, I had a number of glasses with cheddar and just meditated.
Quality: Good

VIKING GRAND BAROSSA VALLEY GSM 2021
A blast from the past — I started cellaring seriously in 2003 and have very fond memories of Viking Wines, and the purchase and storage of the Viking Wines Grand Barossa Valley Shiraz. Those were the days!  This wine is based on the infamous GSM blend of the Southern Rhone. It presents with a medium intensity ruby with a slight brownish tinge, with a complex nose of cherry, plum, subtle raspberry, anise, oak, and vanilla, with Day 2 showing delicious notes of strawberry jam. On the palate, it has a balanced structure of smooth, fine, integrated medium tannins and medium (-) acidity with a medium body. Initially a bit dull on the palate with the flavours more subdued — subtle plum–prune and sour cherry — with Day 2 showing cooked plum, bitter dark chocolate, and a whisp of iodine. The length is medium with a blackberry finish. Potentially a need to decant to fully open up. In summary, a good, developing GSM with a fruit-forward element and levels of complexity. It’s easy drinking and enjoyable, with peak drinking now — so why wait? Pairing: barbecue and/or smoked meats, venison, or even a hearty winter stew.
Quality: Good+

THE COLONIAL ESTATE EXPLORATEUR BAROSSA VALLEY SHIRAZ 2023
This Shiraz presents a deep purple–crimson colouration, with a nose of medium intensity of sweet oak, vanilla, black fruits such as blackberry and plum, tobacco smoke. The palate shows a dry, bright, juicy medium (+) acidity with integrated medium tannins and a high alcohol of 14.5%. This builds a soft, clean, rich, full body supporting complex medium (+) intensity flavours of blackberry, plum, vanilla oak, chocolate-mocha, sweet spice, liquorice, wood smoke, menthol, and orange peel. The length is long with a creamy vanilla–blackberry-like finish. In summary, a very good, delicious, rich Shiraz combining complex aromas and flavours highlighting black fruits and creamy vanilla, which is wrapped around a supportive balanced structure. A good representation of Barossa wine. Beautiful drinking now, but has potential for short-term cellaring. Given the bigger style, Shiraz would pair nicely with steak, beef, Osso Buco.
Quality: Very Good

CROWN & ANCHOR BUTTERY MCLAREN VALE CHARDONNAY 2024
Chardonnay — the winemaker's wine — given the many different styles that can be generated from the winemaker’s intervention both in the vineyard and the winery. Chardonnay, for me, given the multitude of styles, is always a wine that generates a “hit or miss” response with little middle ground. This Chardonnay presents as a medium golden colouration, with a medium (+) aroma of lemon, stone fruits of peach, apricot, and subtle herbal tones, hay, and oak. The palate shows medium (+) bright acidity and medium 13% alcohol with medium (+) rich, creamy textured body supported by notes of a citrus–stone fruit blend, oak, and spice.
The length is medium (+) with a citrus/stone-fruit finish, but with a disruptive burn on the lips. Has the ability to cellar. Given this rich Chardonnay, I would pair with any of the white/light meats, such as chicken, pork, veal. It also has the acidity to cut through creamy sauces, so I actually paired with a white fresh fish with a rich creamy white sauce. Boy, I am getting hungry just talking about it!
Quality: Good to Very Good Wine

SHANAHANS EVERGREEN EDEN VALLEY RIESLING 2023
I am a “nutter” for Australian Riesling, based on the QPR (Quality Price Ratio) and its ability to age and evolve. Eden Valley, with its high altitude and coolish climate, tends to drive wines of lower alcohol and higher acidity. Shanahans Riesling presents with a lemon-greenish colouration, with complex aromas of medium (+) intensity of dominant citrus-driven fruits of lemon and lime, which develop in glass to pear and apple, supported by subtle notes of florals and lemon grass. On the palate, dry with medium (+) lively acidity and lowish alcohol of 11.5% driving a light “watery” body. The flavours are medium (+) intensity and more simplistic than the aroma, with a flavour hit dominated by citrus notes. It has a medium length with a slight sour citrus (memories of Warhead lollies) on the finish. In summary, a “Good,” simple, outhful, refreshing Riesling with purity of fruit. Drink now. Pairing a no-brainer, as Riesling is so versatile with foods such as fresh seafood, shellfish, oysters, Thai & Japanese cuisine. I actually paired this wine with sashimi and sushi — just perfection!
Quality: Good Wine