Hunter Valley, NSW Latest Packs

So much goodness here in what is our most premium white pack in ages. It includes two First Creek Semillons, both of which picked up 96 points from Halliday, placing them equal fifth in a field of 180 tasted so far. Then there's Grant Burge's Sauvy Blanc, which picked up the best SB trophy at the Adelaide Show. Plus Vickery's magical 95 point Watervale Riesling, a multiple trophy winning SBS from Willow Bridge and Hirsch Hil's flagship Yarra Chardonnay.

The Noble Grape is a bit on the nose at the moment.

Perceived by some as being bony, hard of tannins and shy of revealing fruit, Cabernets are long way from their heyday of 20 years ago, when they outsold Shiraz. These days, the willingness to cellar, always Cabernet friend isn't really there, and 'good to go right now' wines are in ascendancy.

BUUUUUT ... we love it dearly and know that with the right fruit and the right gifted winemaker, assertively angular tannins and bony acidity make way for ethereal perfumes, generously jubey fruit and a massive smile on the head of whoever is drinking them. So here's a 'no bones' and 100% beautiful baker's doz of Cabernet for your consideration.

2 stunners from Kilikanoon lead the way and Briar Ridge's complex, Halliday 95 pointer slides in effortlessly behind. Ditto, Dandelion's 96 point Coonawarra beauty, Longview's Trophy winning stunner and Dowie Doole's tiny production, 96 point work of genius. These really are all magical- just double decant an hour or so before drinking!

Oh, the 13th bottle!?

Cab is well known for ageing beautifully, so we've scrounged around and found a small quantity of Zonte's Blackberry Patch Cab from 2017. It's drinking beautifully and we doff our Cab to it!

If alternative whites are your jam, butter up! Here's a selection of 6 slippery suckers with nary a Chardonnay or a Sauvvy Blanc in sight. All tasted and retasted by our panel and all given the thumbs up. Langmeil’s gold medal winning blend of Rhone varietals Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. A couple of superb Fianos from McLaren Vale. a 95 point Sem from the Hunter and a couple of gorgeous PGs- one from the Clare and the other from the Adelaide Hills. All drinking beautifully, right now!