Bob McDonald

9.1

Delectable - this is the Grenache Blanc - not in your database. From half bottle. Mid to pale yellow - muted nose / citrus and traces of honeysuckle. Like a hypothetical cross between Chardonnay and dry Riesling. — 15 hours ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Deep Ruby with a slightly tawny rim. This would’ve been red fruited with raspberries in its youth but much more savoury at 25 years of age with just a trace of dried raspberry. A slight tarry note on the back palate which is totally balanced and a class act. With more air there were aromatics of a little pipe tobacco, leather and even boot polish Barb thought. Fine yet firm tannins. A privilege to drink this famous wine from a good vintage. — 3 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Named after Sir Arthur Streeton, a leading impressionist and landscape painter. Lived from 1867 to 1943. A leading member of the Heidelberg School. I first came across this wine when I was judging at the Toowoomba Wine Show and fell in love with it. Gave it a Gold Medal and persuaded my fellow judges to do the same. Only 60 dozen made and I was lucky enough to purchase a dozen. I described it as Cote Rotie on steroids at the time. Black pepper, earth and spice. Sweet black fruit - plums. See previous Delectable note 5 years ago. Heathcote at its best. — 15 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Brief notes. Aromatic red fruits. Fulsome and sweet on the medium bodied palate. An excellent Pinot Noir from the accredited terroir for Pinot of the Mornington Peninsula. Red savoury cherries on nose and palate Smooth supple fine tannins. — a day ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

Even in an average vintage like 2007 the Bin 28 can still be showing well at 19 years of age. Blackberry and Penfolds Choc mocha. Some herb garden and liquorice. Will not improve but could carry on for a couple more years. — 5 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

100% Merlot from Maremma, coastal Tuscany. Dark crimson in colour. Smells like right bank Bordeaux. I usually avoid the description “smooth “ but that is what this is. Red and black fruited - medium bodied and very long in the flavour profile. Next night still very Bordeaux. See my previous note from February 2024. — 13 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

68% Sauvignon Blanc, 24% Semillon and 8% Muscadelle. Not as unctuous and fulsome as previous Triolets I have had. Some notes of lemongrass, spice and apple. Goes well with food. Still remains an excellent example of a new world White Bordeaux blend yet I think it needed more time. Next in a year or two. — 16 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

One of the Hunter Valleys premium Cuvees honouring the legendary Maurice O’Shea. Very dark ruby - impenetrable in colour. Aromatics of sweet earth - very earthy - plum, red berry and dark chocolate - very Hunter Valley. Amazingly strong for a 27 year old wine. Very Rich, full bodied and concentrated for a Hunter Valley wine. I’ve commented on this before that there was a period of 10 plus years where HV wines were made to imitate South Australian wines - ripe and full bodied. This wine represents that style. Thankfully the current style is more medium bodied but nevertheless this is an outstanding wine with at least 10 plus years left in it. — a day ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Pale lemon in colour. Citric aromas with plenty of mineral. Herbal notes. A quality Premier Cru. Finishes with good persistence and length. Jancis said she “retasted this after the grands crus and it didn’t suffer too much.” — 13 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Interesting to compare this with the Bierzo had a few days ago - both the Mencia grape. Consulting my map i note that Ribeira Sacra is next to Bierzo, both in Galicia. I found this wine slightly more delicious than the Bierzo. This wine is 80% Mencia - the other 20% being Garnacha and 5 other varietals that no one would’ve heard of before. Difficult to describe the palate - very savoury and spicy and lacking in overt fruit you might see in an Australian wine. No lesser wine because of this. I had my first one 28 weeks ago in January 2026. — 15 days ago