Western Australia | Sarah Ahmed - The Wine Detective

Western Australia, London tastings for trade and consumers

Posted Tuesday 17th May 2011

Tomorrow, between 2-3.30pm, I’m presenting a Margaret River masterclass at London International Wine Fair for members of the trade. I’ll be focusing on this iconic region’s Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays. Apparently there’s just one place left, so if you’d like to bag it, get in touch with the Wine Australia team at the fair at Stand N32. And for consumers, no [...]

Pierro Chardonnay, latest 2008 releases

Posted Wednesday 9th June 2010

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I’m teeing up for tomorrow’s celebration of Western Australia’s Foundation Day by whetting my whistle in style on the latest 2008 Chardonnay releases from Margaret River’s Pierro. I met with Dr Mike Peterkin, Pierro’s founder, last year. He gave me chapter and verse on the Chardys for which he is justly renowned (see my detailed report here). Compared [...]

Aussie Chardy: this way please

Posted Monday 31st May 2010

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In the last week, I’ve presented a couple of blind tastings focused on Chardonnay and regionality in Australia. My line up, the first two unoaked, comprised: Mount Adam Chardonnay 2008 (Barossa, South Australia) Cumulus Rolling Chardonnay 2008 (Central Ranges, New South Wales) Kooyong Estate Chardonnay 2006 (Mornington Peninsula, Victoria) De Bortoli Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2006 [...]

Flying the flag for Western Australia: a celebratory tasting at the Australian High Commission

Posted Saturday 22nd May 2010

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If you’ve drooled over my reports on Western Australian wines, come join me at a tasting at the Australian High Commission, Strand, London to celebrate WA Foundation Day. I’ll be on hand to provide an insight into a range of Western Australia’s finest wines, including some personal favourites – Alkoomi, Cape Mentelle, Clairault, Cullen, Ferngrove, [...]

The odd couple – Australia’s Egon Müller Kanta Riesling & Moss Wood Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir

Posted Monday 19th April 2010

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Yes, no mistakes there. Egon Müller, the German Riesling supremo is making Riesling in Australia’s Adelaide Hills and Western Australia’s iconic Margaret River producer Moss Wood has gone east to make Pinot Noir in Mornington Peninsula’s cooler climes. I tasted both last month at the Specialist Importer (trade) tasting. Egon Müller Kanta Riesling 2008, Adelaide [...]

Bordeaux blends Margaret River-style

Posted Thursday 1st April 2010

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Last week I discovered that “hair of the dog” is as applicable to holidays as hangovers. The evening after I returned from a particularly fabulous break in Western Australia (see my top 10 tips here), I presented a Western Australia tasting – a great opportunity to extend that holiday glow and flash my rapidly receding [...]

Going my own WA – my top 10 Western Australia travel tips

Posted Thursday 1st April 2010

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It’s often said that a wine writer’s life is one long holiday. Last September’s trip to Western Australia in which I combined wine and travel assignments did nothing to dispel this myth. Much as I loved it, I’ve been dying to get back to WA under my own steam with my other half for some [...]

Landmark, Denmark – Australian fine wine & chocolate

Posted Friday 26th March 2010

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I’m back from holidays this week. While I was away I received some incredibly exciting news – I’m one of 14 people selected to attend the prestigious Landmark Australia Tutorial 2010 in the Yarra Valley this September. Julia Harding MW of Jancis Robinson’s Purple Pages and Jamie Goode, The Wine Anorak, batted for England at [...]

Western Australia – 3 wonderful weeks of wine, food & travel

Posted Saturday 9th January 2010

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Pemberton’s Karri trees, pictured, reach dizzying heights and so it is with Western Australia’s wines. Thrilling then to discover on my latest visit that WA’s food culture is as regionally nuanced and fine as the wine. For your delight and delectation, I’ve distilled the highlights of my three week stay diary-style – you can chart [...]

McHenry Hohnen – from vine to swine

Posted Wednesday 23rd December 2009

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Following on from my Howard Park write up here, I’ve posted my second regional report of my Western Australia trip here. It focuses on my September visit to McHenry Hohnen and, as you’ll gather from the picture and the title of this post, there’s more to this family-owned producer than wine. In fact, when David [...]

HP sauce is delicious of course – a visit with Howard Park

Posted Thursday 17th December 2009

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After a full on Portugal-focused month, this week, I’ve finalised my 50 Great Portuguese Wines for the 2010 annual tasting and updated the Portugal entries for Hugh Johnson Pocket Wine 2011 – hurrah! And my thoughts have now magically reverted to my Western Australia trip of September/October. You’ll find here the first of my detailed [...]

Cullen Wines – a Penguin coup!

Posted Tuesday 24th November 2009

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Here’s some bright and breezy, flag-waving news about Cullen Wines of Margaret River (Cullen restaurant pictured). Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2007 was one of my recent Wines of the Month (click here for my September review). This morning news has winged its way from Down Under that it’s been named the ‘Wine of the Year [...]

Howard Park, zooming in on Riesling and Pinot Noir

Posted Sunday 4th October 2009

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Western Australian wineries are well up for pitting their wines and wits against the best the Old World can offer – Cape Mentelle started it with a Cabernet Sauvignon tasting, followed by Cullen for Chardonnay, Howard Park for Riesling, Peel Estate for Shiraz, Millbrook for Viognier, Woodlands for Cabernet blends and Fraser Gallop for white Bordeaux [...]

Rhone Ranger, g’day mate!

Posted Wednesday 30th September 2009

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Just out of a fun blind tasting at McHenry Hohnen of 22 Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre-dominated blends, 11 from the Barossa, 1 from McLaren Vale, 3 from Margaret River and 7 from the Southern Rhone. My big picture conclusion – Margaret River sits neatly between the New World GSMs and the Rhone with well-defined, fresh red [...]

Fraser Gallop – a runaway success?

Posted Saturday 19th September 2009

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I’m off to Western Australia today on various journo missions, also guesting at the Howard Park International Riesling tasting and judging Qantas Wine Show of Western Australia. It’s a region which I love to visit – very beautiful and great wines of course! Speaking of which, in the current edition of Decanter, bulging with award [...]