Review: Wines of Victoria, Australia, 2025 Releases
Australia is a country and a continent. It’s big. Really big. Not surprisingly, it has a number of wildly diverse wine regions. So, while lots of people in the U.S. are familiar with Australian wines, particularly Shiraz, there are significant wine regions that remain generally unknown and which are better suited to different grapes. Today we are trying wines from Victoria, which is located on the southeast corner of Australia, about 370 miles southeast of the Barossa Valley, and which is home to 21 distinct smaller wine regions. Let’s give these wines a try.
2023 Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Riesling Strathbogie Ranges Victoria – 100% Riesling. On both the nose and palate, this wine offers bright lime citrus and floral notes as well as nice minerality. It is bone dry and has high acidity. It is a bit austere to drink on its own, but with food it’s a winner. It will pair brilliantly with cheese, its acid cutting through the fat and its citrus notes cleansing the palate. A- / $35
2022 Handpicked Pinot Noir Yarra Valley Victoria – 100% Pinot Noir. Certified organic. This wine initially shows a bolder nose than palate, introducing aromas of dried cranberry, blackberry, a little anise, as well as a touch of green pepper. The palate starts out soft but grows as you work your way through the glass, offering gentle cranberry and Bing cherry notes. There is medium to high acidity, and the finish is fairly long. The wine works well with food, and I recommend pairing it with grilled chicken or pork chops. B / $29
2022 Paringa Estate Pinot Noir Mornington Peninsula Victoria – 100% Pinot Noir. There is clear Burgundian character here, showing bright floral notes as well as fruity cranberry and black cherry on the nose and palate. Midpalate, the wine introduces a savory note before transitioning to a fairly long finish with lightly drying tannins. A medium-high acidity promises it will be at its best with food, but it can be enjoyed on its own as well. A- / $40
2019 Tellurian GSM Heathcote Victoria – 57% Grenache, 38% Shiraz, 5% Mourvedre. Certified organic. Dusty with plum, cherry, and gentle pepper notes. The wine has a silky mouthfeel, and the palate shows nice acidity and has a bit of a savory note. The finish is medium to long. B+ / $30
2021 Dominique Portet Fontaine “Cabernets” Yarra Valley Victoria – 55% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petite Verdot, 5% Malbec. The name is a bit confusing since the wine includes more Merlot than Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Merlot contributes to the wine’s gentle character. Juicy, rounded notes of plum and black currant show on both the nose and palate. This is an easy sipper, but it has some additional complexity. Gentle tannins give it a silky mouthfeel and notes of granite enter midpalate along with a light, savory note. Medium acidity adds some structure. This is a great wine to relax with and can easily be enjoyed with or without food. B+ / $24
2021 Buller Wines Balladeer Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherglen Victoria – 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose introduces deep, fruity notes of plum, black current, black cherry, and pepper along with a touch of leather. The palate follows suit with lots of deep, ripe fruit, pepper, and more leather, but this is joined by nutmeg and cinnamon as well as a savory note of black olives that adds interesting complexity. The tannins hit just right, providing structure and a lovely mouthfeel, and the acidity is medium-high. The components of this wine really come together nicely and the finish is long, introducing gentle drying oak. This Cabernet is impressive and hits above its price point. A / $32
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