In addition to the many Australian, Asian, European and North American
wine competitions we enter each year; we also send our wines to wine critics for review.

Please use the wine critics’ reviews as a guide to further enrich your senses.

Steve Leszczynski

Steve Leszczynski is a wine writer, wine dinner host and a passionate supporter of the wine industry. Apart from writing for his website QwineReviews.com, Steve contributes to Halliday Wine Companion, Vinomofo, Grapegrower & Winemaker Magazine and Wine Business Monthly.

Trifon Estate Family Reserve Shiraz 2015
Some of these Trifon Estate wines have a good bit of age on their side and they are drinking very well right now. The account is opened with shades of dark plums and dark fruit but the waves of savoury pleasure wash up gently. Vanilla, cloves and baking spices fold into one another. A fine sprinkle of black pepper rides long to a persistent and seemingly never-ending finish. A wine to settle in with that keeps growing on you. Impressive. Drink to five years+. 93 Points. June 2021

Trifon Estate Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
With seven years already under its belt, this Cabernet took a little while to hit its straps. Raspberry bullets, black earth, some blue fruit and fine spices. It’s a little firm on opening but it opens its arms in time. Chocolate brownie and woodsy spices follow through. Drink to five years. 90 Points. June 2021

Trifon Estate Family Reserve Tempranillo 2016
This is a really good Tempranillo. Soft and supple it hails from the Goulburn Valley. Sarsparilla, cola, blackberries and a touch of caramel sprawl from the glass as I swirl. Some warmth and spice build momentum through the mouth. The fruit has a consistency about its presence and the finish lingers as does the warmth. Pizza, pasta or paella night here we come. I like it! Drink now to five years. 91 Points. September 2021

Lagoon View Winemakers Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
A fair wine that gained some momentum with some air under its wings. This presents as a spicy Cabernet littered with dark berry fruit and dark plums. Roasted peppers, dark chocolate, dried thyme and black earthiness tuck in behind. Some acid still prominent, despite its age, suggests that many more years lie ahead. The heavy-handed spice takes the gloss away from all that comes before. Drink to five years+. 90 Points. June 2021

Lagoon View Winemakers Selection Shiraz 2016
Respectable Shiraz. The campfire is calling. Raspberry brownie, red plums and dark cherries, there’s a rub of earth and fine peppery spices. A steak over the coals will match this just nicely. Drink to five years+. 88 Points. June 2021

Lagoon View Winemakers Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
This is a solid Cabernet. Black olives, dried herbs and touches of earth flank the black fruit. Some mintiness rises up with time in the glass. A long, soft finish to close. Good stuff. Drink to five years+. 90 Points. June 2021

Lagoon View Winemakers Selection Shiraz 2014 – Magnum
Magnums and barbecues are a perfect match. Sling this 1.5 litre bottle over your shoulder and good times await. Chocolate and dense plum fruit drive the bus here. Some meatiness with edges of char, a soft pepper merges into the frame on close. An appealing and easy-drinking Shiraz. Drink to five years+. 88 Points. May 2021

 Lagoon View Winemakers Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 – Magnum
Roast night red coming in large format. Set plenty of places around the table to share this easy-drinking Cabernet magnum. Dark fruited with black currants swooning, dried green herbs and soft spices all put the shoulder to the wheel delivering a pleasant wine to enjoy with friends. A good buy for the asking price and you’ll be sure to impress with the 1.5L format. Drink to five years+. 88 Points. June 2021

Lagoon View Riesling Traminer 2018
An easy drink to match spicy food. Think fresh-pressed green apples, musk and Turkish Delight. With a light spritz and kiss of sweetness on close. Drink now. 87 Points. June 2021

Humble Vine Selected Reserve Tempranillo 2015
Pitched beautifully, this is a wonderfully balanced Tempranillo from Victoria’s Goulburn Valley. Deliciously savoury, this has journeyed into the aging phase with ease. Meaty, fine spices, earthiness and dark chocolate move and sway in unison. Mouthfilling, there’s great width and depth here. The finish hangs on superbly. I just want more. Go here. Drink to five years. 93 Points. June 2021 

Humble Vine Selected Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012  
Currently a nine-year-old, this Cabernet is part of Trifon Estate’s Selected Reserve range. I had a look at this over two days and it has held up well. Plums and black fruit are the main players with some dark chocolate trickling through. Fine spices round out the finish. Drink now to three years. 88 Points. June 2021

Humble Vine Shiraz 2018
A solid Shiraz from the Goulburn Valley. Black fruits are partnered by cedar, vanilla and flashes of dark chocolate.  Black pepper cuts in on close. With a respectable length, this is a fair drink for the money. Drink to five years. 86 Points. May 2021 

Humble Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Much like its Shiraz sibling, this is an easy-drinking red wine. Mind you, I do prefer this Cabernet.

The fruit is smoother and has some more depth. Varietal characters are present with the black fruits flanked by dried savoury herbs and a suggestion of some mint. Although it doesn’t flow through to the back palate as much as I’d like, there’s some good tannins here that bring happiness. Drink to five years. 87 Points. May 2021

Lloyds Block Chardonnay Semillon 2018        
If a reliable white wine is what you seek, perhaps this is worth a look. Some good varietal characters are shown. Creamy oak adds a veneer of interest with soft stonefruit through the mid-palate. The Semillon adds vibrance and a little crisp factor to close. Respectable. Drink to three years. 87 Points. May 2021

 Lloyds Block Sangiovese Shiraz 2017
Only Australians would put Shiraz with Sangiovese. Surely? Some pleasing blue and red fruits with an earthy grip. Fine spices run long. Dusty tannins, this is a wine that would love Osso Buco, Pizza and Burgers. Good gear. Drink to three years. 88 Points. May 2021

Lloyds Block Shiraz Cabernet 2017  
Value drinking here. Get on board for 20 bucks. The Cabernet really shines through with blackberries and blackcurrants cutting loose. The Shiraz respectably fills out the mid-palate. A dash of fruit sweetness lingers. Still, you’d be a happy camper with this in the glass. Drink to five years+. 88 Points. May 2021

Lloyds Block Cabernet Merlot 2017   
Just like the other Lloyd’s Block wines, for 20 bucks this is good going. Plummy, earthy with black fruits sliding through. Some dark chocolate for the win. Softly spiced, such an easy drink to kick back with. Drink to five years. 89 Points. May 2021