CRITIC’S CORNER | Matthew Jukes on Australia

15 April 2026

Matthew Jukes has been documenting the Australian wine scene for almost all his career – notably with his annual report of the 100 Best Australian Wines. He considers where Australian wines sit today, in terms of their most compelling offerings

I have been compiling my 100 Best Australian Wines report for 22 years now. As every year passes, the Australian fine-wine scene continues to improve and impress with its staggering diversity and deliciousness. I am in no doubt that the country’s fine wines have never been more memorable, ageworthy or unique. But if there is one quality that defines this year’s collection, it is its diversity. 

What is most interesting is that this diversity is being driven by winemakers’ intent and confidence rather than them being confined by traditional regional boundaries. Take the whites. We are now totally over that image of Aussie Chardonnay being too heavy and oaky. Indeed for a while it almost went too far the other way, with a touch of leanness. Producers seem to have found their happy medium now. And dry Aussie Riesling is finally starting to break through. It’s the first year I can remember when, as I toured the country for my 100 Best Festival, presenting the wines to legions of enthusiastic consumers, people were asking, ‘What Riesling have you got’? 

But for me, the greatest interest and invention in the white wines lies beyond these two pillars. Consider Tahbilk’s light Viognier and its dreamy Marsanne – two varieties you don’t see an awful lot of in Australia. The Viognier redefines the variety’s delicacy quotient by tiptoeing across the palate while you are distracted by the hauntingly pretty nose, before conspiring to bring alluring curves and creaminess to the mid-palate. The electrifying Marsanne, meanwhile, is a world-class beacon which casts a laser beam of bright lemon and green apple skin, underpinned by tart greengage tension and topped with talcy, cleansing acidity. At £17 (like the Viognier), it is unmissable. 

And while you might rightly think that the Kiwis, over the ditch, claim Southern Hemisphere ownership of Sauvignon Blanc, my 2026 Winery of the Year conjures up a much fitter, more toned and less tropical model. Shaw + Smith’s rendering boasts a much more Loire-inspired flavour spectrum, pole-vaulting out of the glass with a spectacular aromatic volley of raw citrus and seashell freshness. It is the wine that put both Shaw + Smith and the Adelaide Hills region on the international map back in 1989, introducing the notion that Australia could make cool-climate wines to rival the very best. 

All those whites are world class – and I haven’t even mentioned the Chenin Blanc and Fiano. As I say, spectacular diversity… 

In similar fashion, think of truly great Australian red wines and you no doubt alight on the legions of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and associated blends. But over the last decade, the emergence of world-class Grenache (there are more than ever in this year’s report) and Pinot Noir has become a reality. And it is these two varieties that should be flash-mobbing our dining room tables and cellars. 

This year’s report contained more medium-weight reds than ever before – something the market is wanting and where Australia is heading. Grenache is the thing that is emerging fastest, even though it’s always been there. Just one made the grade in my first ever 100 Best report in 2004; this year I had eight. Among them, Yangarra’s Circle Grenache does precisely the same job as its white, in red form, knocking off the variety’s tannins and heft and giving it a polish, resulting in a vivid purple, rose petal-scented, limber, mildly spicy red with guaranteed appeal. 

There were 14 Pinots in this year’s report (twice as many as back in 2004), and even the wines of a relatively large producer such as Yering Station have remarkable purity and resonance. They are ‘light’ in the truest sense of the word, but their flavours are surprisingly intense. You can even say the same about reds from Margaret River and Coonawarra, which boast dark fruit but are wonderfully light on their feet. Xanadu has long been a superstar in Margaret River, and while its name might not trip off the tongue like others in the region, its Reserve Cabernet could command a much loftier price tag if taste alone determined cost. It is far superior to all those Napa, Mendoza, Aconcagua, Stellenbosch, Bordeaux and Tuscany (to name but a few) creations with triple-digit tags.

And did I mention the Sangiovese and Saperavi?? 

The 100 Best only features wines that are available in the UK, and sadly, we’re not seeing quite as many of Australia’s smaller producers here as we once were. There are more barriers to entry, the market is quite introspective right now, and there are also more players on the field, internationally. That said, it was heartening to see five wineries making their debut in this year’s list: Bass Phillip, Chaffey Bros, Hugh Hamilton, MMAD and Pizzini. And at the 100 Best events, UK consumers lap the wines up. It’s only the wine trade that has yet to realise that Australian fine wine is a thrilling category that stands shoulder to shoulder with any other country’s finest creations.

The complete 2026 100 Best Australian Wines report can be found on Matthew’s website: www.matthewjukes.com

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