Australian Premium Red Wine Mixed - 6 Pack Value
1 x Corymbia Cabernet Sauvignon (Organic) 2021 - Margaret River, Australia
95/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin
95/100 The Wine Front, Gary Walsh
94/100 Robert Parker
97/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin (2019 vintage)
93/100 The Wine Front (2019 vintage)
Bronze - The Real Review, Huon Hooke (2018 vintage)
96/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Jane Faulkner (2018 vintage)
96/100 The Real Review, Nick Butler (2018 vintage)
96/100 The Wine Front (2018 vintage)
96/100 Jeremy Oliver (2018 vintage)
93/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage)
Organic
Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin ""This wine has been tasted blind a number of times recently, and it is fascinating each time. The aromas are finely layered with cassis, exotic spice, salt bush, dried bay leaf ... there's also a faint backdrop of bacon fat, reminiscent of the Rhône. The tannins on the palate are a standout; super-fine and laid out like a web over the fruit. Very classy. This 2020 has more obvious fruit and structure than the 2019, but we expect that from the vintage. ""
The Wine Front, Gary Walsh ""It’s a graceful style of Cabernet, fine boned and fresh. Blackberry, strawberry, redcurrant, potpourri, slight smoky bacon bone character, and a sea spray/brine kind of thing. Tannin is tight with an emery board texture, subtle tobacco/leafy perfume, and a cool red fruited finish of excellent length, those high quality tannins really stretching it out. Subtle. Lovely.""
Robert Parker ""The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of rose petals, lead pencil shavings, cassis, red apple skins, lavender on the breeze, saltbush, kalamata olives and iodine on the nose. In the mouth, the wine is a spicy, ever-evolving, supple Cabernet from the Mann's Calgardup vineyard. There is a harmony and peace in this wine that remains through each of the vintages. Modern and a little bit thrilling.""
Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin ""Luminescent ruby with glints of purple and black. It shines as if with its own dense internal light. The telltale ripe and chewy tannin profile handled masterfully by Rob Mann, with pristine fruit and great length of flavour. An exceptionally elegant, powder-fine cabernet, part of the new Margaret River breed. A massive, resounding, YES."" (2019 vintage)
The Real Review, Huon Hooke ""Deep, bright purple/red hue. Lifted, high-register violet, blueberry spectrum aromas, the palate medium to full-bodied and lean-ish, with a trace of bitterness in the tannins. A very fragrant, franc-like cabernet with a touch of grip to lose."" (2019 vintage)
Halliday Wine Companion, Jane Faulkner ""The inaugural release with fruit off the Mann family's organically farmed Calgardup vineyard, and the result is a beautifully composed wine. This is all about detail. Heady aromas of mulberries, florals, soy sauce and salt bush with a wisp of menthol. Lots going on yet medium-bodied with superfine tannins that glide across the palate. A wine of great finesse."" (2018 vintage)
The Real Review, Nick Butler ""Dense purple colour - opaque. Brooding dark fruits and graphite. Intense on the palate - blackberries, firm oak and grippy tannins. A tease of sweetness lends charm. This is young and has an incredibly long future ahead of it. Beautifully balanced, precise and poised "" (2018 vintage)
James Suckling ""This has a deep tarry edge to the nose with black fruit, wrapped up in a savory shroud with slate-like notes. A very attractive and convincingly concentrated palate that offers ripe dark plums, black cherries and dark, stony minerals at the fresh, polished, graphite-like finish. Impressive poise and depth."" (2018 vintage)
Gourmet Traveller Wine ""The wines under the Corymbia label have been outstanding.""
Rob & Gen Mann ""Very satisfying""
Gourmet Traveller Wine, Mike Bennie ""Corymbia is one of the most exciting wine projects to emerge from Western Australia in a decade. The combination of a distinguished winemaking family, the reinvention of a much-maligned wine region, the unlocking of the potential of a mature vineyard and a general sense of creativity, have all contributed to a strong currency.
100% cabernet sauvignon
Organic wines are made from grapes grown without pesticides, following strict organic standards. Organic wines are produced in vineyards that do not use synthetic chemicals.Certified organic wines have been certified by Australian Certified Organic Standard (ACOS).
Corymbia is the newish project of Rob and Genevieve Mann. The Mann family, of course, are generational wine producers in WA, with a history of iconic wines and vineyards. Rob, formerly working with Hardys, Cape Mentelle and Newton Vineyard in Napa Valley, has returned home and made a mark.
The family vineyard in Swan Valley is dry grown and organically farmed. While winemaking draws on the Manns’ suite of expertise and diversity of influences, it has been pared back for Corymbia, letting the fruit and character of the wines take the spotlight.
That Swan Valley has been put on a pedestal is wonderful, and a celebration of older vineyards, unique soil profile and a general sense of generational endeavor is exciting for the region. There’s an undercurrent of winemakers amplifying the region’s potential, but arguably Corymbia is the current totem.""
Huon Hooke ""The Mann family are winemaking royalty in Western Australia.""
Corymbia is a new winery launched by one of the founding families of Western Australian wine. The Manns have grown grapes and made wine in the Swan Valley, Western Australia's oldest wine-growing region for over a century. Corymbia wines are critically acclaimed, organically-farmed, single-vineyard wines. Founder, Rob Mann is considered one of Australia's best contemporary winemakers. He was the senior winemaker at Hardy’s Tintara, and Cape Mentelle, where during his ten-year tenure the winery was twice awarded 'Australia's Producer of the Year' and Rob 'Australian Winemaker of the Year'. Prior to founding Corymbia he was Senior Winemaker at LVMH’s Newton Vineyard in the Napa Valley.
Swan Valley is a sub-region of the Swan District wine region just north of Perth, in Western Australia. The Swan District is Western Australia’s oldest wine region, having been planted by English settlers soon after their arrival in 1829. For almost 150 years it was the only significant wine-producing region in Western Australia and today it's also home to the state's largest winery. Some of Western Australia's finest wines are produced in the Swan Valley.
Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra, and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices, and cedarwood."
1 x Grosset "Gaia" Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2018 ~ (Organic) Clare Valley, South Australia
96/100 Jane Faulkner
95/100 Ralph Kyte-Powell
95/100 Huon Hooke
93/100 The Wine Front
97/100 - Top Cabernet Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023 (2019 vintage)
98/100 James Halliday (2016 vintage)
95/100 Mike Bennie (2016 vintage)
95/100 Jeremy Oliver (2016 vintage)
97/100 Tyson Stelzer (2014 vintage)
95/100 The Wine Front (2014 vintage)
Organic
Decanter Magazine ~ The World’s Top 10 White Winemakers #6 Jeffrey Grosset (2016 Vintage)
Tyson Stelzer’s Australian & New Zealand Wines of the Year 2015 ~ Top 20 Wines of the Year Under $100 (2016 Vintage)
James Halliday 5 star winery
Halliday Wine Companion Awards, Jane Faulkner "Gaia demands attention and respect in equal measure. Do take time to admire its balance of savouriness to fruit, it's calmness and class. Expect pomegranate and boysenberries with dabs of licorice, rolled tobacco and cedary oak with a touch of green walnut. Medium-bodied and the plush yet textured tannins render the wine ready for immediate drinking, but will reward those who wait."
Ralph Kyte-Powell "The wines in Jeff Grosset’s admirable portfolio are a reflection of his thoughtful, quality-oriented approach, none more so than Gaia. This cabernet blend from the outer reaches of the Clare Valley is always a wine of precision and personality that sits outside the region’s forceful mainstream cabernet type. The just-released 2017 edition epitomises the marque’s elegant, moreish style, starting intense and briary with a nose of violets, crushed currants and cedar, leading through a medium-bodied wine of admirable length, intensity and finesse. Gaia skilfully measures cabernet’s savouriness and austerity with cassis-like fruit sweetness in lip-smacking harmony. Delicious right now, but age should enhance it wonderfully."
Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023, Erin Larkin "This has grunt and low-down power, but the engine is built into a chassis of fine fruit and supple tannins. The acidity acts as the titanium bolt that holds it together, creating a strengthening framework of life and finesse. Blackberries, cassis, licorice, mulberry and raw cocoa, with nori, pink peppercorns and pastrami, blood plum, kelp and brine. Marvellous." (2019 vintage)
Huon Hooke "Medium to full red colour with a trace of purple and a complex bouquet of damp undergrowth, tobacco, raspberry and briar. More savoury than fruity. The wine is medium to full-bodied and deliciously smooth, supple and easy on the gums. Fresh acidity cleanses the finish. An elegant style, very good now and has cellaring potential."
James Halliday "Estate-grown cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, the certified organic vines 33yo. A breath of fresh air, pulling my lip up and out of Dante’s inferno of other wines in this particular tasting. Supple and immaculately balanced: every flavour, texture. Beautifully nuanced fruits that are 100% within the varietal makeup. The tannins almost lustrous, so fine are they." (2015 vintage)
Mike Bennie "A tour de force of elegance and poise, offering deep concentration, the finesse of tannin, exceptional length of flavour and cool restraint. Cassis, garrigue and faint cedar mesh well in the bouquet while the palate echoes cassis through its long draw across the palate. Ultrafine Cabernet here and a charming drinking experience ensues." (2015 vintage)
Winsor Dobbin "Imagine Daniel Craig as James Bond, strolling onto a superyacht in Monte Carlo. That’s the same kind of effortless cool and style that you’ll find in this red blend from riesling master Jeff Grosset. Only 6,000 bottles were made of this cabernet sauvignon/cabernet franc blend which is gentle but intense with dark berry flavours, minerally hints and a soft, smooth finish. This comes from the highest, coolest site in the Clare Valley and is a wine of impeccable balance. It is also unfined, so is suitable for vegans." (2015 vintage)
Decanter "When the young Jeffrey Grosset launched his own winery in the Clare Valley in the early 1980s, he was swimming against the tide. Back then, Chardonnay was the rising star of Australian Wine. But Grosset wanted to make Riesling and to focus on letting the grapes speak for themselves. The rest of the Australian wine industry has, of course, caught up with Grosset since, thanks in part to the example set by this focused, restlessly intelligent winemaker. By consistently producing arguably Australia’s two best Rieslings – the flowery, lime-rich Watervale and the steely, firm Polish Hill – Grosset has not only helped steer the reversal in this variety’s fortunes but has provided one of the country’s most powerful arguments in favour of the reality of terroir. The undisputed monarch of Clare Valley is Jeffrey Grosset, whose 32-year reign has seen a raft of superlative wines set standards to which other winemakers can only aspire."
Andrew Caillard "The best thing about Grosset, is the sheer enthusiasm, utter commitment and genuine love for making something sublime and brilliant."
Langton Classification of Australian Wine "Grosset Gaia is one of the most sought-after wines produced in Australia"
Grosset Wines are an independently owned winery producing highly regarded premium wines. Established in 1981, the winery is situated in the historic township of Auburn at the southern tip of the Clare Valley, 100 kilometres north of Adelaide.
Jeffrey Grosset, owner, and founder has always been an innovator, challenging tradition and questioning accepted practices. He campaigned to institute the legal integrity of the Riesling grape in Australia, was a leading proponent for the introduction of screwcap closures and funded research into the subject.
Grosset Wines’ philosophy has remained steadfast for over thirty years. The emphasis is on the purity of fruit. The estate vineyards, which are ACO certified organic, are hand tended and each bunch of grapes is harvested at optimum ripeness.
94/100 Halliday's Wine Companion, Steven Creber
92/100 Decanter World Wine Awards
91/100 Wine Enthusiast
93/100 Halliday's Wine Companion, James Halliday (2015 vintage)
91/100 The Real Review, Houn Hooke (2015 vintage)
Bronze - The Wine Front (2015 vintage)
97/100 - Top Cabernet Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023 (2019 vintage)
95/100 Decanter Magazine March 2020 Sarah Ahmed (2014 vintage)
94/100 Ned Goodwin MW (2014 vintage)
94/100 Decanter World Wine Awards (2014 vintage)
95/100 Ray Jordan (2014 vintage)
92/100 The Wine Front (2014 vintage)
92+/100 Campbell Mattinson (2014 vintage)
90/100 Houn Hooke (2014 vintage)
5 Stars Winery - James Halliday
""Halliday Wine Companion - Australian Winery of the Year 2022 & 2023""
Halliday's Wine Companion, Steven Creber ""Shows good regional and varietal expression, although still very youthful and unevolved. Blackcurrant, cedar and dried herb are present in the bouquet and on the palate, with a sense of depth of fruit still to emerge from underneath the emphatic grip of the tannin as it is. Patience required.""
Halliday's Wine Companio, James Halliday ""The tannins need to soften a little more, or a large chunk of flame-grilled beef should accompany the wine. Has potential."" (2015 vintage)
The Real Review, Houn Hooke ""Deep, dark red colour with a trace of purple remainining. The bouquet is char-oaky and savoury with some soy sauce and tapenade notes, the blackberry/blackcurrant fruit came up after prolonged airing. The palate is medium to full-bodied and sinewy, with a certain leanness and a degree of elegance. There's a good whack of firm tannin which lingers at the end."" (2015 vintage)
Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023, Erin Larkin ""We are coming to the end of the premium 2018 releases from Margaret River, so it is a thrill to be able to taste a few more before the tranche is exhausted. This is closed, restrained and cooling, with layers of graphite tannins and salty mineral acidity ... the fruit is supple and elegant, defined wholly by blackberries, mulberries and raspberry coulis. This has eons left in the tank. It would be impatient of you to drink it earlier than 2025 (we would forgive you if you did though, because it is already delicious)."" (2015 vintage)
Ned Goodwin MW ""This is sumptuous Margaret River cabernet, displaying all the regional virtues: cassis, black plum, pastille, dried sage and a firm tea tannin spine. Yet it is the generosity of fruit that is the wine's calling card. Pillars of French oak (14 months; 20% new) keep this wine postured and proudly youthful, yet the wine's poise and extract bode very well for maturity when it all loosens up"". (2014 vintage)
Campbell Mattinson ""Cabernet from the southern end of the famed Margaret River region. A strong, structured cabernet with both length and elegance in its armoury. The flavours here are beautiful. Blackcurrant, mint, milk chocolate and fresh herbs. Perhaps even flashes of lead pencil and cedarwood. Alcohol seems just fractionally prominent but in all other respects this is pretty terrific."" (2014 vintage)
Houn Hooke ""Some development shows in this wine, with briary, earthy and 'crushed ant' savoury complexities, and some floral and red fruit characters peeping through. It's big and brawny with rustic tannins and a chewy texture. Very ripe fruit is apparent. The finish is chewy and grippy. It certainly has character."" (2014 vintage)
Gourmet Traveller Wines ""A full bodied cabernet, scented with vanilla and chocolate as well as dark berries. The palate is very generous and mouth-filling, the tannins soft and fine-grained and all lingers long."" (2014 Vintage)
Ray Jordan, The West Australian Wine Guide ""Immensely powerful and concentrated cabernet from this excellent vineyard. It works a slightly minerally and leafy edge into the intense blackcurrant and slightly black olive nuances on the nose. On the palate it delivers in spades with such power that holds its lines to a very long finish. Grainy but ripe tannins and beautiful oak work in harmony."" (2014 vintage)
Founded by one of the pioneers of the Margaret River winemaking region, David Hohnen and his brother in law, Murray McHenry, an accomplished fine wine retailer. Both have been making wine in Margaret River since the early 1970’s. McHenry Hohnen vineyards are 100% biodynamic. Their three unique vineyards (Burnside, Calgardup and Hazel’s) produce wines that are a reflection of the land. McHenry Hohnen focusses on crafting site-expressive wines and are known for producing some of the regions best wines.
Margaret River is one of the best-known wine regions in Australia, recognized internationally for the quality of its wines and the natural beauty of the region. Although originally renowned for its unusually refined Cabernet Sauvignon and intensely citrusy Chardonnay varieties, the region now produces Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends and Shiraz.
Located in the south-western corner of Western Australia, it is famous for having a more 'European' wine style than its counterparts across Australia, owing to the regions temperate, coastal location which is very similar to that of Bordeaux.
1 x Brokenwood Wade Block 2 Vineyard Shiraz 2020 ~ McLaren Vale, South Australia
95/100 Ned GoodWin MW, Halliday Wine Companion
93/100 The Wine Front
94/100 Stuart Knox, The Real Review (2019 vintage)
94/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2019 vintage)
93/100 Ned GoodWin MW, Halliday Wine Companion (2019 vintage)
92/100 AngusHughson,Wine Pilot (2019 vintage)
97/100 James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion (2018 vintage)
96/100 Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot (2018 vintage)
94/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2018 vintage)
93/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage)
James Halliday 5 Star Winery
Ned GoodWin MW, Halliday Wine Companion ""In this hot and dry year, the elevated sands of Blewitt Springs, home to Wade Block, have offered a superior expression: fresher, more detailed and digestible. The stamp of reduction, apparent in notes of iodine and violet. But boysenberry, kirsch and Cherry Ripe, packed in too. A skein of peppery freshness tows this long to a beguiling finish.""
Stuart Knox, The Real Review ""Deep and bright ruby core into a vibrant purple rim. Plums, violets, and liquorice aromatics. Dark and intense black and blue fruits on entry. The palate has an innate power and drive that the firm and fine tannins just manage to control. Still primary with subtle meat and dark spice undertones in the background. Goes long and is a powerhouse of intensity and balance."" (2019 vintage)
Huon Hooke, The Real Review ""Very deep youthful purple-red; rich, ripe dark-chocolate and blackberry essence aromas, warm grown and generous. A very big, solid, high tannin wine—robust and powerful and gutsy, with guts and grip if not finesse."" (2019 vintage)
Ned GoodWin MW, Halliday Wine Companion ""Sourced across an old Blewitt Springs block, planted on sand with its original root system intact. While the vintage was a warm one, embellishing the wine with palate-staining extract and power, there seems to be a gentler approach to its assemblage than in the past. Black fruits, licorice, dried scrub, lavender and a skein of uncanny clove and pepper-doused acidity. Plenty of mocha oak, too."" (2019 vintage)
AngusHughson,Wine Pilot ""The 2019 vintage has lashings of mulberry and blackberry fruit that are well matched up to coconut-scented oak. There are also edges of dried herbs and spice to add interest. In the mouth the fruit is plush with quite supple tannins that help to draw out a long finish. It will drink well over the medium term but is likely close to peak right now, especially matched up with a juicy rump steak."" (2019 vintage)
Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot ""This is beautiful, with sweet black fruits on the nose with a chocolaty licorice-like character. The palate is the standout feature for me with its medium weight and sustained intensity. It is perfectly structured with a fine balance between the oak and fruit supported by those chalky tannins. Supremely stylish shiraz."" (2018 vintage)
James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion ""Full-bodied, and wastes no time in laying out the reasons why you should buy it. It has a complex web of blackberry and satsuma plum fruits, licorice and dark chocolate and cedary oak."" (2018 vintage)
Huon Hooke, The Real Review ""Very deep, dark red/purple colour, youthful and bright. The aromas are dark chocolate, mocha and fruitcake with lots of dried fruits in it. Some toasty oak hints. It's big and bold, very full-bodied and firm with lashings of tannin. A big, gutsy shiraz that begs to be cellared."" (2018 vintage)
James Suckling ""This has intense red and dark plum, blackberry and raspberry aromas and flavors. The palate is smooth, fleshy and vibrant with a fresh, pure red-plum core. Medium to full body."" (2018 vintage)
The Winemaker ""The 17th bottling of the Wade Block 2 from McLaren Flat. Grown in deep sand, this is an amazing vineyard in that it is more than 20 years old, but planted with cuttings sourced from a very old local vineyard and grown on own roots. Again, very distinctive and complex, and more than qualifies for the ‘Single Vineyard’ label.
McLaren Vale enjoyed a wet winter of 2016 that resulted in excellent soil moisture and topped up nicely due to a wetter than average spring. A warm, dry summer continued into Autumn; plenty of canopy along with above average crops meant a later start. Wonderful ripe fruit characters and rich in flavour.
James Halliday ""A deservedly fashionable winery producing consistently excellent wines. Its big-selling Hunter Semillon provides the volume to balance the limited quantities of the flagships ILR Semillon and Graveyard Shiraz. Brokenwood purchased the Graveyard Vineyard from Hungerford Hill in '78 and has been working to totally rehabilitate the vineyard over the ensuing decades. It's been a vine by vine exercise, with a degree of experimentation of rootstocks and clonal material from other, even older vineyards. Next, there is a range of wines coming from regions including Beechworth (a major resource is the associated Indigo Vineyard), Orange, Central Ranges, McLaren Vale, Cowra and elsewhere. In 2017 Iain Riggs celebrated his 35th vintage at the helm of Brokenwood, offering a unique mix of winemaking skills, management of diverse business, and an unerring ability to keep Brokenwood's high profile fresh and newsworthy. He has also contributed a great deal to various wine industry organisations.""
Australian Wine Companion ""Brokenwood consistently produces excellent wines.
Australian Wine Companion ""Brokenwood's big-selling Hunter Semillon provides the volume to balance the limited quantities of the flagships ILR Semillon and Graveyard Shiraz. Brokenwood purchased the Graveyard Vineyard from Hungerford Hill in 1978 and has fully rehabilitated the vineyard in a vine-by-vine exercise. There is also a range of wines coming from regions including Beechworth (a major resource is the Indigo Vineyard), Orange, Central Ranges, McLaren Vale, Cowra and elsewhere. In 2017 Iain Riggs celebrated his 35th vintage at the helm of Brokenwood, offering a unique mix of winemaking skills, management of a diverse business and an unerring ability to keep Brokenwood’s high profile fresh and newsworthy. He also contributed a great deal to various wine industry organisations.""
Established in 1970 Brokenwood Wines is one of Australia's most reputable premium wine labels and a must-visit in the Hunter Valley. It was established by Australia's leading wine critic, James Halliday. Consistently listed as a 5-star winery, Brokenwood is home to the famous Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, the highly acclaimed ILR Reserve Semillon, and the popular Cricket Pitch Range.
The Hunter Valley is the best-known and most highly prized wine region in New South Wales. It is known as the region where the Australian wine industry started. The valley's winemakers have pioneered two distinctive styles of wine (oaked Chardonnay and dry Semillon) and has retained a strong connection with both of them. The Hunter Valley's most famous wine style is its distinctive dry Semillon, made there since the 1870s. Hunter Valley Semillons are renowned for their ability to improve with age.
Alcohol: 14%
Shiraz is the name given to the dark-skinned Syrah grape when grown in Australia and selected pockets of the New World. Though genetically identical, the stylistic differences between Shiraz and Syrah are usually pronounced.
Shiraz is so important to Australian viticulture that it is the most planted grape variety in the majority of Australian vineyards and has become virtually synonymous with the country's wine regions, and in particular the Barossa Valley.
1 x Plantagenet Wyjup Collection Shiraz 2018 - Mt. Barker, Western Australia
96/100 Ray Jordan, WA Wine Guide 2021
96/100 Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review
94/100 Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
94/100 Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion
94/100 James Suckling
94/100 Robert Parker
96/100 James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion (2017 vintage)
95/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2017 vintage)
4 Stars - WineState Magazine
5 Stars Winery - James Halliday
Ray Jordan, WA Wine Guide 2021 ""Powerhouse Shiraz from an outstanding year. Deep, spicy, dark plum with dollops of chocolate. The palate is a maze of intricate workings with gravelly, loamy textures, savoury oak and tarry licorice. The dry, savoury tannins help to focus the palate while the oak holds it even closer. A wine for the future.""
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review ""Impenetrably deep and purple, The nose is inky and closed at the moment, but with air it reveals itself more. Plum, mulberry, pepper, and exotic spices like clove and aniseed meet the nose in suave harmony, and a mouthful follows those cues in a medium-bodied, seamless wine that builds across the palate to a very long, grippy finish.""
Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion ""Densely packed with flavour from every angle, this is seriously silky, seriously flavoursome and very long. An impressive wine which leads with red forest fruits and closes with the same. The acid and tannins are thick as thieves. A beautiful wine.""
James Suckling ""This top-tier shiraz is very complex and delivers so much spice on the nose and palate. Dark berries, flurries of red fruit and plenty of chocolate here. Smoothly layered tannins fan out and drive plenty of fresh fruit flavor. Big, spicy crescendo at the finish.""
Robert Parker ""...shows all the muscle, density and spice that we can expect from the subregion. This is excellent, with notes of spiced and poached blood plums, raspberry, red licorice, layers of aniseed/clove/fennel, blackberry and dark cocoa. The tannins that frame it are pliable and firm—it's part of what makes the Great Southern so great for Shiraz.""
James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion ""Cool climate shiraz at its best, with a highly expressive mix of warm spices and cedar threaded through the medium-bodied array of dark cherry, plum and blackberry fruit flavours. The lithe mouthfeel and texture of the wine set it apart from its white siblings."" (2017 vintage)
Huon Hooke, The Real Review ""Deepish red colour with a trace of purple in the rim. The bouquet is plummy and white-peppery; definite cool-grown shiraz aromas. The wine is intense and medium to full-bodied, powerful and driving, with a whole spice-cupboard of flavours roaring through the bold, pristine palate. An excellent, high-toned, cool style of shiraz. "" (2017 vintage)
Plantagenet was established by founder Tony Smith with the planting of five vineyards; Bouverie in 1968 (sold in 2017), Wyjup in ’71, Rocky Horror 1 in ’88, Rocky Horror 2 in ’97 and Rosetta in ’99. These vineyards remain the cornerstones of the substantial production of the consistently high-quality wines that have always been the mark of Plantagenet: highly aromatic riesling, tangy citrus-tinged chardonnay, glorious Rhône-style shiraz and ultra-stylish cabernet sauvignon.
Great Southern is one of the largest wine growing regions in Australia, running along the south coast of Western Australia. It stretches 150km (93 miles) from the eastern edge of Manjimup (in the west) to the Pallinup River in the east, where the more cereal-focused expanses of 'Central Western Australia' begin. The region's northern edge lies almost perfectly on the 34th parallel while the coastline marks the southern boundary - a distance of around 100km (62 miles), north-to-south.
Shiraz, also known as Syrah is a popular red wine. Though the spiritual homeland of this red grape is France, Syrah has been planted throughout the world to great success. It expresses itself differently depending on the climate, soil and regional style.
Syrah is typically bold and full-bodied, with aromatic notes of smoke, black fruit and pepper spice. Stylistically, it can be round and fruity, or dense and tannic. And in warmer New World regions like Australia, Syrah is most often be called Shiraz.
Winemakers who work in cooler-climate growing regions, both in the Old World and New World, tend to call their wines Syrah. The most famous examples come from the northern Rhône Valley of France, notably Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. In the New World, in regions like Sonoma Coast, California; Yarra Valley, Australia; and parts of Chile, the wines are called Syrah because they emulate the leaner, acid-driven, savory styles of the Old World French classics.
Shiraz tends to come from warmer growing climates, namely the South Australian regions of Barossa, McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills. Stylistically, these wines are lush, fruit-forward examples that embody the warmer, sunnier climate. Shiraz is so important to Australian viticulture that it is the most planted grape variety in the majority of Australian vineyards and has become virtually synonymous with the country's wine regions, and in particular the Barossa Valley.
1 x Jasper Hill Occams Razor Shiraz (Organic) 2013 ~ Heathcote, Victoria, Australia
94/100 - Wine Spectator
91/100 - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
90/100 - Wine & Spirits Magazine (2007 vintage)
93/100 - Wine & Spirits Magazine (2005 vintage)
92/100 - Wine & Spirits Magazine (2004 vintage)
92/100 - CellarTracker (2005 vintage)
92/100 - Stephen Tanzer (2008 vintage)
James Halliday 5 Star Winery
Wine Advocate “Deep garnet-purple colored, the Occam's Razor 2013 Shiraz is scented of baked blackberries, cherry coulis and cassis with nuances of eucalyptus, black pepper and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with expressive black berry preserves and peppery flavors supported by firm yet approachable tannins and finishing long with a menthol lift.""
Wine Spectator ""Focused and expressive, with an overlay of about a dozen different kinds of pepper adding interest and depth to the cherry and floral flavors, focusing into a compact beam as the finish lingers amid lightly prickly tannins""
The Wandering Palette ""Loyal followers of Jasper Hill in Australia will know that their wines sell out on release in August each year with the cellar door only open the final weekend of that month.""
Curtis Marsh ""Jasper Hill makes profound wines of the greatest integrity that reflect the very special vineyard sites and unique rare soils; ancient Cambrian soils 500/600 million years old on undulating hillsides of rusty red gravely loams....all of their wines should be considered ‘must-have’ including their joint venture wine with Michel Chapoutier, La Pleiade Heathcote Shiraz and Agly Brothers Cotes du Roussillon, France""
Jasper Hill is a winery of iconic status and considered of benchmark status in the Heathcote region of Victoria, Australia. The first vineyards were planted in 1975 and the first vintage was in 1982. Jasper Hill is best known for producing concentrated Shiraz from ungrafted vines planted deep into ancient basaltic rock soils. The estate has a total of 24 hectares (60 acres) of vineyard land split between three properties – Emily's Paddock, Georgia's Paddock and Cornella Vineyard. These are planted to a range of varieties, including Shiraz, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, Nebbiolo, Semillon, Viognier, and Grenache. The vineyards are farmed organically, biodynamically, and with no irrigation.
Heathcote is a prestigious wine region in Central Victoria, an hour and a half's drive from the state capital, Melbourne. Shiraz is the unchallenged king of Heathcote wines, making world-class, award-winning wines characterized by their rich and deep aroma profile, a dark, almost inky color, ripe, velvety tannins and an amazingly long finish.
The region is sandwiched between Bendigo to the west and Goulburn Valley to the east, with the state border with New South Wales a little way to the north. Vineyards lie in a narrow strip on the sides of the Mount Camel hills, where elevation plays a big part in the climate, as do cool winds from the south. Heathcote summers are comparatively mild, resulting in an extended growing season. The ripening of the grapes is slow and steady, allowing an almost optimum phenolic development – one of the reasons why Heathcote produces such high-quality wines.
Shiraz is the name given to the dark-skinned Syrah grape when grown in Australia and selected pockets of the New World. Though genetically identical, the stylistic differences between Shiraz and Syrah are usually pronounced. Shiraz is so important to Australian viticulture that it is the most planted grape variety in the majority of Australian vineyards and has become virtually synonymous with the country's wine regions, and in particular the Barossa Valley.
1 x Corymbia Cabernet Sauvignon (Organic) 2021 - Margaret River, Australia
95/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin
95/100 The Wine Front, Gary Walsh
94/100 Robert Parker
97/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin (2019 vintage)
93/100 The Wine Front (2019 vintage)
Bronze - The Real Review, Huon Hooke (2018 vintage)
96/100 Halliday Wine Companion, Jane Faulkner (2018 vintage)
96/100 The Real Review, Nick Butler (2018 vintage)
96/100 The Wine Front (2018 vintage)
96/100 Jeremy Oliver (2018 vintage)
93/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage)
Organic
Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin ""This wine has been tasted blind a number of times recently, and it is fascinating each time. The aromas are finely layered with cassis, exotic spice, salt bush, dried bay leaf ... there's also a faint backdrop of bacon fat, reminiscent of the Rhône. The tannins on the palate are a standout; super-fine and laid out like a web over the fruit. Very classy. This 2020 has more obvious fruit and structure than the 2019, but we expect that from the vintage. ""
The Wine Front, Gary Walsh ""It’s a graceful style of Cabernet, fine boned and fresh. Blackberry, strawberry, redcurrant, potpourri, slight smoky bacon bone character, and a sea spray/brine kind of thing. Tannin is tight with an emery board texture, subtle tobacco/leafy perfume, and a cool red fruited finish of excellent length, those high quality tannins really stretching it out. Subtle. Lovely.""
Robert Parker ""The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of rose petals, lead pencil shavings, cassis, red apple skins, lavender on the breeze, saltbush, kalamata olives and iodine on the nose. In the mouth, the wine is a spicy, ever-evolving, supple Cabernet from the Mann's Calgardup vineyard. There is a harmony and peace in this wine that remains through each of the vintages. Modern and a little bit thrilling.""
Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin ""Luminescent ruby with glints of purple and black. It shines as if with its own dense internal light. The telltale ripe and chewy tannin profile handled masterfully by Rob Mann, with pristine fruit and great length of flavour. An exceptionally elegant, powder-fine cabernet, part of the new Margaret River breed. A massive, resounding, YES."" (2019 vintage)
The Real Review, Huon Hooke ""Deep, bright purple/red hue. Lifted, high-register violet, blueberry spectrum aromas, the palate medium to full-bodied and lean-ish, with a trace of bitterness in the tannins. A very fragrant, franc-like cabernet with a touch of grip to lose."" (2019 vintage)
Halliday Wine Companion, Jane Faulkner ""The inaugural release with fruit off the Mann family's organically farmed Calgardup vineyard, and the result is a beautifully composed wine. This is all about detail. Heady aromas of mulberries, florals, soy sauce and salt bush with a wisp of menthol. Lots going on yet medium-bodied with superfine tannins that glide across the palate. A wine of great finesse."" (2018 vintage)
The Real Review, Nick Butler ""Dense purple colour - opaque. Brooding dark fruits and graphite. Intense on the palate - blackberries, firm oak and grippy tannins. A tease of sweetness lends charm. This is young and has an incredibly long future ahead of it. Beautifully balanced, precise and poised "" (2018 vintage)
James Suckling ""This has a deep tarry edge to the nose with black fruit, wrapped up in a savory shroud with slate-like notes. A very attractive and convincingly concentrated palate that offers ripe dark plums, black cherries and dark, stony minerals at the fresh, polished, graphite-like finish. Impressive poise and depth."" (2018 vintage)
Gourmet Traveller Wine ""The wines under the Corymbia label have been outstanding.""
Rob & Gen Mann ""Very satisfying""
Gourmet Traveller Wine, Mike Bennie ""Corymbia is one of the most exciting wine projects to emerge from Western Australia in a decade. The combination of a distinguished winemaking family, the reinvention of a much-maligned wine region, the unlocking of the potential of a mature vineyard and a general sense of creativity, have all contributed to a strong currency.
100% cabernet sauvignon
Organic wines are made from grapes grown without pesticides, following strict organic standards. Organic wines are produced in vineyards that do not use synthetic chemicals.Certified organic wines have been certified by Australian Certified Organic Standard (ACOS).
Corymbia is the newish project of Rob and Genevieve Mann. The Mann family, of course, are generational wine producers in WA, with a history of iconic wines and vineyards. Rob, formerly working with Hardys, Cape Mentelle and Newton Vineyard in Napa Valley, has returned home and made a mark.
The family vineyard in Swan Valley is dry grown and organically farmed. While winemaking draws on the Manns’ suite of expertise and diversity of influences, it has been pared back for Corymbia, letting the fruit and character of the wines take the spotlight.
That Swan Valley has been put on a pedestal is wonderful, and a celebration of older vineyards, unique soil profile and a general sense of generational endeavor is exciting for the region. There’s an undercurrent of winemakers amplifying the region’s potential, but arguably Corymbia is the current totem.""
Huon Hooke ""The Mann family are winemaking royalty in Western Australia.""
Corymbia is a new winery launched by one of the founding families of Western Australian wine. The Manns have grown grapes and made wine in the Swan Valley, Western Australia's oldest wine-growing region for over a century. Corymbia wines are critically acclaimed, organically-farmed, single-vineyard wines. Founder, Rob Mann is considered one of Australia's best contemporary winemakers. He was the senior winemaker at Hardy’s Tintara, and Cape Mentelle, where during his ten-year tenure the winery was twice awarded 'Australia's Producer of the Year' and Rob 'Australian Winemaker of the Year'. Prior to founding Corymbia he was Senior Winemaker at LVMH’s Newton Vineyard in the Napa Valley.
Swan Valley is a sub-region of the Swan District wine region just north of Perth, in Western Australia. The Swan District is Western Australia’s oldest wine region, having been planted by English settlers soon after their arrival in 1829. For almost 150 years it was the only significant wine-producing region in Western Australia and today it's also home to the state's largest winery. Some of Western Australia's finest wines are produced in the Swan Valley.
Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra, and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices, and cedarwood."
1 x Grosset "Gaia" Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2018 ~ (Organic) Clare Valley, South Australia
96/100 Jane Faulkner
95/100 Ralph Kyte-Powell
95/100 Huon Hooke
93/100 The Wine Front
97/100 - Top Cabernet Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023 (2019 vintage)
98/100 James Halliday (2016 vintage)
95/100 Mike Bennie (2016 vintage)
95/100 Jeremy Oliver (2016 vintage)
97/100 Tyson Stelzer (2014 vintage)
95/100 The Wine Front (2014 vintage)
Organic
Decanter Magazine ~ The World’s Top 10 White Winemakers #6 Jeffrey Grosset (2016 Vintage)
Tyson Stelzer’s Australian & New Zealand Wines of the Year 2015 ~ Top 20 Wines of the Year Under $100 (2016 Vintage)
James Halliday 5 star winery
Halliday Wine Companion Awards, Jane Faulkner "Gaia demands attention and respect in equal measure. Do take time to admire its balance of savouriness to fruit, it's calmness and class. Expect pomegranate and boysenberries with dabs of licorice, rolled tobacco and cedary oak with a touch of green walnut. Medium-bodied and the plush yet textured tannins render the wine ready for immediate drinking, but will reward those who wait."
Ralph Kyte-Powell "The wines in Jeff Grosset’s admirable portfolio are a reflection of his thoughtful, quality-oriented approach, none more so than Gaia. This cabernet blend from the outer reaches of the Clare Valley is always a wine of precision and personality that sits outside the region’s forceful mainstream cabernet type. The just-released 2017 edition epitomises the marque’s elegant, moreish style, starting intense and briary with a nose of violets, crushed currants and cedar, leading through a medium-bodied wine of admirable length, intensity and finesse. Gaia skilfully measures cabernet’s savouriness and austerity with cassis-like fruit sweetness in lip-smacking harmony. Delicious right now, but age should enhance it wonderfully."
Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023, Erin Larkin "This has grunt and low-down power, but the engine is built into a chassis of fine fruit and supple tannins. The acidity acts as the titanium bolt that holds it together, creating a strengthening framework of life and finesse. Blackberries, cassis, licorice, mulberry and raw cocoa, with nori, pink peppercorns and pastrami, blood plum, kelp and brine. Marvellous." (2019 vintage)
Huon Hooke "Medium to full red colour with a trace of purple and a complex bouquet of damp undergrowth, tobacco, raspberry and briar. More savoury than fruity. The wine is medium to full-bodied and deliciously smooth, supple and easy on the gums. Fresh acidity cleanses the finish. An elegant style, very good now and has cellaring potential."
James Halliday "Estate-grown cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, the certified organic vines 33yo. A breath of fresh air, pulling my lip up and out of Dante’s inferno of other wines in this particular tasting. Supple and immaculately balanced: every flavour, texture. Beautifully nuanced fruits that are 100% within the varietal makeup. The tannins almost lustrous, so fine are they." (2015 vintage)
Mike Bennie "A tour de force of elegance and poise, offering deep concentration, the finesse of tannin, exceptional length of flavour and cool restraint. Cassis, garrigue and faint cedar mesh well in the bouquet while the palate echoes cassis through its long draw across the palate. Ultrafine Cabernet here and a charming drinking experience ensues." (2015 vintage)
Winsor Dobbin "Imagine Daniel Craig as James Bond, strolling onto a superyacht in Monte Carlo. That’s the same kind of effortless cool and style that you’ll find in this red blend from riesling master Jeff Grosset. Only 6,000 bottles were made of this cabernet sauvignon/cabernet franc blend which is gentle but intense with dark berry flavours, minerally hints and a soft, smooth finish. This comes from the highest, coolest site in the Clare Valley and is a wine of impeccable balance. It is also unfined, so is suitable for vegans." (2015 vintage)
Decanter "When the young Jeffrey Grosset launched his own winery in the Clare Valley in the early 1980s, he was swimming against the tide. Back then, Chardonnay was the rising star of Australian Wine. But Grosset wanted to make Riesling and to focus on letting the grapes speak for themselves. The rest of the Australian wine industry has, of course, caught up with Grosset since, thanks in part to the example set by this focused, restlessly intelligent winemaker. By consistently producing arguably Australia’s two best Rieslings – the flowery, lime-rich Watervale and the steely, firm Polish Hill – Grosset has not only helped steer the reversal in this variety’s fortunes but has provided one of the country’s most powerful arguments in favour of the reality of terroir. The undisputed monarch of Clare Valley is Jeffrey Grosset, whose 32-year reign has seen a raft of superlative wines set standards to which other winemakers can only aspire."
Andrew Caillard "The best thing about Grosset, is the sheer enthusiasm, utter commitment and genuine love for making something sublime and brilliant."
Langton Classification of Australian Wine "Grosset Gaia is one of the most sought-after wines produced in Australia"
Grosset Wines are an independently owned winery producing highly regarded premium wines. Established in 1981, the winery is situated in the historic township of Auburn at the southern tip of the Clare Valley, 100 kilometres north of Adelaide.
Jeffrey Grosset, owner, and founder has always been an innovator, challenging tradition and questioning accepted practices. He campaigned to institute the legal integrity of the Riesling grape in Australia, was a leading proponent for the introduction of screwcap closures and funded research into the subject.
Grosset Wines’ philosophy has remained steadfast for over thirty years. The emphasis is on the purity of fruit. The estate vineyards, which are ACO certified organic, are hand tended and each bunch of grapes is harvested at optimum ripeness.
94/100 Halliday's Wine Companion, Steven Creber
92/100 Decanter World Wine Awards
91/100 Wine Enthusiast
93/100 Halliday's Wine Companion, James Halliday (2015 vintage)
91/100 The Real Review, Houn Hooke (2015 vintage)
Bronze - The Wine Front (2015 vintage)
97/100 - Top Cabernet Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023 (2019 vintage)
95/100 Decanter Magazine March 2020 Sarah Ahmed (2014 vintage)
94/100 Ned Goodwin MW (2014 vintage)
94/100 Decanter World Wine Awards (2014 vintage)
95/100 Ray Jordan (2014 vintage)
92/100 The Wine Front (2014 vintage)
92+/100 Campbell Mattinson (2014 vintage)
90/100 Houn Hooke (2014 vintage)
5 Stars Winery - James Halliday
""Halliday Wine Companion - Australian Winery of the Year 2022 & 2023""
Halliday's Wine Companion, Steven Creber ""Shows good regional and varietal expression, although still very youthful and unevolved. Blackcurrant, cedar and dried herb are present in the bouquet and on the palate, with a sense of depth of fruit still to emerge from underneath the emphatic grip of the tannin as it is. Patience required.""
Halliday's Wine Companio, James Halliday ""The tannins need to soften a little more, or a large chunk of flame-grilled beef should accompany the wine. Has potential."" (2015 vintage)
The Real Review, Houn Hooke ""Deep, dark red colour with a trace of purple remainining. The bouquet is char-oaky and savoury with some soy sauce and tapenade notes, the blackberry/blackcurrant fruit came up after prolonged airing. The palate is medium to full-bodied and sinewy, with a certain leanness and a degree of elegance. There's a good whack of firm tannin which lingers at the end."" (2015 vintage)
Halliday Wine Companion Awards 2023, Erin Larkin ""We are coming to the end of the premium 2018 releases from Margaret River, so it is a thrill to be able to taste a few more before the tranche is exhausted. This is closed, restrained and cooling, with layers of graphite tannins and salty mineral acidity ... the fruit is supple and elegant, defined wholly by blackberries, mulberries and raspberry coulis. This has eons left in the tank. It would be impatient of you to drink it earlier than 2025 (we would forgive you if you did though, because it is already delicious)."" (2015 vintage)
Ned Goodwin MW ""This is sumptuous Margaret River cabernet, displaying all the regional virtues: cassis, black plum, pastille, dried sage and a firm tea tannin spine. Yet it is the generosity of fruit that is the wine's calling card. Pillars of French oak (14 months; 20% new) keep this wine postured and proudly youthful, yet the wine's poise and extract bode very well for maturity when it all loosens up"". (2014 vintage)
Campbell Mattinson ""Cabernet from the southern end of the famed Margaret River region. A strong, structured cabernet with both length and elegance in its armoury. The flavours here are beautiful. Blackcurrant, mint, milk chocolate and fresh herbs. Perhaps even flashes of lead pencil and cedarwood. Alcohol seems just fractionally prominent but in all other respects this is pretty terrific."" (2014 vintage)
Houn Hooke ""Some development shows in this wine, with briary, earthy and 'crushed ant' savoury complexities, and some floral and red fruit characters peeping through. It's big and brawny with rustic tannins and a chewy texture. Very ripe fruit is apparent. The finish is chewy and grippy. It certainly has character."" (2014 vintage)
Gourmet Traveller Wines ""A full bodied cabernet, scented with vanilla and chocolate as well as dark berries. The palate is very generous and mouth-filling, the tannins soft and fine-grained and all lingers long."" (2014 Vintage)
Ray Jordan, The West Australian Wine Guide ""Immensely powerful and concentrated cabernet from this excellent vineyard. It works a slightly minerally and leafy edge into the intense blackcurrant and slightly black olive nuances on the nose. On the palate it delivers in spades with such power that holds its lines to a very long finish. Grainy but ripe tannins and beautiful oak work in harmony."" (2014 vintage)
Founded by one of the pioneers of the Margaret River winemaking region, David Hohnen and his brother in law, Murray McHenry, an accomplished fine wine retailer. Both have been making wine in Margaret River since the early 1970’s. McHenry Hohnen vineyards are 100% biodynamic. Their three unique vineyards (Burnside, Calgardup and Hazel’s) produce wines that are a reflection of the land. McHenry Hohnen focusses on crafting site-expressive wines and are known for producing some of the regions best wines.
Margaret River is one of the best-known wine regions in Australia, recognized internationally for the quality of its wines and the natural beauty of the region. Although originally renowned for its unusually refined Cabernet Sauvignon and intensely citrusy Chardonnay varieties, the region now produces Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends and Shiraz.
Located in the south-western corner of Western Australia, it is famous for having a more 'European' wine style than its counterparts across Australia, owing to the regions temperate, coastal location which is very similar to that of Bordeaux.
1 x Brokenwood Wade Block 2 Vineyard Shiraz 2020 ~ McLaren Vale, South Australia
95/100 Ned GoodWin MW, Halliday Wine Companion
93/100 The Wine Front
94/100 Stuart Knox, The Real Review (2019 vintage)
94/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2019 vintage)
93/100 Ned GoodWin MW, Halliday Wine Companion (2019 vintage)
92/100 AngusHughson,Wine Pilot (2019 vintage)
97/100 James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion (2018 vintage)
96/100 Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot (2018 vintage)
94/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2018 vintage)
93/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage)
James Halliday 5 Star Winery
Ned GoodWin MW, Halliday Wine Companion ""In this hot and dry year, the elevated sands of Blewitt Springs, home to Wade Block, have offered a superior expression: fresher, more detailed and digestible. The stamp of reduction, apparent in notes of iodine and violet. But boysenberry, kirsch and Cherry Ripe, packed in too. A skein of peppery freshness tows this long to a beguiling finish.""
Stuart Knox, The Real Review ""Deep and bright ruby core into a vibrant purple rim. Plums, violets, and liquorice aromatics. Dark and intense black and blue fruits on entry. The palate has an innate power and drive that the firm and fine tannins just manage to control. Still primary with subtle meat and dark spice undertones in the background. Goes long and is a powerhouse of intensity and balance."" (2019 vintage)
Huon Hooke, The Real Review ""Very deep youthful purple-red; rich, ripe dark-chocolate and blackberry essence aromas, warm grown and generous. A very big, solid, high tannin wine—robust and powerful and gutsy, with guts and grip if not finesse."" (2019 vintage)
Ned GoodWin MW, Halliday Wine Companion ""Sourced across an old Blewitt Springs block, planted on sand with its original root system intact. While the vintage was a warm one, embellishing the wine with palate-staining extract and power, there seems to be a gentler approach to its assemblage than in the past. Black fruits, licorice, dried scrub, lavender and a skein of uncanny clove and pepper-doused acidity. Plenty of mocha oak, too."" (2019 vintage)
AngusHughson,Wine Pilot ""The 2019 vintage has lashings of mulberry and blackberry fruit that are well matched up to coconut-scented oak. There are also edges of dried herbs and spice to add interest. In the mouth the fruit is plush with quite supple tannins that help to draw out a long finish. It will drink well over the medium term but is likely close to peak right now, especially matched up with a juicy rump steak."" (2019 vintage)
Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot ""This is beautiful, with sweet black fruits on the nose with a chocolaty licorice-like character. The palate is the standout feature for me with its medium weight and sustained intensity. It is perfectly structured with a fine balance between the oak and fruit supported by those chalky tannins. Supremely stylish shiraz."" (2018 vintage)
James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion ""Full-bodied, and wastes no time in laying out the reasons why you should buy it. It has a complex web of blackberry and satsuma plum fruits, licorice and dark chocolate and cedary oak."" (2018 vintage)
Huon Hooke, The Real Review ""Very deep, dark red/purple colour, youthful and bright. The aromas are dark chocolate, mocha and fruitcake with lots of dried fruits in it. Some toasty oak hints. It's big and bold, very full-bodied and firm with lashings of tannin. A big, gutsy shiraz that begs to be cellared."" (2018 vintage)
James Suckling ""This has intense red and dark plum, blackberry and raspberry aromas and flavors. The palate is smooth, fleshy and vibrant with a fresh, pure red-plum core. Medium to full body."" (2018 vintage)
The Winemaker ""The 17th bottling of the Wade Block 2 from McLaren Flat. Grown in deep sand, this is an amazing vineyard in that it is more than 20 years old, but planted with cuttings sourced from a very old local vineyard and grown on own roots. Again, very distinctive and complex, and more than qualifies for the ‘Single Vineyard’ label.
McLaren Vale enjoyed a wet winter of 2016 that resulted in excellent soil moisture and topped up nicely due to a wetter than average spring. A warm, dry summer continued into Autumn; plenty of canopy along with above average crops meant a later start. Wonderful ripe fruit characters and rich in flavour.
James Halliday ""A deservedly fashionable winery producing consistently excellent wines. Its big-selling Hunter Semillon provides the volume to balance the limited quantities of the flagships ILR Semillon and Graveyard Shiraz. Brokenwood purchased the Graveyard Vineyard from Hungerford Hill in '78 and has been working to totally rehabilitate the vineyard over the ensuing decades. It's been a vine by vine exercise, with a degree of experimentation of rootstocks and clonal material from other, even older vineyards. Next, there is a range of wines coming from regions including Beechworth (a major resource is the associated Indigo Vineyard), Orange, Central Ranges, McLaren Vale, Cowra and elsewhere. In 2017 Iain Riggs celebrated his 35th vintage at the helm of Brokenwood, offering a unique mix of winemaking skills, management of diverse business, and an unerring ability to keep Brokenwood's high profile fresh and newsworthy. He has also contributed a great deal to various wine industry organisations.""
Australian Wine Companion ""Brokenwood consistently produces excellent wines.
Australian Wine Companion ""Brokenwood's big-selling Hunter Semillon provides the volume to balance the limited quantities of the flagships ILR Semillon and Graveyard Shiraz. Brokenwood purchased the Graveyard Vineyard from Hungerford Hill in 1978 and has fully rehabilitated the vineyard in a vine-by-vine exercise. There is also a range of wines coming from regions including Beechworth (a major resource is the Indigo Vineyard), Orange, Central Ranges, McLaren Vale, Cowra and elsewhere. In 2017 Iain Riggs celebrated his 35th vintage at the helm of Brokenwood, offering a unique mix of winemaking skills, management of a diverse business and an unerring ability to keep Brokenwood’s high profile fresh and newsworthy. He also contributed a great deal to various wine industry organisations.""
Established in 1970 Brokenwood Wines is one of Australia's most reputable premium wine labels and a must-visit in the Hunter Valley. It was established by Australia's leading wine critic, James Halliday. Consistently listed as a 5-star winery, Brokenwood is home to the famous Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, the highly acclaimed ILR Reserve Semillon, and the popular Cricket Pitch Range.
The Hunter Valley is the best-known and most highly prized wine region in New South Wales. It is known as the region where the Australian wine industry started. The valley's winemakers have pioneered two distinctive styles of wine (oaked Chardonnay and dry Semillon) and has retained a strong connection with both of them. The Hunter Valley's most famous wine style is its distinctive dry Semillon, made there since the 1870s. Hunter Valley Semillons are renowned for their ability to improve with age.
Alcohol: 14%
Shiraz is the name given to the dark-skinned Syrah grape when grown in Australia and selected pockets of the New World. Though genetically identical, the stylistic differences between Shiraz and Syrah are usually pronounced.
Shiraz is so important to Australian viticulture that it is the most planted grape variety in the majority of Australian vineyards and has become virtually synonymous with the country's wine regions, and in particular the Barossa Valley.
1 x Plantagenet Wyjup Collection Shiraz 2018 - Mt. Barker, Western Australia
96/100 Ray Jordan, WA Wine Guide 2021
96/100 Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review
94/100 Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
94/100 Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion
94/100 James Suckling
94/100 Robert Parker
96/100 James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion (2017 vintage)
95/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2017 vintage)
4 Stars - WineState Magazine
5 Stars Winery - James Halliday
Ray Jordan, WA Wine Guide 2021 ""Powerhouse Shiraz from an outstanding year. Deep, spicy, dark plum with dollops of chocolate. The palate is a maze of intricate workings with gravelly, loamy textures, savoury oak and tarry licorice. The dry, savoury tannins help to focus the palate while the oak holds it even closer. A wine for the future.""
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review ""Impenetrably deep and purple, The nose is inky and closed at the moment, but with air it reveals itself more. Plum, mulberry, pepper, and exotic spices like clove and aniseed meet the nose in suave harmony, and a mouthful follows those cues in a medium-bodied, seamless wine that builds across the palate to a very long, grippy finish.""
Erin Larkin, Halliday Wine Companion ""Densely packed with flavour from every angle, this is seriously silky, seriously flavoursome and very long. An impressive wine which leads with red forest fruits and closes with the same. The acid and tannins are thick as thieves. A beautiful wine.""
James Suckling ""This top-tier shiraz is very complex and delivers so much spice on the nose and palate. Dark berries, flurries of red fruit and plenty of chocolate here. Smoothly layered tannins fan out and drive plenty of fresh fruit flavor. Big, spicy crescendo at the finish.""
Robert Parker ""...shows all the muscle, density and spice that we can expect from the subregion. This is excellent, with notes of spiced and poached blood plums, raspberry, red licorice, layers of aniseed/clove/fennel, blackberry and dark cocoa. The tannins that frame it are pliable and firm—it's part of what makes the Great Southern so great for Shiraz.""
James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion ""Cool climate shiraz at its best, with a highly expressive mix of warm spices and cedar threaded through the medium-bodied array of dark cherry, plum and blackberry fruit flavours. The lithe mouthfeel and texture of the wine set it apart from its white siblings."" (2017 vintage)
Huon Hooke, The Real Review ""Deepish red colour with a trace of purple in the rim. The bouquet is plummy and white-peppery; definite cool-grown shiraz aromas. The wine is intense and medium to full-bodied, powerful and driving, with a whole spice-cupboard of flavours roaring through the bold, pristine palate. An excellent, high-toned, cool style of shiraz. "" (2017 vintage)
Plantagenet was established by founder Tony Smith with the planting of five vineyards; Bouverie in 1968 (sold in 2017), Wyjup in ’71, Rocky Horror 1 in ’88, Rocky Horror 2 in ’97 and Rosetta in ’99. These vineyards remain the cornerstones of the substantial production of the consistently high-quality wines that have always been the mark of Plantagenet: highly aromatic riesling, tangy citrus-tinged chardonnay, glorious Rhône-style shiraz and ultra-stylish cabernet sauvignon.
Great Southern is one of the largest wine growing regions in Australia, running along the south coast of Western Australia. It stretches 150km (93 miles) from the eastern edge of Manjimup (in the west) to the Pallinup River in the east, where the more cereal-focused expanses of 'Central Western Australia' begin. The region's northern edge lies almost perfectly on the 34th parallel while the coastline marks the southern boundary - a distance of around 100km (62 miles), north-to-south.
Shiraz, also known as Syrah is a popular red wine. Though the spiritual homeland of this red grape is France, Syrah has been planted throughout the world to great success. It expresses itself differently depending on the climate, soil and regional style.
Syrah is typically bold and full-bodied, with aromatic notes of smoke, black fruit and pepper spice. Stylistically, it can be round and fruity, or dense and tannic. And in warmer New World regions like Australia, Syrah is most often be called Shiraz.
Winemakers who work in cooler-climate growing regions, both in the Old World and New World, tend to call their wines Syrah. The most famous examples come from the northern Rhône Valley of France, notably Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. In the New World, in regions like Sonoma Coast, California; Yarra Valley, Australia; and parts of Chile, the wines are called Syrah because they emulate the leaner, acid-driven, savory styles of the Old World French classics.
Shiraz tends to come from warmer growing climates, namely the South Australian regions of Barossa, McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills. Stylistically, these wines are lush, fruit-forward examples that embody the warmer, sunnier climate. Shiraz is so important to Australian viticulture that it is the most planted grape variety in the majority of Australian vineyards and has become virtually synonymous with the country's wine regions, and in particular the Barossa Valley.
1 x Jasper Hill Occams Razor Shiraz (Organic) 2013 ~ Heathcote, Victoria, Australia
94/100 - Wine Spectator
91/100 - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
90/100 - Wine & Spirits Magazine (2007 vintage)
93/100 - Wine & Spirits Magazine (2005 vintage)
92/100 - Wine & Spirits Magazine (2004 vintage)
92/100 - CellarTracker (2005 vintage)
92/100 - Stephen Tanzer (2008 vintage)
James Halliday 5 Star Winery
Wine Advocate “Deep garnet-purple colored, the Occam's Razor 2013 Shiraz is scented of baked blackberries, cherry coulis and cassis with nuances of eucalyptus, black pepper and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with expressive black berry preserves and peppery flavors supported by firm yet approachable tannins and finishing long with a menthol lift.""
Wine Spectator ""Focused and expressive, with an overlay of about a dozen different kinds of pepper adding interest and depth to the cherry and floral flavors, focusing into a compact beam as the finish lingers amid lightly prickly tannins""
The Wandering Palette ""Loyal followers of Jasper Hill in Australia will know that their wines sell out on release in August each year with the cellar door only open the final weekend of that month.""
Curtis Marsh ""Jasper Hill makes profound wines of the greatest integrity that reflect the very special vineyard sites and unique rare soils; ancient Cambrian soils 500/600 million years old on undulating hillsides of rusty red gravely loams....all of their wines should be considered ‘must-have’ including their joint venture wine with Michel Chapoutier, La Pleiade Heathcote Shiraz and Agly Brothers Cotes du Roussillon, France""
Jasper Hill is a winery of iconic status and considered of benchmark status in the Heathcote region of Victoria, Australia. The first vineyards were planted in 1975 and the first vintage was in 1982. Jasper Hill is best known for producing concentrated Shiraz from ungrafted vines planted deep into ancient basaltic rock soils. The estate has a total of 24 hectares (60 acres) of vineyard land split between three properties – Emily's Paddock, Georgia's Paddock and Cornella Vineyard. These are planted to a range of varieties, including Shiraz, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, Nebbiolo, Semillon, Viognier, and Grenache. The vineyards are farmed organically, biodynamically, and with no irrigation.
Heathcote is a prestigious wine region in Central Victoria, an hour and a half's drive from the state capital, Melbourne. Shiraz is the unchallenged king of Heathcote wines, making world-class, award-winning wines characterized by their rich and deep aroma profile, a dark, almost inky color, ripe, velvety tannins and an amazingly long finish.
The region is sandwiched between Bendigo to the west and Goulburn Valley to the east, with the state border with New South Wales a little way to the north. Vineyards lie in a narrow strip on the sides of the Mount Camel hills, where elevation plays a big part in the climate, as do cool winds from the south. Heathcote summers are comparatively mild, resulting in an extended growing season. The ripening of the grapes is slow and steady, allowing an almost optimum phenolic development – one of the reasons why Heathcote produces such high-quality wines.
Shiraz is the name given to the dark-skinned Syrah grape when grown in Australia and selected pockets of the New World. Though genetically identical, the stylistic differences between Shiraz and Syrah are usually pronounced. Shiraz is so important to Australian viticulture that it is the most planted grape variety in the majority of Australian vineyards and has become virtually synonymous with the country's wine regions, and in particular the Barossa Valley.