Australia

Dave’s Block is a very special old vineyard perched on an elevated site in Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale. The soil is classic white sand over clay, the cooler elevation allows the grapes to slowly mature.This very special vineyard was created from cuttings off the Kay Brother’s Block Six, a well known vineyard with 110 year old vines. Previously used as the McLaren Vale component for Ares, Dave’s Block became part of the Single Vineyard Series in 2014 when Ares reverts to showcasing the Barossa Valley.

90+ Points - Robert Parker

Produced from 34-year-old vines, the dense ruby/purple-tinged 2004 Shiraz Amery offers up dusty, loamy earth, black fruit, spicy oak, and roasted meat and herb-like aromas.

98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “A heavenly nose of cassis, plum, soy, graphite and lots of mineralite at play here. With time, cedar / pencil box aromatics unfold. The palate speaks more of finesse than power. Incredibly complex and not overly tannic. The entry is sweet, ambitious with ripe, silky black fruits. Texturally, and impossible to miss, is the sense of finesse and grace which weaves its magic and is seldom seen in the Barossa. Cedar and graphite-infused fruit emerge but I keep coming back to the wines beguiling poise. Svelte and sensuous with a little wood dust which adds a lovely texture. The finish seems endless – clove and fennel seed leading to orange peel? I could go on, but I must stop. In short, this is a brilliant and uncompromising Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon. Think expensive Bordeaux Second-Growth and you’ll be right on the money”. Served in Zalto Bordeaux glass.

96 Points - James Halliday "Hand-picked, 14 days on skins, 20 months in French barriques and hogsheads (72% new). Good depth to the colour; a powerful, medium to full-bodied shiraz expressing place, variety and vinification to maximum benefit. The black cherry and satsuma plum fruit has the usual cool grown exotic spices, and the tannins do their job to perfection."

Winemakers notes "Only produced in exceptional vintages in the cooler southern sub-region of Mia Mia, 3 kilometres from the winery at Adairs Lane Vineyard, pressed in the traditional basket press and barrel fermented in 100% new French oak puncheons. The wine is kept in barrel for a further 9 months and to add texture, the lees were stirred every 2 weeks with the wine being bottled un-fined. Only 1200 bottles were produced, this is a wine that rivals many top Rhone whites."

The vines for the Casey’s Block Shiraz were planted in 2009 in deep alluvial soil, similar to the Alices and Mataro vineyards. It is approximately 8 acres in size, crops at around 2 tonnes per acre and is named after Annabelle’s father, whose nickname was Casey. It is situated on Peter Seppelt Road, and the cuttings for the vines were taken from five of the existing Greenock Creek Wines’ vineyards, including the Roennfeldt Road blocks. Consequently this combination of cuttings has produced a wine with unique characteristics and complex flavours.

93 Points - Stuart McCloskey

Less intense than both the ’02 and ’07, however the palate is well-balanced on the entry with fine citrus lemon, grapefruit and just a hint of spice. Good weight and quite linear towards the finish but great persistency. Drinking now.