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James Suckling  "There’s a fresh and lively feel to this rich and layered chardonnay that offers plenty of peach flavour and some mango, too. All delivered in a quite assertive, structured and punchy, taut mode. Drink now."

Winemaker "The 2018 vintage has produced a classic Hawke's Bay Chardonnay. Beautifully fragrant citrus, stone fruit and roasted nuts combine on a finely styled, textured and balanced palate showing good complexity."

Winemaker "Deep ruby red in colour, clear and bright. The nose is very expressive, with fruit expression and elegance standing out. Red fruits are well integrated with spicy notes adding to the finesse. On the palate, the wine is well balanced and very long.

The wine was made from perfectly ripe, hand-selected and harvested grapes from our own vineyards around Finca de San Rafael. The grapes were destemmed and then fermented in 12,000 litre stainless steel tanks at 28-30ºC. After a post fermentative maceration of 15 to 20 days, malolactic fermentation was completed. The wine was then racked to previously used barrels (40% American oak and 60% French) where it remained for two years. It was then bottled and aged for a further year in our underground cellars until being released to the market."

96 Points - James Halliday "One-third fermented and aged for 10 months in new 500l French puncheons, remaining on lees during maturation. The extra year in bottle has created a wine of spectacular flavours and complexity, green apple and gently spicy oak all dance around the mouth. This will go on its merry way for several few years yet."

Robert Parker "The 2014 Les Cruzelles is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc picked between 24-29 September. It has a little more ripeness on the nose compared to the La Chenade, very perfumed with subtle violet and iris aromas, later a hint of orange blossom. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin with ample blackberry and bilberry; grainy in texture with a pleasurable marine/oyster shell element lending personality on the finish. This is very fine."

Petit Verdot can rarely stand on its own, but Craneford’s 2004 is an inky/blue/purple-coloured offering displaying notes of incense, liquid minerals, black fruits, and damp earth.

Jaysen Collins (winemaker)  - "I love Grenache, I love its versatility and its drinkability. I was mostly drawn to getting involved with the process and leaning to more textural, structured and savoury versions. Then one day I got to thinking, what about just doing nothing and let the grapes do the work.

So I chucked a few bins of hand-picked Grenache grapes into a tank with a bit of CO2, sealed the lid and came back several weeks later. When I lifted the lid I was hit with a whole lot of gassy funk, but in a really good way. It was wild and feral but mostly intoxicating. So for a few weeks after I just jumped on top of these bunches, breaking them up, in real terms to build structure, but mostly to get lost in the ferine like smells that filled the air."

Jaysen Collins (winemaker) - I always get mesmerised when I see a flock of birds floating and drifting in the wind. It brings a sense of freedom and joy to me. I knew the bluebird is the symbol of happiness so I had a concept for the label – I just needed the wine!

So with this idea floating about in my head, I set out to make a great drink that brings a true sense of delight. I found an east facing vineyard in the shallow soils of the Adelaide Hills that just gets the morning sun – no baked flavours here. I got rid of the stalks and just fermented this as whole berries. Just before coffee in the morning and after a cold beer in the afternoon I quickly give it a plunge by hand, nothing too serious or strenuous. It’s bottled early to catch the brightness I’m looking for, meaning it’s dangerously drinkable whenever you need a pick me up.

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James Halliday "70/30%, fermented separately in open-fermenters, the cabernet remaining on skins for 17 days, the touriga for 9 days, matured in French oak (20% new) for 24 months, plus a further 24 months bottle age. Stuart Pym has got his teeth into this bone, and isn't about to let go. It's got flavour, texture, structure, a point of difference - what it doesn't have is the finesse or logic of his other wines."

James Halliday "Some colour development; cigar box and spice nuances to the bouquet, then some bottle-developed complexity, moving the black cherry fruit towards the sour cherry; has overall balance; less than 500 dozen made."

Jay Miller (robertparker.com) "The Grenache offerings begin with the purple-colored 2007 Grenache Clarendon. It offers up an expressive nose of spice box, cassis, and cherry compote. Structured on the palate, it has outstanding depth and concentration, savory flavors."

James Halliday "Bright, clear purple-red; offers a rich tapestry of succulent fruit in a blood plum spectrum, the oak evident but not over the top, finishing with soft tannins."

Jay Miller (robertparker.com) "The 2005 Grenache Clarendon is dark ruby-colored with an enticing bouquet of violets, damp earth, and sappy black cherry. This leads to a ripe, velvety-textured, intensely fruity, structured wine which will evolve for 4-5 years and drink well through 2020."

Jay Miller  "The 2006 John Speke GSM is a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Shiraz, and 20% Mourvedre sourced from vines over 60 years of age. Dark ruby-coloured, it has an enticing nose of spice box, scorched earth, forest floor, cherry, and blueberry. Velvety-textured and elegantly-styled, this savoury blend conceals beautiful silky tannins."

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97 Points - James Halliday "Follows closely in the thoroughly unorthodox, but brilliantly successful, ?11 inaugural release: barrel fermentation and 11 months oak maturation, then 18 months in bottle prior to release. The synergy between the grape and the vinification, orchestrated by winemaker Stuart Pym, is spectacularly successful; the flavours are a Joseph's Coat of complexity, yet indivisible. Zesty acidity means the wine will outlast almost all other sauvignon blancs."

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96 Points - James Halliday "Hand-picked from a single vineyard in southern Margaret River, whole bunch-pressed, fermented in used oak barrels and one new 600l demi muid, 11 months maturation in oak followed by 18 months bottle maturation. Gleaming straw-green, it has the hallmark complexity and depth to its fusion of tropical fruit with cashew and toasty oak."

Neal Martin "The 2015 Blanc Sec from Doisy Daene has a crisp and vibrant bouquet with citrus fruit, yellow flowers and light granite-like aromas, all very focused and conveying a sense of energy. The palate is well balanced with a touch of rosewater on the entry, quite saline toward the finish with a touch of bitter lemon. This is such a fascinating dry white Sauternes—a superb wine."

96++ to 97++ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Sourced from the Howard family Somerset Vineyard where Angus once worked. The vines were planted in 1973, 1980 and 1987 over red volcanic clay and fine sandy clay loam. The bouquet offers ripe apricot, creme patissiere, spiced apple, fresh squeezed lemons, lemongrass with an undercurrent of minerals. The palate is medium-bodied but offers layer upon layer of ripe, citrus fruit. Tightly wound, tensile whilst offering incredible depth for its age. There’s a lovely creaminess which adds weight to the palate feel, which is beautifully contrasted by a seamless line of acidity. Oodles of finesse on show. This has the structure to age for a decade and will be magnificent in five years. Epic. Served with Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

Winemaker, Craig Stansborough “Vibrant colour, complex aromas of dark cherry, fennel seed, plum, herbs oregano and thyme. A powerful wine that delivers a crunchy lively textural palate showing fine tannin that is very consistent across the palate and natural acidity that drags fruit to the very back of the palate, all the elements that this variety delivers.

The fruit was picked on the 9th April. All the fruit was destemmed and lightly crushed (rollers open) to 1 x open fermenter with header boards and 1 x 1 tonne Poly Fermenter, both were allowed to commence indigenous fermentation. Temperatures were allowed to reach 28C the open fermenter was pumped over 3 times per day with the poly plunged 3 x times daily. After 10 days on skins the open fermenter was basket pressed and transferred into 1 x new French oak hogshead with the balance to 1-4 year old French oak hogsheads, the poly was topped and was left on skins for 3 months before pressing. Both underwent malo-lactic fermentation, after malo-lactic fermentation SO2 was added to the barrels. The wine was then left on light lees to mature for 5 months before racking, the wine was then transferred back to the same oak and matured for another 12 months. No finings or filtration used.

Robert Parker "The exotic, full-throttle, high velocity, mouth-staining, unctuously textured, dense ruby/purple-hued 2003 Grenache Old Vines Blewitt Springs is classic southern Australian Grenache. Pushed to the limit, but not over the top, it is a spectacular wine."

Robert Parker "The dark ruby-colored 2003 Grenache Old Vines Clarendon Hills exhibits a big, sweet nose of kirsch liqueur, raspberries, dusty soil, pepper, and herbs."

This is a pleasing, lightly structured Grenache from Clarendon Hills. Aged in high quality French oak barriques, you can taste delicious spiced red fruits - this is well worth tasting.

17 Points - Jancis Robinson "Yup, a little struck-match character on this one as well as on the Sauvignon Blancs – as one might expect. Completely deeelicious in my book. What a bargain! If, and only if, you like this style. But this seems constructed for the long term with exceedingly true and bright fruit. Coche fans could save a fortune ... Fairly rich fruit but with no shortage of trademark Marlborough acidity to keep it fresh."

95 Points - Joe Czerwinski (RobertParker.com) "Prettier and more aromatic than the very good 2015, the 2016 Cuthbert Cabernet Sauvignon hints at violets and mint on the nose and adds hints of cherries to the cassis fruit. Medium to full-bodied, it's supple, almost silky on the palate, with a finish that's simultaneously mouthwatering and firmly tannic. It should drink well for at least a decade."

Robert Parker "As usual for this cuvee, the 2004 Grenache Blewitt Springs possesses an extraordinary, exotic, flamboyant personality that causes Roman Bratasiuk to say it’s his “Dolly Parton-styled wine.” Terrific notes of blackberries, raspberries, and rich kirsch liqueur are accompanied by an opulent, flamboyant wine with tremendous viscosity and richness as well as a lusty, heady finish."

92 Points - Jame Suckling "Tight and structured with green peppercorns, dried flowers and dark fruits that follow through to a medium to full body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. From biodynamically-grown grapes."

Bob Campbell "The first Bilancia Chardonnay I have tasted. Fruit from La Collina vineyard and Bridge Pa Triangle. Indigenous yeast and 15 months in oak without fining or cold stabilisation. Attractive, elegant chardonnay with tight citrus, mineral, struck flint and savoury yeast lees and spicy oak flavours. A classy chardonnay with development potential." 

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96 Points - James Halliday "Hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, fermented in French oak (15% new), with natural mlf; 11 months in oak. Gleaming green-gold; the cashew/walnut complexity of the bouquet carries through to the palate, but here takes second place to its intense pink grapefruit core. Awesome second-tier wine."

Stuart McCloskey "“The ‘06 Merlot is the most surprising from our retrospective tasting. The nose is rich and plush with blackberry liquor, black cherry compote, sweet spice, tar and warm earth. With more aeration – roasted coffee, tobacco and bitter chocolate. Far from tired and amply fleshed-out with fabulously ripe, sweet fruit (sous-bois) which moves slowly across my palate. The acidity is low and the tannins are melting away. Today, a wine in complete harmony and offering swathes of silkiness. Drink now to 2025. Decant for 1-2 hours (no more) and served in Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Bloody amazing for the money…”

92 Points - James Halliday

Strong colour; medium to full-bodied; generous cassis/plum fruit, supple and smooth. 

Josh Raynolds

Dark red. Textbook merlot notes of minty cherry and chocolate on the nose, with a deeper coffee tone. Fat and almost oily, with bitter-edged cherry and licorice flavors showing a meaty, earthy character. Powerful, chewy and dense, the dark cherry note repeating on the finish. This needs some air.

Winemaker Notes - "We think of this wine as the sister to Springflat Shiraz, yet its Cabernet Sauvignon. Luscious and textural, Ducks & Drakes delivers all the classic Cabernet Sauvignon characters in a very “Heathcote” style. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon coming from two distinct vineyards each year. Full bodied, luscious and driven, just as Heathcote Cabernet should be. The grapes are fully de-stemmed, then fermented in open fermenters, gently hand plunged and pumped over to soften tannins, then basket pressed into French and American oak hogsheads and puncheons, 40% of which are new. A wine that can be carefully cellared for up to 15 years."

Our full tasting note coming soon...

China Wine & Spirits Awards 2019 - Gold Medal

Winemaker "Purple red blush with garnet hues. Blackcurrant jelly with cherry and coco powder. Generous and fruit driven. Dark chocolate and vanilla bean round out the dense layers of plums and blueberries. Inviting, soft tannins give a sense of plushness to the palate with buttered toast and dried figs to finish. Hand harvested and de-stemmed without being crushed. Fermented in concrete open fermenters for 7-10 days with 4 pump overs to maintain a fermentation temperature of 20-22’C. Drained and pressed though our wooden basket press before being transferred into seasoned American oak for 27 months. Bottled un-fined and unfiltered."

95 Points - James Halliday "Shiraz, aglianico and montepulciano, made and matured separately for 17 months prior to blending. All French oak, mostly older. The juicy plumminess of shiraz is evident, but the savoury red cherry character likely coming from its partners. More pertinent is that the blend has worked well, providing a seamless mouthfeel with length and depth of flavour."

Craig Stansborough “The Serata was really the main reason why I planted the two Italian varieties in the first place, to produce our version of a Super Tuscan. I always enjoyed the complexity of those wines and the idea that there were no boundaries. I had a hunch the natural acidity and the tannin would lend itself to blending with Shiraz and we have been so pleased with the results.. I just wish I could get in a time machine and see what they look like in ten years, I am pretty confident they will look bloody smart!

Owen Latta (Winemaker) "A nice start to the growing season with good rainfall in winter and spring and then everything stopped in summer to become a warmer short season. Intense in the vineyard with extreme drought conditions causing low yields. Interesting fruit. The wines were very forward in their youth but showed potential for longevity. Nice to revisit this and think about the season."

Our tasting note to follow...

96 Points - Jeb Dunnuck "More reserved but no less brilliant, the 2017 Shiraz Lily's Garden comes from the McLaren Vale and spent 18 months in just 9% new French oak. Classic Syrah notes of dark black fruits, damp herbs, scorched earth, and obvious minerality give way to a medium to full-bodied beauty that is flawlessly balanced, textured, and seamless. It’s up with the finest vintages I’ve tasted of this cuvée and will keep for upwards of a decade."

Joe Czerwinski (robertparker.com) "Hints of eucalyptus and bay leaf appear on the nose of the 2017 Samantha's Garden Shiraz. Cola and plum notes fill out the full-bodied palate, balanced by crisp acids and some ripe, supple tannins. Like all of the Garden series wines, it should drink well for a decade."

Neal Martin "The 2014 Gloria has a ripe and voluminous bouquet with plenty of blackberry, raspberry, pencil box and cedar aromas all well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite focused and poised with very well integrated new oak. There is plenty of freshness here, a 2014 Saint Julien full of energy with a persistent graphite finish that is very satisfying. Like its sibling, the Saint-Pierre, there is great potential here. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting."

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Jaysen Collins (winemaker) - "I grew up across the road from a famous old school winemaker who was known to be one of the best blenders of his generation. So for years I followed this ideal in the wines I was making. For a hands off winemaker, you actually feel like you are doing something. One day pondering life, the universe and everything I thought about why I hadn’t challenged this notion. Grenache and friends work well together – I’ll just pick them within a few days of each other, chuck it all in one fermenter and let the ferment rock it in its own way. So my theory is that the different varieties bring something complimentary but they also bring something individual – so equal but opposite reactions in the ferment. I then remembered my high school physics and worked out it’s actually the same way a rocket works. Go figure."

Winemaker Notes - "Springflat Shiraz is our original flagship wine having been made every vintage since 1991. Springflat Shiraz is a blend of 4 distinct estate grown vineyards in the Heathcote region. Parcels of fruit are made separately, utilising a small amount of whole bunches in the ferments for added texture, hand plunged, basket pressed and then matured in French and American oak hogsheads for up to 22 months, 40% of which are new."

Our full tasting note coming soon...

95 Points - James Halliday "Hand-picked fruit with 20% whole bunches, on skins 15 days in open top fermenters, pressed to seasoned French puncheons and hogsheads for 18 months. While this shines the spotlight on the fruit, there's certainly oak flavours and tannin seeping through to the wine but just the right amount. Also in the mix are blackberry essence, plum compote, molasses and savoury, persimmon-like tannins."

Sourced from one of the highest vineyards on top of Menglers Hill, this quintessentially Eden Valley Shiraz has a soft bouquet of red fruits and fresh cut flowers with a moderately powerful fruit profile that finishes with an amazing minerality. Acidity is the true key to this wine. The elevation provides acidity retention and slight relief from weather extremes. Skeletal gravelly soils provide a fine boned mouth feel. Wildlife and gumtrees surround this vineyard, a natural inspiration for the colour of this label.

Winemaker "Harvested from vineyards in the Northern Barossa sub-region of Ebenezer. The soil profile is sandy clay loam over solid limestone. Layered and full. The fully ripe blackberry and liquor cherry fruits are unpinned with the savoury edges of cigar, leather and dark chocolate. Oak tannins frame the body of the wine adding spiced toast notes, whilst fleshing out the fruit tannin profile to meld with blackcurrant notes, creating a seamless finish. Cherry red with blood orange hues. Raspberry, fig and white cherries with hints rhubarb leaves."

97 Points - Stuart McCloskey “Pleasingly, the wine has put-on some textural weight during the past 12-months. I would add a note of caution as to the choice of glassware. I sampled the wine using Zalto Bordeaux and Universal. The bigger Bordeaux glass is better suited in my opinion as it shows off the luscious richness and textural mouthfeel (not at all heavy) against the Universal glass, which provides less expressive notes and stimulation. The nose offers ripe apricot, confit lemon with a lovely floral array. The palate builds with an impressive level of balance and breadth. The palate is unctuous with layers of honeyed, spiced orchard fruits and honeysuckle, but remains bright and focused. The length is astonishing. Wonderful value and will be drinking perfectly for another 5-8 years.”

17+/20 - Raymond Chan "Garnet-red colour with a dark heart, lighter on the rim with a touch of bricking. The nose is soft and plush with open and accessible aromas of red berry and plum fruit entwined an amalgamated layering of herbs and spices. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant in proportion with a sweet core of dark-red berry fruit along with liquorice and spice nuances, unveiling subtle herbal elements. The fruit is up-front and softly mouthfilling, and is supported by supple tannin extraction and structure. The acidity is fresh and balanced and adds to the energy. The flavours form an elegant core and lead to a long, lingering finish of spices and herbs. This is an up-front, sweet-fruited Pinot Noir with red berry, liquorice, spice and herb flavours on a supple palate. Match with Asian and Middle Eastern fare over the next 4 years. Clones 667, 777, 5, 115, 114, 10/5, Abel and 113, fermented with a small amount of whole bunches to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 9 months in 10% new oak."

The 2016 combines the fruit-forward qualities of Yakima Valley Syrah with the freshness and acidity of the Walla Walla hillside vineyards, and the meatiness and funk of the rocks Syrah at SJR Vineyards. This wine was fermented 76% whole cluster partially in Concrete tank, with native yeast.

Black Italian plum, blackberry, dark cherry, violets, seared meat, green peppercorns, black tea & fresh thyme. Plush, approachable tannins that build on the mid-palate. Racy acidity backed finish. Smooth, balanced, and elegant. 100% Syrah, 1,528 cases produced.

94 Points - James Suckling "A vivid and bright red with plum and spice plus hints of cedar and sandalwood. Medium to full body, silky tannins and a flavorful finish. The plush tannins to this give it weight and opulence. Needs a year or two to soften."

92 Points - Neal Martin "The 2015 Fombrauge is a blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. I appreciated this Saint-Émilion in barrel and now in bottle it continues to impress: voluptuous black cherries intermix with crème de cassis and violets on the nose. It almost flirts with jamminess but it stops short and retains freshness. The palate is medium-bodied with plump ripe tannin, caressing in texture with black cherries, black plum, cassis and a touch of white pepper. It feels long in the mouth and conveys a sense of approachability, a wine to enjoy over the next decade."

Winemaker "Cherry red with blueberry hues. Aromas of raspberries and red currants with hints of white pepper and strawberry blossoms. Juicy and generous. The vibrant red berried fruits are at the fore with supporting layers of sweet kitchen spices and rhubarb stems providing vibrancy to the mid palate. The oak is playing a supporting role, framing the mineral/stonewashed tannin profile that creates a creamy balance to the wine.

Hand harvested and de-stemmed without being crushed. Fermented in concrete open fermenters for 7-10 days with 4 pump overs to maintain a fermentation temperature of 20-22’C. Drained and pressed though our wooden basket press before being transferred into seasoned oak for 15 months. Bottled un-fined and un-filtered."

Tasting note to follow shortly...

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95 Points - Jay Miller (erobertparker.com) "The 2006 Springflat Shiraz is 100% varietal aged in 100% new French and American oak. The nose offers up an array of cedar, saddle leather, boysenberry, blackberry, and blueberry compote. This is followed by a sweetly fruited, opulent wine with layers of spicy flavors, earth notes, and spice box. Balanced and exceptionally long, this large-scaled effort will evolve for another 5-7 years and be at its best through 2031."

98+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “The bouquet soars from the glass with an infusion of mineral, honey, lime, quince, caramelised apple, roasted pineapple and sweet spices. This is one of those rare wines which provides as much olfactory pleasure as does the taste itself – quite magical. The palate offers wonderful intensity but is far from being clumsy. Highly elegant given its soaring presence. Texturally, similar to a German Auslese (not to be confused with the sweetness level). The complexity is beguiling… The palate is silken and counterpoints perfectly from stones, salt, minerals to a juicy ripeness which leaves me drooling for more. I could honestly get carried away with this wine. The best NZ Riesling I have had the pleasure to sample – I am in awe. Serve around 11 degrees (fridge cold is too cold) and enjoy late afternoon / early evening in the sunshine. Do not serve with food – Enjoy the moment which food will interrupt. Amazing now but I would love to re-sample in ten years. Served using Zalto universal glassware”

Winemaker Notes - "Springflat Shiraz is our original flagship wine having been made every vintage since 1991. Springflat Shiraz is a blend of 4 distinct estate grown vineyards in the Heathcote region. Parcels of fruit are made separately, utilising a small amount of whole bunches in the ferments for added texture, hand plunged, basket pressed and then matured in French and American oak hogsheads for up to 22 months, 40% of which are new."

Our full tasting note coming soon...

Mike Bennie, The Wine Front "While tasting through a suite of 2017 Greenock Creek releases I kept gravitating back to the non-shiraz wines, specifically the cabernet sauvignon and mataro that were sent. This is one of the wines that sees French oak at Greenock Creek. Unfined-unfiltered to bottle. Bold, luscious and assertive style of cabernet sauvignon but it holds its muscular physique well. Rich cassis, new leather, lavender, woody spice and sandalwood characters emerge. Tannins are chewy, slightly woody, and finish the wine in chomps of wood spice and slight bitterness, though that feels apt after the thick, generous front and mid-palate stuffed with ripe fruit and lavish flavour. Strap in."