Victoria

97 Points - Stuart McCloskey “The bouquet is immensely appealing, offering scents of orange and rose blossom, orchard fruit, quince, spring flowers and a little citrus. More classical and missing those petrol aromas found in some Aussie Rieslings. Clearly, the wine is young, incisive but carries itself with much confidence. Bracing acidity is missing which allows the pure fruit flavours of apricot and tangerine peel to shine. Rose petal and jasmine (essence-of-Gewürztraminer) which is fascinating. The profile is pure, spiced and I love the dash of white pepper and phenolic grip on the finish. The finish is very long indeed and will develop for a decade or more in the bottle. I’m detecting some salt after a minute or two and more white pepper. Incredibly charming, thoughtfully produced and one of the most classical renditions of this varietal found in Australia. As ever Owen bottles unfined, unfiltered and untinkered…”

Owen Latta (Winemaker) "Quite a challenging vintage; a good start to the season followed by a long slow finish. Harvested early May, 12.8 Baumé. 5% whole bunch, indigenous yeast and no adjustments. 16-18 months in 4-10 year old barriques. SO2 added post Malo and prior to bottling. This wine took time to blossom but is now one of our favourites. Also Norman’s last solo vintage!

Our tasting note to follow...

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...

97 Points - Magdalena Sienkiewicz "Tasted throughout the day which is such a lovely way to discover a wine’s true character. It was a touch cold when first opened however, after two hours of aeration, it unfurled beautifully. Evocative aromas of bramble, sour cherries, hedgerow fruits and sweet spices are lifted by elegant herbal notes and a whiff of undergrowth. Pristine fruit shines on the palate with wonderful purity before the textures expand to reveal its deep and earthy complexities. The balance is retained throughout and the savoury finish is delectable. Excellent and a unique Pinot Noir with a difference. Thoughtful, not a hair is out of place and its friendly character is most appealing. Sampled using Zalto Burgundy glassware. Enjoy now and over the next 5-7 years."

 Alan Cooper, Founder & Vigneron “Very much typical of our Syrah from a cooler year, aromatic on the nose, savoury spice and a fine dusting of black pepper to finish. The essence of granite. Focussed and expressive of our amazing terroir. The classic iron fist in a velvet glove. Huge latent power and structure to burn. This wine will reward you even more with age!”

Gourmet Traveller Wine 'Best buy wines over $30'  "It’s really hard not to think of the great syrahs of the northern Rhône (St-Joseph, Hermitage) when tasting this exceptional, nervy, peppery, thrillingly dark-fruited syrah. And even harder to ignore what great value it is in comparison to them."

I love the salinity, purity and that same buttery pastry... Supremely sophisticated and yet again, in a class all of its own

97++ to 98 Points - Stuart McCloskey  “Different and rightfully individual, but I can see glimpses of my old friend. The nose is evocative and builds with more aeration. Grilled, creamy nuts, buttery pastry, crème pat, fresh vanilla pod underpinned with confit lemon, crisp orchard fruits and the most striking mineral freshness imaginable. The palate is a little subdued but that’s ok with me as this beauty will last a decade or more. It’s textural, satiny, fleshy and elegant in a muscular sense. I love the salinity, purity and that same buttery pastry. The acidity is racy and the pithy structure chewy and delightful. Supremely sophisticated and yet again, in a class all of its own by an indescribable sense of completeness. One of the highlights of my year and I am pinching three dozen for sure. Do not overchill, decant for 20-30 minutes and ideally serve in Zalto Bordeaux glassware or similar. Drink now to 2030+ (I believe this will be 99 points in 5-8 years)”

Owen Latta (Winemaker) "Dream season! Easy year in the vineyard with no pressure on to get anything done great quantities per acre. Amazing grapes. Beautiful for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Coghills Creek. 15% whole bunch indigenous yeast and no adjustments. 12 months in 4-10 year old barriques. SO2 added post Malo and prior to bottling. From the get go this wine was ready to roll and has made heads turn. It has aged gracefully and is singing its song loud at the moment."

Our tasting note to follow...

Owen Latta (Winemaker) "A great beginning of the season from a dry winter with not a lot of rain and not much rainfall to follow up in the spring. Some good early summer rain helped the vineyard to finish. The year became cool for a late April Harvest. Good yields but very small bunches caused by the drought. 10% whole bunch indigenous yeast and no adjustments. 12 months in 4-10 year old barriques. SO2 added post Malo and prior to bottling. We have found some excess stock of this wine in the cellar, hence the value price."

Our tasting note to follow...

Owen Latta (Winemaker) "Again another season similar to 2008, back to back. Warmer, short and easy in the vineyard with a couple of good patches of rain. Extreme drought conditions with a few days of extreme heat across Victoria at the time of the black Saturday fires. Extremely fortunate there were no fires in this part of the world. It’s a voluptuous pinot with a line that rides right down the middle, plenty going on here.

Our tasting note to follow...

Tasting note to follow shortly...