"30% whole bunches, 9 days on skins, then pressed to oak for 9 months before bottling with no fining and minimal filtration. Crystal-clear crimson, the bouquet complexed by a mix of berry, earth and spice. The light-bodied palate follows with red fruits and pomegranate joining the party."
95 points, The Weekend Australian (April 2020)
125 dozen made. 30% whole bunches, 25% new oak. Vineyard planted in 1998.
Light, bell clear, tangy and complex. At first it feels a little too tart, a wine made for winemakers, but as it breathes it adds both flesh and fancy. It has a lot to offer and a lot to say. Dried herb notes, cherry-strawberry and woodsmoke flavours. Undergrowth characters appear as if dangling from strings. Tension is the name of the game here. The wine’s various aspects sit in separate corners but they’re all tied, they’re taut. We’re at Act One of a drama.
93+ points, The Wine Front (April 2020)
Victoria’s first commercial wine was produced in Geelong by Swiss immigrants in 1845. During the mid- 1800’s Geelong was the largest grape-growing region in Victoria with 400 hectares under vine. When phylloxera struck in the 1870s however, the vines were decimated and it was not until the late 1960’s that the area’s vineyards were re-established. Located about 80 km southwest of Melbourne, Geelong has a cool maritime climate with low rainfall and prevalent cool blustery winds that affect flowering and Franceuit set. Soils are diverse, mostly volcanic over limestone with some lesser quality black soils. The region is dotted primarily with family owned wineries producing small quantities of high quality Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz & Cabernet Sauvignon.
