"Hand-picked, 25% whole bunches, 10 days on skins, pressed to oak (20% new), no further movement pre-blending/bottling. Terrific colour, the bouquet has spicy black pepper and licorice nuances, the palate with great line and length to its ocean of sweet black fruits."
97 points, The Weekend Australian (April 2020)
"Lift of blue fruits, some hints of fresh herbs carry the nose. A medium-bodied style, with some dark cherry notes and a hint of wood-spice. Good carry across the palate with supple tannins and fine acid line framing the whole picture. Drinking young and bright, time will open up more layers."
96 points, The Real Review (March 2020)
Grown on a vineyard planted in 1990. 120 dozen only. From out Bannockburn ways.
Wow this is a beauty. Textural, wild, lengthy, powerful of both fruit and character. Set-back-on-your-heels terrain. So much long smoky length, so much sous bois, so ripe and fresh at once. I was tasting in silence but a few sips and I had the headphones on just to get me up to its speed. It takes you on a winding road at pace. The wind’s blowing. It’s autumn. 120 dozen? It’s nothing. Nothing. I’m telling you this is a wine.
96 Points, Campbell Mattinson, 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.
