An estate-grown blend of 68% sauvignon blanc, 24% semillon and 8% muscadelle, matured for 11 months in barrel. Has exceptional drive, complexity and balance, its longevity proved by multi-vintage vertical tastings. Its backbone of acidity has ample lemon/lemon curd/fresh-cut grass to encourage a second glass.
95 points, Wine Companion (March 2020)
It’s a charming, ripe and glossy vintage of Triolet, so smooth and flavoursome, but still has grip and juicy acidity. Lime and lemon curd, some spice and lemongrass, crunch of green apple acidity, a subtle hay/grassy element in there too. Finish is long, floral/vanilla scented, and silky, with a cinch of quinine-like bitterness adding refreshment. White Bordeaux blends don’t come much better than this.
96 points, The Wine Front (September 2020)
This sits on a reductive edge, so give it some good air. It flexes into a minerally, wet-stony mode and has aromas of pear blossom, sliced apple, grassy elements, sliced cucumber and lemon pith. The palate has a very sleek, contained and linear shape with quite intense green-apple and green-pear flavors. Some grassy notes, too. Concentrated and pinned in tight with vibrant acidity.
96 points, JamesSuckling.com (October 2020)
Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley was first planted by the Ryrie brothers who explored a way through the Snowy Mountains to the Yarra Valley, planting grapes in 1838 just three years after the foundation of Melbourne. A wine industry (developed by Swiss Settlers particularly Hubert de Castella and Baron Guillaume de Pury in the 1850s) thrived during the gold rush era and heyday of the 19th century. However, the end of the gold rush brought the wine industry into decline and it was not until the 1970’s that the modern wine industry started up again. The region is probably Australia’s best-known cool-climate area, yet it is really a patchwork of meso-climates. This varied topography creates an incredible set of variables. Vineyards are planted on elevations of 50 to 400m on varying aspects and management programmes. The more exposed sites are subject to severe spring frosts and winds. Overall, the area experiences a relatively high rainfall pattern and is known for its temperature extremes during ripening. Site selection is crucial, with the best vineyards often located where the original vines were once planted, generally on sandy clay loams and gravels. The Yarra Valley is well known for high quality Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Blends with Shiraz increasingly garnering attention. Sparkling wine production is also extremely important, with many of Australia’s finest examples produced in the region.
