McLaren Vale Wine Guide 2026

SOUTH AUSTRALIA WINE GUIDE 2026

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

VINTAGE JOURNAL

INTRODUCTION

ANGUS HUGHSON When I first entered the wine trade, over 20 years ago, South Australia was widely described as ’The Wine State’. While other regions also had significant history and a library of fine wines, South Australia was this country’s undisputed centre of wine. The Barossa and Eden valleys were the pinnacles thanks to their sheer volume of quality wine, but McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Langhorne Creek, Coonawarra, Adelaide Hills and others could, on their day, hit similar heights. The landscape has certainly changed over the last three decades. New South Wales has grown far past its Hunter Valley origins, Western Australia and Tasmania have asserted their fine wine credentials, and Victoria has blossomed across numerous regions. This has been an exciting time for Australian wine in general as it has grown out of adolescence into a more mature industry with greater self-confidence, technical skill, and genuine aspirations to match the greatest wines from around the world. While there has been a movement across all states and regions, increasingly the wines from South Australia have been forgotten or undervalued in a rush to cover the evolution in other parts of the country or new-wave styles. Yet South Australia is by far the largest state in terms of vineyard area and wine production with a long and proud history which has also enjoyed its own period of evolution, and will, without doubt, continue to deserve a significant focus. The South Australian Wine Guide 2026 has been launched to rebalance the ledger, and provide a definitive guide that throws a light on all of South Australia’s wine regions, with a singular focus on the unique wines from what is still ‘The Wine State’. A number of regions are regularly overlooked by sections of wine media or do not receive the recognition due to them for their contribution to the national wine story – a trend that seems to be getting worse over time. This guide will proudly put every South Australian region on a pedestal to identify the leading local wines and highlight unique regional stories often hidden from view. A key intention for the South Australian Wine Guide 2026 is to go beyond tasting notes and scores and tell the deeper stories of the regions and their recent vintages. Tasting wine is much more profound than simply enjoying an alcoholic beverage. It is tasting the land, its people, and history expressed through aromas, flavours, and textures. From our perspective, providing a regional context is as important as any

South Australia Wine Guide 2026 | Introduction

score and a vital component of this guide. Each region opens with an introduction to the area and wines tasted, including standout vintages and varieties to keep an eye out for. Keen Riesling fans will be particularly interested in the Eden Valley and Clare Valley reports of the 2025 Riesling vintage by Tony Love and Jeni Port, respectively. Critic choice is clearly important in guiding consumers. The world of wine has never been more complex, nor have consumer tastes. So, to reflect this diversity, this guide includes reviews from 10 critics of different ages and backgrounds. On the one hand, we have highly experienced tasters such as Andrew Caillard MW, Tony Love, Ken Gargett, and Jeni Port, whose opinions comfortably sit alongside those of rising stars Shanteh Wale, Cyndal Petty, and Lisa Cardelli. We believe a range of palates with a vast array of backgrounds and experiences is essential to provide a compelling and all-encompassing guide that will resonate with all consumers, from novices starting out on their journey to collectors with vast cellars. Our overriding view is that there is a place and a consumer for every wine and so we taste with an open mind across a broad range of styles independent of any personal preference or bias. The South Australian Wine Guide 202 6 is our second foray into building greater recognition for the wines from all of South Australia. This is, we hope, just the start, and we can build the guide into a definitive resource and vinous bible for anyone keen to get a better handle on the wines of this key centrepiece of the Australian wine industry.

South Australia Wine Guide 2026 | Introduction

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BEST OF THE BEST

Alkina Striato, Shiraz 2023

Barossa

Angove Brightlands, Shiraz 2021

McLaren Vale Coonawarra

Balnaves, The Tally Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 Barton Rise & Barton View, Reserve Old Vine, Shiraz 2018

Barossa

Bekkers, Syrah 2023

McLaren Vale Adelaide Hills Langhorne Creek

BK Wines, Remy, Pinot Noir 2022 Bremerton, Old Adam, Shiraz 2022

Burge Family Winemakers, Draycott Reserve, Shiraz 2022 Charles Melton, Nine Popes, Red Blend 2022 Château Tanunda, 100 Year Old Vines, Shiraz 2022 Château Tanunda, 150 Year Old Vines, Shiraz 2022 Eisenstone, X11 Hoffmann Dallwitz Vineyard, Shiraz 2022

Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa

Elderton, Command, Shiraz 2022 First Drop, The Cream, Shiraz 2021

Henschke, Cyril Henschke, Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Henschke, Hill of Grace, Shiraz 2021 Henschke, Hill of Roses, Shiraz 2021 Henschke, Mount Edelstone, Shiraz 2021 Hentley Farm, Clos Otto, Shiraz 2022 Hentley Farm, The Old Legend, Grenache 2023, Hickinbotham, The Peake, Cabernet Shiraz 2022 Jacob’s Creek, Our Limited Release Survivor Vine, Shiraz 2021

McLaren Vale

Barossa

Jim Barry Wines, The Armagh, Shiraz 2022 John Duval Wines, Eligo, Shiraz 2021 John Duval Wines, Integro, Cabernet Shiraz 2016 Kaesler Wines, Old Bastard, Shiraz 2022 Kilikanoon Wines, Walton 1946, Grenache 2021 Lake Breeze, Arthur’s Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot 2022 Langmeil Winery, The Freedom 1843, Shiraz 2022

Clare Valley

Barossa Barossa Barossa

Clare Valley

Langhorne Creek

Barossa Barossa Barossa

Levrier Wines by Jo Irvine, Grand Levrier, Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Mirus Vineyards, Block 5 Sand Hill, Shiraz 2023

The Vintage Journal

Mr Riggs, The Chap, Shiraz Cabernet 2021 Orlando, Centenary Hill, Shiraz 2018

McLaren Vale

Barossa

Parker Estate, 95 Block, Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot 2021

Coonawarra

Paulmara Estates, Aristotle, Shiraz 2021 Penfolds, Bin 95 Grange, Shiraz Blend 2021

Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa

Penfolds, RWT Bin 798, Shiraz 2023 Penfolds, St Henri, Shiraz 2022

Peter Lehmann Wines, Stonewell, Shiraz 2018 Peter Lehmann Wines, Stonewell, Shiraz 2019 Rieslingfreak, No. 10 Zenit, Riesling 2025

Rieslingfreak, No.4, Riesling 2025 Riposte, The, Pinot Noir 2025 Schild Estate, Moorooroo, Shiraz 2022

Adelaide Hills

Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa

Seppeltsfield, 100-Year-Old Para, Vintage Tawny 1925

Sons of Eden, Remus Old Vine, Shiraz 2022 Soul Growers, Belle Ame, Shiraz 2021 Soul Growers, Slow Grown, Shiraz 2023

Tarrawatta Wines, Ambervale, Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Taylors, The Pioneer, Shiraz 2019

Clare Valley

Terre à Terre, Crayeres Vineyard Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Cabernet Franc 2021 Terre à Terre, Reserve, Sauvignon Blanc 2023 Thistledown, Sands of Time, Grenache 2024 Torbreck Vintners, Hillside Vineyard, Grenache 2023 Torbreck Vintners, RunRig, Shiraz Viognier 2022 Two Hands, Holy Grail Single Vineyard, Shiraz 2022 Two Hands, Yacca Block Single Vineyard, Shiraz 2022

Wrattonbully Wrattonbully McLaren Vale

Barossa Barossa Barossa Barossa

Weaver, Riesling 2025

Adelaide Hills Clare Valley McLaren Vale McLaren Vale

Wines by KT, Howarth Vineyard, Shiraz Cabernet 2022 Yangarra, Hickinbotham Clarendon, Grenache 2023

Yangarra, High Sands, Grenache 2023

Yelland & Papps, Limited Cuvée, Grenache 2024

Barossa

South Australia Wine Guide 2026 | Best Of The Best

The Vintage Journal

South Australia Wine Guide 2026 | Best Of The Best

McLaren Vale. Photo: McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Association

McLAREN VALE

SHANTEH WALE

Before the clinking of glasses, bustling cellar doors, and tractor vibrations, there were deeper sounds — shifting earth and rumbling seas — that composed the song of McLaren Vale’s making. Let’s begin with the great landmass of Gondwana, which began to break apart around 180 million years ago. The separation was slow, advancing only a millimetre each year, with Australia and Antarctica finally parting ways 45 million years ago. In South Australia, this tectonic movement formed the wedge-shaped St Vincent Basin, situated between the Mount Lofty Ranges and the Yorke Peninsula, now covered by the Gulf St Vincent. The basin’s faulting created a step-like structure and lifted the Mount Lofty Ranges. Two triangular, almost leaf-shaped fault angles emerged within the basin — the Willunga and Noarlunga Embayments. Within these coastal indentations lie soils shaped by Cenozoic marine limestones, and river and wind-blown sediments, deposited as the ocean advanced and retreated over millennia. Interspersed throughout are ancient layers of rock unearthed by shifting tectonic plates, revealing formations up to 750 million years old. It is here that we find the wine region of McLaren Vale. Home to the Kaurna people, who, for hundreds of generations, lived in harmony with the open grassy plains, dotted tree lines, and native inhabitants. With colonisation came dramatic change and development — a stark change when considering that for over 65,000 years, the world’s oldest continuous culture lived in step with nature and made minimal impact on its landscape. The region first became focused on cereal crops and cattle farming when, down the line, the region’s viticultural story began as John Reynell and Thomas Hardy, both of English origin, planted the first vines in 1838. McLaren Vale became South Australia’s first wine-growing region. Its Mediterranean climate — warm summers, moderate winters, and low humidity — proved ideal for producing dry table wines, and later for ripening red varieties destined for fortified wines that found favour in the UK and US during the mid-20th century. By the 1970s, large-scale government-sponsored immigration programs brought an influx of Italian families whose horticultural knowledge and love of

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dry table wines helped shape a new era of production. McLaren Vale had come full circle, and with the state remaining free from the devastation of phylloxera, the future of fine wine was secured. Cradled by the southern Mount Lofty Ranges to the south and east, and the Gulf St Vincent to the west, McLaren Vale today boasts 7,335 hectares under vine, 90 cellar doors, and more than 190 operating wineries. Its reputation for producing some of Australia’s finest wines rests on the careful custodianship of old vines, a wealth of established brands, and the pioneering spirit of forward-thinking individuals.

Tending the Earth: McLaren Vale’s Commitment to Sustainability

The Adelaide Plains are home to the Kaurna people. Today, their traditions are also upheld by a new community that understands that they, too, are trustees of the land and its natural resources.

Grenache Gourmet Vines, Sunset Coriole, 2023

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Younger than 500 million years LEGEND

Burnham Limestone

Marino

Water

Holocene (11 700 years to present day) SEMAPHORE SAND MEMBER: Quartz beach sand SEMAPHORE SAND MEMBER: Coastal dune sand Beach gravel

( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

Unconsolidated sand dunes, drapes and spreads

Talus gravel, sand and clay Alluvial sand in active stream channels Alluvial clay of raised terraces of Onkaparinga River

Happy Valley Reservoir

Alluvial clay of valleys

Hallett Cove

Pleistocene (2.6 million to 11 700 years)

OCHRE COVE FORMATION: Iron-mottled pebbly sandstone KURRAJONG FORMATION: Clayey sand and silica-cemented conglomerate BURNHAM LIMESTONE: Fine-grained limestone PIRRAMIMMA SANDSTONE and SEAFORD FORMATION: Yellow and buff sandstone, pebbly sandstone, clay NGALTINGA FORMATION: Grey and red mottled clay; commonly capped with calcrete CHRISTIES BEACH FORMATION: Alluvial fan clay, sand and gravel

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Pliocene (5.3 to 2.6 million years)

Clarendon

HALLETT COVE SANDSTONE: Calcareous fossiliferous sandstone

Lonsdale

Iron-cemented surface on bedrock

Oligocene (34 to 23 million years) PORT WILLUNGA FORMATION: Fossiliferous limestone

Mount Bold

SOUTH MOUNT LOFTY RANGES

Reservoir

Eocene (56 to 34 million years)

O'Sullivan Beach

Carboniferous–Permian (c. 300 million years) CAPE JERVIS FORMATION: Pebbly and bouldery claystone; sandy, laminated claystone with dropstones NORTH MASLIN and SOUTH MASLIN SANDS: Cross-bedded medium and coarse-grained sand BLANCHE POINT FORMATION: Glauconitic, fossiliferous calcareous siltstone; hard cherty bands; glauconitic TORTACHILLA LIMESTONE at base Iron-cemented sand (?NORTH MASLIN SAND)

Christies Beach wastewater treatment plant

Baker Gully

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Christies Beach

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MCLAREN FLAT ROAD Kangarilla

Port Noarlunga

Sand

Blewitt Springs

KNOTTS HILL ROAD

Old Noarlunga

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Sand

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Ochre Point

Rocla North

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Rocla

Maslin Beach

Blanche Point

Port Willunga

Older than 500 million years LEGEND

Snapper Point

DELAMERIAN OROGENY: Folding and cleavage formation, c. 500 million years Barite vein Quartz vein NORMANVILLE GROUP: c. 520 million years FORK TREE LIMESTONE: Pale grey limestone with archaeocyaths HEATHERDALE SHALE: Dark grey, slaty siltstone with black phosphate nodules

Willunga

Burnham Limestone

SELLICK HILL FORMATION: Dark grey, ribboned, silty limestone WANGKONDA FORMATION: Massive, dark grey limestone

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MOUNT TERRIBLE FORMATION: Arkosic grit, overlain by siltstone and sandstone

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WILPENA GROUP: c. 600 million years BUNYEROO FORMATION: Maroon, fine-grained siltstone ABC RANGE QUARTZITE: White, cross-bedded quartzite

Aldinga Scrub (CP)

Aldinga Water Storage

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PORT STANVAC SANDSTONE MEMBER: Laminated and cross-bedded red sandstone

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SEACLIFF SANDSTONE: Pale grey and red sandstone, quartzite and red siltstone BRACHINA FORMATION: Red and green siltstone and fine-grained sandstone NUCCALEENA FORMATION: Laminated pink dolomite UMBERATANA GROUP: c. 650 million years REYNELLA SILTSTONE MEMBER: Mostly massive siltstone with small rock fragments

Silver Sands

ELATINA FORMATION: Pink-brown sandstone with red granule bands

TAPLEY HILL FORMATION: Calcareous siltstone and sandstone; intraclastic and stromatolitic limestone BRIGHTON LIMESTONE: Massive oolitic limestone WILMINGTON FORMATION: Massive, green-grey, fine-grained sandstone Laminated to rippled, grey to green siltstone MARINO ARKOSE: Lime-cemented, gritty arkose and minor limestone ANGEPENA FORMATION: Rippled, mud-cracked, red siltstone; fine-grained sandstone Dark grey, very thinly laminated, slaty siltstone TINDELPINA SHALE MEMBER: Laminated, pyritic, black shale and dolomite

Sellicks Beach

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STURT TILLITE: Massive, cleaved, pebbly and boulder siltstone (diamictite)

Gritty arkose lenses

Sandstone layers Laminated siltstone layers

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285000 BURRA GROUP: c. 750 million years BELAIR SUBGROUP: Laminated, grey siltstone Quartzite layers MITCHAM QUARTZITE: Massive, coarse-grained, feldspathic quartzite 286000 287000 288000 289000 STONYFELL QUARTZITE: Feldspathic quartzite, sandstone, siltstone SADDLEWORTH FORMATION: Laminated dark grey and green siltstone Quartzite layers PALAEOPROTEROZOIC BASEMENT (c. 1600 million years) BAROSSA COMPLEX: Gneiss, schist ALDGATE SANDSTONE: Feldspathic, pebbly sandstone; heavy mineral cross-laminations MONTACUTE DOLOMITE: Blue-grey, thinly bedded dolomite with black chert lenses WOOLSHED FLAT SHALE: Laminated and sandy grey-green siltstone Brecciated WOOLSHED FLAT SHALE

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Scale: 1:50 000

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Kilometres

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Topographic detail

Geological boundary and fault

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Vineyard Mclaren Vale Wine Region Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park

Water storage Sand or clay pit Winery

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Roads Secondary road Track

Conformable contact Intrusive contact Erosional contact Concealed fault Fault

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GDA 94 Map projection Transverse Mercator Zone 54

Watercourse River

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Wastewater treatment plant

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Holocene sand

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The Vintage Journal GEOLOGY OF THE McLAREN VALE WINE REGION

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Source: McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Association

McLaren Vale is leading the charge in their contribution to a sustainable future. This is in large part thanks to the research and findings of geologists Bill Fairburn, Jeff Olliver, and Wolfgang Preiss, alongside wine writer Philip White that led to the published ‘The Geology of the McLaren Vale Wine Region’ map in 2010, later updated in 2019. This is perhaps the most comprehensive regional geological understanding of any Australian wine region and lays a foundation for the region’s and its producers’ deep connection with its land. McLaren Vale was also the first region to self-impose water restrictions on its underground resources. In 1991, a group of farmers successfully lobbied the government to introduce limits to manage the strained groundwater system. This initiative led to the development of the country’s first and largest reclaimed water network. Today, Willunga Basin Water supplies 65% of the region’s annual water demand, providing a sustainable source of irrigation. In 2019, the McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Association partnered with the Australian Wine Research Institute to develop the national sustainability framework now known as Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. McLaren Vale also lays claim to close to 40% of its area under vine being certified organic and/or biodynamic, all these elements making McLaren Vale Australia’s most environmentally sustainable wine grape growing region. Vintage Snapshots: Seasons and Stories in the Vineyards 2025 A warm, dry growing season brought an early budburst, with even fruit set and minimal disease pressure. The warm conditions continued through veraison and into harvest. Small but concentrated berries delivered intensity and vibrancy across the vintage. Harvest commenced two weeks ahead of schedule and concluded by late March. The overall wine crush increased by 28% compared to the previous year. Grenache achieved the highest average value this vintage. Twenty hectares of new plantings were established between 2024 and 2025, evenly split between red and white varieties, with a focus on heat-tolerant grapes such as grenache and fiano. 2024 A mild winter and an early, dry spring brought fluctuating temperatures — warm days and cold nights — leading to some frost damage in low-lying vineyards and

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delayed budburst. The season saw sporadic rainfall, high winds, and one scorching 40°C day in November. Heavy summer rains over Christmas and into January were followed by a late-month heat spike. The hot, dry finish created a compact vintage. Grenache performed strongly, achieving higher yields than most. Thirty-four hectares of new vines were planted during 2023–2024, including 11 hectares of grenache, reflecting growing demand. 2023 Cool, wet spring conditions delayed budburst, with frequent rain events increasing disease pressure. November remained windy, cool, and wet, impacting fruit set across the region. Relief arrived with warm, mild, dry weather from December through February. The late flowering and mild summer led to an extended, delayed harvest. Yields were below average, but the vintage shone for growers who applied skill and patience to produce exceptional fruit.

Subregions of Distinction: The Character of McLaren Vale

While McLaren Vale sits within the broader Fleurieu Zone, its unofficial subregions are widely recognised, thanks to the storytelling and transparency of local producers. Many estates adopted subregional labelling early on, helping to educate consumers on the relationship between site and style. Blewitt Springs lies in the eastern hills and is the coolest subregion, reaching elevations of up to 300 metres. Deep Maslin sands rich in ironstone define the soils. Afternoon sea breezes cool the vineyards, home to some of Australia’s oldest bush-vine grenache and shiraz. Wines from this area are perfumed, structured, and elegant, ageing with glacial grace. Willunga Basin occupies the fertile, central-southern part of the region. Formed from an ancient creek bed, its deep alluvial soils are layered with sediment carried from the Willunga Escarpment to the sea. The basin’s low-lying position shelters it from strong winds, producing wines that are rich, balanced, and finely spiced. Seaview sits closest to the ocean and the Gulf St Vincent. Maritime breezes play a defining role here. Soils vary from sand to loam and deep limestone, yielding wines that are bright, mineral, and lively, often with a savoury edge and a natural thread of acidity.

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Clarendon , perched high in the southeastern foothills, is positioned around a quaint 19th-century township that draws both locals and visitors. The subregion has a reputation for powerful, long-lived wines of exceptional quality. Its clay-loam soils, high in iron, benefit from generous sunshine and cool nights, producing wines of depth, concentration, and ageability. McLaren Flat , on the valley floor, is the warmest growing area. Rich alluvial soils retain heat, encouraging ripe, dense, fruit-forward styles with soft tannins and immediate appeal. Micro-sites within the subregion, however, show finesse and strong ageing potential.

Visionaries of the Vale: Tradition, Innovation, and Legacy

McLaren Vale’s success lies not only in the quality of its wines and the careful custodianship of its old vines but in the collective wisdom of those who tend its soils and shape its future. Generations of growers, makers and thinkers have treated this land as both teacher and collaborator — reading its geology, adapting to its shifting climate, and allowing its personality to speak through every glass. From the Kay Brothers, who continue a lineage steeped in tradition, to the inventive Osborn family of d’Arenberg, from Mark Lloyd at Coriole, an early champion of Mediterranean varieties such as sangiovese and picpoul, to Corrina Wright at Oliver’s Taranga, whose fearless work with Falanghina and Mencía redefines what Australian wine can be — McLaren Vale has always drawn strength from its visionaries. Here, heritage and innovation share the same breath. The region hums with creative intent, grounded in a reverence for its ancient earth. Every vineyard, every glass, carries the echo of those early rumblings — the shifting plates, the changing seas, the deep song that first gave this land its voice.

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The Reviews

Yangarra High Sands Grenache 2023

G 98

The High Sands block is the highest section of the 1946 bush vine plantings. Destemmed and 50% whole berries restained. Fermented in Clayver ceramic eggs and 1 stainless steel fermenter for 30 days. Matured on lees in seasoned Austrian puncheons and ceramic as well. Plucked blueberries, wild raspberries, and pomegranate seeds. Crushed poppy seed, rambutan, and ruby grapefruit oil. There is a sandy, clay-like mineral tone with Banksia and stripped paperbark. The wine swirls and dances on the palate like a Flamenco skirt, delivering all the promises in the aromas to every inch of your palate. The malleable tension between succulent acidity and fine powdery tannins is where the wine sings. This is upbeat and gleeful sipping from first till the last drop, you’ll notice because you’ll be devastated when it’s finished. Worthy of its reputation and asking price for this is a spectacular Grenache. This wine will go places in your cellar. Try some slices of Iberico pork and savour life. Drink now–2037 Angove Brightlands Shiraz 2021 G 97 A single barrel selection from two esteemed sites: the Angels Rise Vineyard and Warboys Vineyard. This marks the beginnings of the Angove story and is only produced in exceptional years. Strap yourself in because you are in for one hell of a wild ride – from the get go, you are met with damson plums, fresh rhubarb and Chinese jujube fruit. A breeze of red rose petals wafts in and out. There is a wealth of spice and savoury elements scattered throughout the drinking experience. Dried speck, porcini mushroom and cumin powder. Acidity accelerates the red fruit intensity, and tannins are a plume of silt. Sumac and paprika take hold. This wine shows its pedigree both in site and handling, for its elegance and detail are astounding. It doesn’t miss a beat for the way it takes you on a ride of exotic fruit, spice and earth whilst gliding across your palate and staying for long moments. Oak is extremely well handled, sitting in wait whilst the red-berried and fractured earth speak loudest. Truly impressive and great value at its price. Drink now–2035

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Bekkers Syrah 2023

G 97

The first single vineyard bottling from the precious Clarendon site first planted in the 1840s. This did not come at a simple price tag, with the couple pouring their time, labour, blood, sweat and tears into restoring it. Steep, cool, and roots buried in clay and schist soils. Luckily, after all the effort, the site seems very willing to tell its tale in the glass. Illawarra plum skin, black cherries and torn banksia leaf. There are carob and coffee grinds, turned grey earth and blueberries. A sandy, wet-stone- like minerality, followed by the echo of concentrated black fruit. The coolness of the site shows in its aerial arcs of acidity, making for a medium-bodied drink full of freshness and wonder. Not only is it impossible to put down, but the flexible shape of the wine keeps you guessing and completely enamoured. Tannins slowly attach, like magnets, making for quite a solid fabric of texture. This will age slowly over the next 12–15 years. A really special wine and spectacular for its inaugural release. Drink now–2040 Hickinbotham The Peake Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz 2022 G 97 The ‘great Australian red’ in the hands of a Californian might have you making some assumptions, but you only need to put the wine to your nose to understand that Chris Carpenter understands what Australian wine culture is all about. No doubt his mate Pete Fraser has had something to do with that. Long before you poured the Peake into your glass, the best fruit has been arduously selected exactly for this iconic coupling. Plump shiraz bunches and taut cabernet clusters work in a swirl of boysenberry, plum and pepperberry. It is quite hard to separate the varieties, identifying where one begins and the other starts; instead, as intended, you are left with something entirely new. So is the beauty of a claret. Carob, nigella seed, underpinned by maple and cedar oak. Ultimately, it’s a dry wine, an important factor when it comes to the enjoyment of these wines, a medium-full bodied wine with lasting notes of bush thicket and gravelly soils. A wine for every lover of red wine and a celebration of McLaren Vale, South Australia and Australia in context with the world’s great wines. Drink now–2038 Mr Riggs The Chap Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 G 97 The classic Shiraz Cabernet blend from McLaren Vale and Coonawarra has the hearts of many; this is an iconic wine by name and nature. You’ll need a sturdy wine knife to get through the heavy wax seal, probably designed with late nights in mind and questionable choices. This is something you want to open and remember. Red berries invite you in, pomegranate and hints of quince, quickly followed by a crowd of blackberries huddled together. There are the cupboard aromas of a baker’s spices drawer and some burdock root, Assam tea and dark chocolate. An effort has been made to make this insatiably drinkable, with tannins just licking the side of your palate, but acidity encouraging you to lift the glass again. This really does bring the light and dark of the two varieties and demonstrates their befitting complementary union. Not only do the blends represent wine culture, they encourage conversation and respect across regions. A real beauty. Drink now–2038

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Thistledown Sands of Time Grenache 2024

G 97

From the Blewitt Springs sub region grown on dry-grown bush vines in sandy soils. Like a bouquet carried down the aisle, this is full of hot house flowers, tea rose, sweet pea and cherry blossoms. Musk strawberries, orange oil and nutmeg. There is a touch of ground ginger too. It’s silky and lithe, slipping and sliding along with an ice skater’s precision. Some grapefruit pith and dried goji on the finish. Elegant, poised and just stunning. Everything has been considered and it’s quite immaculate as far as human tinkering can go. Serve in a large balloon glass and swoon. Drink now–2032 Yangarra Hickinbotham Clarendon Grenache 2023 G 97 The first vintage of certified fruit comes from bush vines on the Clarendon Vineyard Block 301 planted in 1962, all destemmed and into cocciopesto stone amphorae and on skins in there for 6 months and a total time in amphorae for 10 months, no pressings used whatsoever for this wine. A stained-glass ruby hue, the wine smells of cranberries, translucent redcurrants, and strawberry guava. Macadamia shell and paperbark, with a haze of cinnamon. For all the pretty rouge tones, it's dynamic on the palate, with a profusion of driving acidity and tannins that kick up the dust. This is immediately enjoyable and elegant beyond measure. The wildly high tones of this wine leave you wanting for nothing. For those that seek refinement, juicy and radiant red berries and approachable yet persistent structured lines, this is it. Stunning, moreish and exquisitely detailed. Bekkers Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 G 96 All Clarendon fruit and a cheeky 10% Cabernet Franc inclusion. This is all manner of blackberries, huckleberry, prune and plums. A significant twiggy, stripped thyme stem note that has me smiling fondly. This feels like good old raw dog Cabernet Sauvignon, and yet, as we know, nothing is lackadaisical in the vineyard or winery at Bekkers. However, the old soul of Cabernet shines true here, and where you’ll be even more pleasantly surprised is with the brightness, and jaunty light foot of its step. Tannins are sandy and ever present but have been well integrated for drinking on release, ensuring this will age well over another couple of decades. This is old mate Cab Sav, strolling down the street whistling his tune but with a brand new set of smoking hot kicks. No doubt you will blink and your glass will be gone. A wonderful lithe wine with so much promise that I am already reaching for another pour. A chunky beef pie is in order. Drink now–2045 Coriole Lloyd Reserve Shiraz 2022 G 96 A wine of true power and finesse. A cauldron of bubbling mulberries, sandalwood, caraway and blue fruit too. There is cocoa pods and liquorice root all wrapped in a silk stocking of fine tannins. These ancient vines tell their story with sturdy whispers and haunting song, lasting memories that stay with you and on the tip of your tongue. The forestry of nearby ghost gums and dried fallen leaves transports you. Oak supports here in an appropriate way; it’s embedded in the layers of fruit. A wine that will move you. Drink now–2037

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Hickinbotham Brooks Road Shiraz Shiraz 2022

G 96

Always quite the haunting wine with exotic red berry lift and undertones of laurel, stringy bark and Aussie dried bushland. A hint of five spice, ground ginger and thyme. Tannins work effortlessly and effectively to drive this wine into the next decade of its life whilst making it very pliable for red meats and game on release. A delightfully chewy wine with lots to hold it in place and ponder on for a long while. Drink now–2035 In Praise of Shadows Akira Grenache 2024 G 96 Springs Hill vineyard in Blewitt Springs grown by Gary Whaite. Extended maceration straight to jar and aged sur lie. Only 1200 bottles made. The palest rouge in the glass, this appears fragile with tea rose, red cherries, and wild strawberries. Some steeped raspberry leaf. The palate shows its richness with ume plum and ginger spice. It’s still a light and yet very fine wine. Sandy tannins remain with some cherry skin and tangerine bitters. A wine for seared whole duck breast and

silver cutlery. Drink now–2032 In Praise of Shadows Komorebi Grenache 2024

G 96

Smart Vineyard from Clarendon, grown by Wayne Smart and made up of 75% whole bunch into 400L hogsheads. Blackberries and thorny stems, dark cherry-pit nuttiness, and caraway seed. Its elevated acidity makes for an assertive drink, almost brittle in its finite edge. Strawberries and cream on the finish, some grated nutmeg. A wine that looks at home among the most refined of drops. Drink now–2032 Karrawatta Ace of Trumps Bush Vine Grenache 2023 G 96 Here the Seaview site is showing some blackberries, kirsch and Russian cherry tea. Illawarra plum and pepperberry spice. The wine spends 12 months in 15% new oak, which allows for some rounded curves and gentle swathe of tannins. Memories of clove and cassia bark idle. There is brown loamy soils and leaf mulch savouriness. Mark Gilbert has a deft guiding hand and brings the very best of its glimmering grenache fruit to life. Stunning value for money. Drink now–2035 MMAD Blewitt Springs Chenin Blanc 2024 Fruit is hand-harvested, half-crushed, and half-whole bunch pressed. Fermented in a mix of concrete and large format oak, before maturation in French oak puncheons. A posy of daisies, yellow citrus, and white apple flesh. There is the summer breeze of scorched sand and frangipani, bright and hopeful. The brilliance of this wine is the deliberate way it moves from floral scent to sandy earth, to woven threads of creamy cotton and back to tree fruit again. Its cheese curd-like mouth feel is countered by long lines of natural acidity. It means that you never get tired of sipping it. Another successful bottling of tension, agility, and seashore minerality. Drink now–2031 G 96

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Our Fathers Smart Vineyard Grenache 2024

G 96

All profits from the sales of Our Fathers goes to charity. This is sourced from old vines planted in Clarendon’s Smart Vineyard, with 20% whole bunch inclusion. Rose-scented sprays, Gala apple and strongly steeped rooibos tea. There is bitter wort, Bing cherries and dried maple leaf. An arch of tart raspberries and some silty tannins. This is altogether unique, and demonstrates why the iconic site speaks loudly. Extreme value here. Drink now–2033 Two Hands Dave’s Block Shiraz 2022 G 96 Dave’s block is an elevated site on Blewitt Springs, white sand over clay base. Some vines can lay claim to being over 110 years of age. This exemplifies the union of fruit and spice. Beginning with top of the tree mulberries, black cherries and moving into star anise, white pepper and dried fennel seed. Some flecks of purple olive, rosemary stems and grey silt. The palate is silky soft, tannins so fine they dance like dust motes on the palate. There are dots of red fruit, showing just how youthful this still is. A stunning wine that will age beautifully, with its minute detail making for one complex and tantalizing drink. Drink now–2035 Yangarra Estate Old Vine Grenache 2024 G 96 Fruit is sourced from un-irrigated bush vines that were planted in 1946. 50% crushed and 50% whole berries intact. Maturation in seasoned Austrian and French oak foudre and puncheons, egg and amphora. Black and crimson berries lead the charge with poppyseed, acai and pizza olives. Holy basil, granite and raspberry straps weave throughout. Fruit brightness is magnified on the palate, with an emphasis on mulberries and some powdery dry tannins that give way to forestry and woody herbs. There is an exultancy about this wine; you cannot deny its precision. A wonderful site expression and depiction of the slightly warmer conditions whilst keeping focus and drive at its centre. It’s jubilant and should be enjoyed with something like veal scallopini. Drink now–2035 Yangarra Ovitelli Blanc 2023 G 96 Some wines transcend their varietal makeup. While the technical details – winemaking choices, percentages, élevage – may matter to some, they dissolve entirely in the sheer experience of tasting. This is one of those wines. As I sit with it now, the specifics fade, and what remains is the ethereal bliss of an exceptional white. Notes of pineapple core, nashi pear, and starfruit emerge first. Yellow fruit pulp, dry sand, and pumpkin shells seem to scatter across the floor. There’s also a savoury edge of wholewheat flour, hay, and fennel seed. The palate delivers, not just in fruit, but in complexity: olive brine salinity and the savouriness of pickled winter melon elevate this from a simple sipping wine to a perfect pairing for poached chicken, pork rillettes, or three-cheese ravioli. The acidity, though a passenger to the driving fruit, carries enough energy to keep the wine bright and vibrant from start to finish. Drink now–2030

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Yangarra Ovitelli Grenache 2023

G 96

Adjacent to the herald High Sands block, the Ovitelli comes from vines planted in 1946. Fermentation occurs in Clayver ceramic eggs and on skins for 7 months; no pressings were used. Matured in ceramic for 11 months total. Dehydrated raspberries, Sweetheart cherries, and wild strawberries. Crushed sandstone, saffron threads and Sichuan peppercorns. Acidity leads the charge, followed by those unique Ovitelli tannins that sap and dry the palate, before floods of red berry flavours rush in again. This can only be one wine and a decidedly approachable vintage at that. Some quince bitters give lift and texture to the finish of the wine. Always memorable, always a wild ride and one of a kind. Pair with Tasmania tiger prawns and red pepper sauce. Drink Angove Warboys Grenache 2022 G 95 Vine age of around 59-plus years in the heart of McLaren Vale. This delicately poised wine starts with cherry blossom, rose and persimmon. A hint of autumnal earth and white pepper spice. The palate is charged with wild strawberries and sumac spice. Acidity is lofty with a mesh of dry super-fine tannins; this will go a long way. Equally a beautiful drink now that could handle the roast game meats or creamy risottos, its faint herbal thread making for a very alluring drink. Drink now–2035 Angove The Medhyk Shiraz 2020 G 95 The Medhyk is the Angove family’s iconic wine, named in honour of the family’s Cornish heritage, and meaning “The Doctor” in recognition of founder Dr William Thomas Angove. Sourced from old vines 55-plus years old across Clarendon, Blewitt Springs, Willunga and the certified organic Warboys Vineyard. A vivid nose of blueberries, black cherries and boysenberries. There is a waft of nettle, wild thyme and dark soil. Oak is glossy and exhibits its richness by adding sweet cocoa and anise. A velvet glove dense with viscosity, nestled into the mid palate and gets comfortable there; flavours with great staying power and presence. Some liquorice root bitterness adds to the luxuriousness of the whole package. A wine with fervent

detail. Drink now–2035 Coriole Rubato Reserve Fiano 2024

G 95

A classic nose of golden baked apples and peach skin. Some lemon curd and galangal root. A hint of lemon balm too. A slinky shape where acidity stretches the palate and fruit circles upon nectarine and nashi pear. It’s slippery and hints at a slight salinity before showing its lemon pith and almond shell finish. Fiano is a wine that really can do no wrong; here it has been carefully handled and shines as the fine wine it is. Drink now–2030

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Coriole Sandalwood Sangiovese 2023

G 95

A wine as detailed and artistic as its label. This invokes the rustic nature of Sangiovese with a brilliant perfume of raspberries, wild hawthorn and morello cherries. There is fresh bay leaf and the underbrush of leaf litter and black sand. Acidity leads the charge and takes the fine-grained tannins right to the edges of the palate. Cumin and white pepper spice too. A labour of love that translates the special site right into the glass. Drink now–2038 Coriole Willunga 1920 Reserve Shiraz 2022 G 95 Shiraz has been grown at Coriole in the Willunga vineyard since the 1920s, and so their affinity for its dimension and details is not lost here in the 2022 Reserve, that much you can count on. Immediately you’ll find a halo of blackberries, cassis and cherries; look further into a pool of cola, cassia bark and black peppercorns. This is moderately weighted with the body of the wine based on freshness and fruit. A modern interpretation of the grape we know and love, this moves with the times, drinking well now, and will reward with medium-term cellaring, say, 8–10 years on.

Drink now–2035 Curtis Gladiator Shiraz 2021

G 95

The fruit comes from 80-year-old vines, hand harvested and fermented over 28 days with wild yeasts. Matured in French and American oak for 36 months. There is plenty of density here for your dollars, with aromas of black cherry, rhubarb and dark plums. A grungy red gum bark that leads to more earthy things, some potting soil and black charcoal dust. The wine is decidedly dry on the palate with more of that immoveable black rock, some coffee grinds, and poppyseed. This feels born in the earth, those old vines telling a tale of decades buried deep underground. Tannins are gritty and placed in order for this wine to mature gracefully a further 10–15 years. This isn’t full of muscle and grit, as a gladiator might invoke; it is more a story of a vine that has endured and stands tall of its own merit and ability. A power move in your cellar, but if it’s on the table, do it justice with a bone-in shoulder roast.

Drink now–2040 Curtis Tiberius Shiraz 2021

G 95

The emperor of Curtis Winery, Tiberius comes from 60-year-old vines off their most treasured blocks. Here fruit quality is second to none with the halo of blackberries, cassis and pomegranate seeds leaping from the glass. Gathered scoops of rich brown soil, twigs of rosemary and freshly poured espresso. There is an added sparkle of raspberry on the palate with a slippery mouthfeel, that is lively as it is impressionable. Some Christmas cherries and black cardamom spice round out the full but elegant mouthfeel. There is plenty to discover over time here, so decant and settle in. A simple but very good quality Cheddar would highlight its personality nicely. Drink now or cellar for another 6–8 years. Drink now–2033

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Curtis Martins Vineyards Shiraz 2021

G 95

A treasure of a vintage brings together the black, blue and red fruit coupled with some lilac florals. This is the kind of wine that you want to peer further into its depths with each sip. The richness of concentrated blackberries, hawthorn with a mulberry/berry savoury quality. The palate is restrained, allowing the fruit to complement the brooding spice of tonka bean, cocoa and nigella seed that lingers on the finish. For all its ripe fruit, acidity is undulating and keeps the wine medium- bodied with a ribbon of fine tannins intertwined. A beautiful wine that will continue to evolve in the cellar for another 5–6 years, but on opening tonight, I would go for some slow-roasted pork sliders. Drink now–2031 Hickinbotham The Revivalist Merlot 2022 G 95 A Black Forest cake of dark cherries, rich chocolate icing and crumbly vanilla sponge. Edible in every sense of the word, it’s ripe with plum and prune, and new oak sings along in the background, very much befitting the plush style. Despite its pool of plump fruit sitting juicy in the mid palate, there has been effort to keep the brightness of acidity and a gentle swathe of tannins. It’s a great wine, period. A Merlot worth your time, and it might be a bit fun to blind your snobby Merlot- dissing mates too. Drink now–2032 Hugh Hamilton Black Blood Shiraz 2023 G 95 Fruit is from the alluvial-soil-based Church Vineyard and opens with dark plums and beetroot. Some bilberry and blackcurrants. The palate deepens its fruit profile with boysenberries and an innate acidity that flows from start to finish. Some clove and poppyseed; oak plays a backing track to the fruit and earth voice. Supple tannins linger. This is an elegant representation of site with presence. Drink now–2032 In Praise of Shadows Grenache 2024 G 95 The backbone of this Grenache is fruit from a couple of sites in Blewitt Springs, a touch of Clarendon and a sneaky 5% Mataro. 21% whole bunch. Matured in large format seasoned oak. Gentle swaying apple trees, white cherries and cranberries. Birch bark and whole nutmeg, the delicacy of this wine is always remarkable. Tannins are powdery and plume over the palate. Driving acidity and the wine finishes with a Chantilly cream. It’s poised and pretty as a picture. Superb value. Drink now–2030

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Karrawatta Ace of Trumps Shiraz 2019

G 95

First impressions of this wine are… drum roll… woooo, it’s fresh. A very nice first impression when anyone is taking the time to do a late release bottling. Matured in new and seasoned French oak barriques for 16 months. The beauty of teenage Shiraz may be lost on some palates these days but not here. This is a spot where brambly ripe fruit meets its coffee shop spice aromas. Rhubarb, plum skin and pomegranate molasses, star anise, espresso and nutmeg. It’s creamy in its palate weight with chai milk. Then layered with brown butter, ground ginger and cinnamon on the final note. A wonderful medium-bodied drink with ardent richness and tonnes of drinkability. Drink now–2032 Mr Riggs J.F.R. Shiraz 2022 G 95 A summer berry pudding, this brings together the glistening red, deep crimson and purple hues of forage berries. Some thorny stems, ground coffee and mocha-like indulgence. In honour of John Frederick Riggs, this is made with love and pursuit of crafting something that will stand the test of time. A middle palate pop of sweet pomegranates keeps things vivid and cheerful, and tannins are extremely fine. You can see the fruit has been carefully chosen and that only the best barrels make the cut. Once again, it’s still great value at the asking price. Go for a sirloin and well made red wine jus for this one. Drink now–2035 Nick Haselgrove The Old Faithful Shiraz 2022 G 95 A marriage of fluorescent red berries, redcurrants, raspberries and black cherries. Some soft bay leaf and tobacco pouch. Acidity is measured for flow and even grace across the palate, granular tannins but carry the intensity right to the finish. There are undercurrents of granitic earth and brown soil, some olive fleck savouriness too. French oak rounds out the finish. This will age beautiful over another 5–8 years. Drink now–2033 Oliver’s Taranga Anfore Fiano 2024 G 95 The 2024 Anfore opens with musk melon, honeydew ad lemon verbena. Some white cheese rind, pumice stone and silver needle tea. A whey-like creaminess with arches of raw almond, pear flesh and potato chip saltiness. It clearly has carried the soil and under-earth make-up along for the ride. This has numerous possibilities for sitting alongside fresh cheese, pickled vegetables, shellfish and pork. Acidity drives the wine but equally its middle palate texture is a tangible dream. Drink now–2035 Oliver’s Taranga Ihana Edition #3 Shiraz 2024 G 95 An alluring nose of cherry juice, pomegranate and dark prunes. There is also some blue fruit, dusty Mirabelle plums and wafts of dark chocolate. Acidity tingles at the sides of the palate and works towards the centre, allowing for its intensity of fruit to fully seep. A touch of bay leaf and buried clove spice just lifts at the finish. This is artfully put together with the fruit speaking the loudest; beautiful drinking now but has the ability to evolve in the cellar for another 5–8 years. Drink now–2032

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