Welland W67 Old Hands Shiraz 2022
G 95
The name ‘Old Hands’, is a nod to the army of grape growers throughout the vineyards of the Barossa Valley and their priceless experience, gained over a lifetime. The wine spends up to a year and a half maturing in American oak hogsheads, 40% of them new. The colour is a vibrant yet dark purple. The nose reveals aromas of cocoa powder, mocha, coffee beans, soy and aniseed. There is impressive oak integration and the palate sees hints of charcuterie and truffles emerge. The wine has serious length, fine but firm tannins, good balance and an appealing generosity throughout. A juicy style with a delightfully supple texture, this will provide pleasure for at least the next 12–15 years. Drink now–2040 Yalumba The Menzies Coonawarra Cabernet Cabernet 2020 G 95 Famously named after our longest serving Prime Minister, who expressed his admiration for a previous incarnation, the Menzies Vineyard, planted in 1975, sits on terra rossa soil at the heart of Coonawarra. The usual plan is for the wine to spend a year and a half maturing in a mix of French and Hungarian oak, hogsheads and barriques, with a small percentage new. Under cork. A deep red/ maroon colour here, the nose is utterly gorgeous and will delight Cabernet fans immensely. We have cassis, tobacco leaves, a touch of leather and animal skins, mulberries, woodsmoke, chocolate, florals, blackberries, and aniseed. This is seamless, has excellent oak integration and good intensity, with a very long finish. Well structured, the balance, intensity and finesse never waver. Satiny tannins are found on the persistent finish. One of the best Menzies I have seen. Drink now–2045 Yalumba Tri-Centenary Ancestor Vines Grenache 2023 G 95 This may not have been the first wine to reveal the glories of Barossa Grenache, if treated with the respect it deserves, but it was certainly one of the early examples and always impresses. This wine spent an extraordinary 333 days on skins as a post-ferment maceration. The fruit comes from just 820 old bush vines, which were planted back in 1889. Just 4839 bottles made. A very pale crimson hue here, but one which is gleaming. The nose is all strawberries, cherries, dried herbs and truffles, with hints of smoked meats. The wine is bright, fresh, exhibiting vibrant acidity, a silky texture with satiny tannins and a lingering finish. This is a juicy style of Grenache, ideal for those who find the big reds of the Barossa a bit much for them (no, I don’t understand that either). A 15-year proposition, though already delicious. Drink now–2040 Arila Gardens Moppa Grenache 2023 G 94+ Medium-deep crimson. Violet, musky strawberry red cherry aromas and flavours, slinky textures and attractive mid-palate viscosity. Builds chalky/ graphite/ touch ferruginous firmness towards the finish. Prismatic and intriguing. Drink now–soon
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The Vintage Journal
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