Dandelion Vineyards Twilight of the Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2024
G 93
Lovely fruit with minimal artefact, fresh cut hay, white nectarine, little oak impact even though new and first-use barrels finished off the maturation. Purity of Chardonnay flavours is the focus and achieved without deviation. Drink now–2032 Golding Rocco Shiraz 2024 G 93 Rich, dark colour and aroma – blackberry, char, dark chocolate with some mint as well. The palate has all that and more, deeply set, thick with structure and a glove of tannins, peppery spice seasoning the finish. Well achieved. Drink now–2035 Golding La Francesca Savagnin 2024 G 93 Driven by salt and freshness. Wet stones, rainwater, green olives – you get the idea. Nuanced and easy. For a variety that gets no love, this is great. Lime sherbet, pickled radish and wet chalk. Linear and bright. For the acid freaks – you’ve been seen. Drink now–2030 Henschke Green’s Hill Riesling 2025 G 93 From the first vintage made out of the Henschke’s Lenswood vineyard after its rejuvenation since burning to the ground in the district’s disastrous 2019 bushfires. So delicate, all the way from nose through the palate, a subtle floral to begin, then more towards Pink Lady apple flavours than citrus, a drop of lime juice perhaps. With the finest of pith and chalk dust; feels an act of pure finesse. Drink now–2035 Henschke Percival’s Mill Grüner Veltliner 2025 G 93 Tightly framed and salivating. Pomelo, lemon sherbet, and sweet green melon. It’s energised and taut – like a tiger ready to pounce. The tension hits from the first sip and eases into a pithy almond-skin finish. A deliciously textural wine with real
nerve. Drink now–2030 Hesketh Small Batch Pinot Blanc 2024
G 93
Pinot Blanc is a relative newcomer to our winemaking catalogue, and not surprising that it is growing in a cooler region such as the Adelaide Hills, given its European origins in Alsace, northern Italy, Germany and Austria. As an aromatic white it kicks off with a very expressive nose of Beurre Bosc pear with a decent waft of baking spices – nutmeg and cinnamon – and a creamy custard note as well, akin to crumbly streusel topping. All very exciting to start with, as the palate then combines all those elements into a baked apple pie-like flavour bomb, a decent squeeze of lemon to offer a fresh flavour edge to the otherwise soft palate feel and mouth-filling texture. Rich and satisfying. Drink now–2028
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The Vintage Journal
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