SA Wine Guide 2025

Gibson Reserve Shiraz 2022

Heathvale Estate Cabernet 2021

G 92

Deep crimson. Intense cassis, dark cherry violet aromas with some dark chocolate. Hint menthol notes. Well-concentrated wine with plentiful cassis-minty flavours, underlying dark chocolate notes and fresh, chalky/touch grippy tannins. Builds up firm at the finish with the fruit flowing through to the end. A touch of juicy sweetness gives buoyancy and volume. 14% alc Drink now–keep for a while Heirloom Vineyards Shiraz 2022 G 92 Deep colour. Bitter dark chocolate, dark cherry aromas and flavours, with fine slinky textures and underlying roasted walnut, hint cedar notes. Generous and flavourful. 14.5% alc Drink now Hemera Estate Single Vineyard Right Bank Red Blend 2020 G 92 The name is a nod to the style of wines we see from the Right Bank in Bordeaux (think Pomerol and St Emilion), made from Merlot, Cab Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. And it is those three varieties which make up this blend – 45% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc. Before blending, the grapes were made discretely and spent 15 months in French oak hogsheads, 30% new. Deep red/garnet in colour. There are attractive fragrances here with red fruits, redcurrants, cherries and dried herbs. On the palate, we start to see the black fruits making themselves known. This is a wine of decent length and balance, and there are sleek tannins on the lingering finish. Lots to like here. This is surely a 10-year proposition. Drink now–2034 Henschke Henry’s Seven Shiraz Grenache Mataro Viognier 2023 G 92 Deep crimson. Fresh elderberry, raspberry apricot aromas with only herb garden notes. Richly concentrated and slinky textured with ample dark berry, stone fruit flavours, fine supple tannins, underlying savoury notes and long fresh crisp acidity. Matured in primarily 5% new French and seasoned oak. 81% Shiraz, 11% Grenache, 6% Mataro, 2% Viognier. Medium-term wine, but ready to drink now. 14.5% alc Drink now–2031+ Hentley Farm The Old Legend Grenache 2022 G 92 Medium crimson. Fragrant musky plum, chinotto, hint Campari aromas. Slinky and juicy with plentiful musky plum, raspberry, cola flavours. Loose-knit chalky textures, attractive mid-palate viscosity and long fresh acidity. Some aniseed notes at the finish. 14.8% alc Drink now–soon

A range of parcels are used to make this wine, with a year and a half’s French oak maturation in both hogsheads and puncheons. A near opaque mauve, the nose is appealingly aromatic with notes of chocolate, liquorice, leather, soy, bay leaves, a hint of graphite, blackberries and dark fruits. A medium length wine with a supple texture and a flick of oak, it does fade a touch earlier than anticipated. Attractive drinking, but to elevate itself to a higher plane, a touch more intensity on the finish would assist. That said, it is certainly attractive drinking at the moment, and should continue to be so for at least the next four to six years. Drink now–2030 Grant Burge Balthasar Shiraz 2022 G 92 Deep crimson. Ripe blackberry, hint boysenberry aromas with hints of mocha/ espresso. Sweet-fruited and inky deep with plentiful elderberry, blackberry, boysenberry fruits, chocolaty firm textures and long minerally acidity. Cedar/leafy firm at the finish. 14.5% alc Drink now–2034 Grant Burge Wines Thorn Park Eden Valley Riesling Riesling 2024 G 92 The nose is quite shy to start, though the palate immediately comes to life showing excellent, pithy lemon flavours through the middle lines, nicely balanced with an accentuated finish. Drink now–2032 Handpicked Collection Grenache 2022 G 92 The team describe Barossa Grenache as our best kept wine secret. I think they might be a smidge disappointed – surely, that secret is out. From old bush vines from their Watunga Road Vineyard in the Ebenezer sub-region, which were planted in 1975, a small percentage of whole bunches were used here, and the wine spent time maturing in older oak. Pale garnet in hue, the nose offers florals and red berry notes. Plenty of spices here, even a flick of pepper, along with roast meats, dried herbs, strawberries and animal skins. The wine lifts further on the palate. Good energy and life here, bright acidity and fine tannins, with excellent length. Should provide excellent drinking for the next four to seven years. Drink now–2031 Head Wines Head Red Shiraz 2022 G 92 Medium-deep crimson. Attractive dark cherry, blackberry, slightly brambly aromas. Easy drinking bistro style with supple dark berry and red berry fruits, fine slinky textures and some roasted walnut, earthy notes. Very drinkable now. 14.5% alc Drink now–2030

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The Vintage Journal – Regional Focus

South Australia 2024

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