Hentley Farm The Stray Grenache Shiraz 2023
Kaesler Wines The Fave Grenache 2023
G 92
G 92
A delicious blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Shiraz (the addition of a dollop of Zinfandel is mentioned, but it must be a very small amount – I suspect it may have been considered surplus to requirements this vintage), the fruit is from the Seppeltsfield Vineyard, a range of different blocks. There is an extended maceration on skins and the wine spends nine months in older oak. The colour is a deep garnet/ purple. Supple and soft, the wine opens with a lovely choc/cherry note. We have herbs, red berries and mulberries at their most exuberant. Bright acidity, a seductive texture, good energy and sleek tannins all combine in a wine with impressive length. This is delightful drinking now and for at least the next six to eight years. Drink now–2032 Hewitson The Dorrien Bank Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 G 92 Deep crimson. Attractive blackcurrant, chinotto leafy aromas with sea-breezy notes. Smooth and glossy with ample cassis, touch minty flavours, fine al dente/leafy textures and underlying savoury notes. Bittersweet at the finish. 13.5% alc Drink now–2030 Irvine Wines Altitude Shiraz 2022 G 92 Medium-deep crimson. Blackberry, mulberry, hint leafy aromas. Richly flavoured and supple with pure blackberry, mulberry fruits and persistent graphite firm tannins. Sturdy and fruit-dominant wine. 14.5% alc Drink now–2028 Irvine Wines Spring Hill Riesling 2024 G 92 Pale colour, green hue. Classic lemon lime, stone fruit, hint of verbena and white blossom. Plentiful lime, lemon curd with appealing fruit sweetness and linear acidity. An elegant, tactile wine with fine powdery/chalky texture and mineral
Medium crimson. Fresh strawberry cola aromas with herb garden notes. Sweet and minerally with attractive strawberry red cherry chinotto flavours, lacy textures and long fresh acidity, A flick of aniseed at the finish with a hint of walnut. 14.5% alc Drink now–soon Langmeil Wattle Brae Eden Valley Riesling Riesling 2024 G 92 Florals and limes – a faint candied note as well – lead the front end here, but it’s the superfine palate with delicate flavours and minerality that define the mouthfeels. A wine with elegant and sensitive structures and balance throughout. Drink now–2030 Little Giant Barossa Shiraz 2022 G 92 Love the squat bottles for the Little Giant range, although they may not fit all cellar wine racks (you’ll just have to drink faster). With a label featuring the southern hairy-nosed wombat, which is apparently the state emblem of South Australia (who knew?), this is a quality Barossa Shiraz, which spent nine months in larger oak formats, both French and American. A gleaming dark cherry red. Immediate and obvious notes of chocolate, mocha and coffee grinds. Bright flavours follow on a seductively textured palate, through to a lengthy finish which does exhibit a tiny amount of almond bitterness, tying things together. Showing good balance and focus with fine tannins, this is seamless in style, a delicious drink and one which will continue to offer pleasure for at least the next six to eight years. Drink now–2032 Mirus Vineyards Block 18 Grenache 2022 G 92 Medium-deep crimson. Fresh musky strawberry red cherry, ginger aromas with aniseed notes. Medium-bodied wine with sweet strawberry, red cherry, red liquorice flavours and chalky textures. Tangy and fruity at the finish. Slightly sweet, but the tannins and acidity tighten the palate. 14.4% alc Drink now–soon Monteperle Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 G 92 Deep ruby colour. Classical cassis, redcurrant bell pepper aromas with savoury notes. Fresh and grippy textured wine with ample cassis, leafy flavours, dense grainy tannins and some roasted walnut notes at the finish. Firm leafy finish. 14.4% alc Drink now–2030
finish. 11.4% alc Drink now–2032 J J Hahn Hermann’s Vineyard Shiraz 2023
G 92
Whole berries are fermented here before a maturation period of 14 months in an evenly divided mix of French and American oak. The colour here is a deep magenta, while the nose exhibits notes of warm, dusty roads, black cherries, bay leaves, ripe plums and dark chocolate. This is a silky, finely rendered Shiraz, with a supple texture and very good length. The palate sees those bright, black cherries really come to the fore while there is a fine line of acidity running the length. This wine is an 8- to 10-year proposition, over which time it will surely improve further. Drink now–2034
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The Vintage Journal – Regional Focus
South Australia 2024
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