Sussex Squire Old Vine Grenache 2022
Rieslingfreak No. 14 Watervale Riesling 2024
G 95
G 94
A serious, compelling spice-laden old vine Grenache sourced off 70-year-old vines. It offers a mix of light and shade: dark fruits and lively spices, smart oak and textural, lightly drying tannins and, all the while, it remains quintessentially elegant. Each time you return to the glass, there is something new to explore, from the peppermint rise on the scent, to the violet florals inhabiting the palate and the vanilla-choc oak and lasting blackstrap liquorice that runs towards the finish. One to savour. Drink now–2032 Taylors St Andrews Chardonnay 2022 G 95 Pale colour. Fresh nectarine white peach grapefruit aromas with tonic water notes. Creamy and mouth-filling with abundant white peach, nectarine fruits, fine supple textures, attractive mid-palate viscosity and well-balanced vanilla/malt oak. Very good fruit definition, richness, volume and freshness. Punches well above its weight at this price point. Drink now–2025 Vickery Castine Hayshed Block Watervale Riesling 2021 G 95 Toasted almonds, tangerine, beeswax, ginger, and a glimpse of petrol. The palate is incredibly chalky and pure, with a delectable quality. A juicy mid-palate and restrained length reveal a wine with plenty of life ahead, despite signs of ageing on the nose. Drink now–2038 Taylors St Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 G 94+ Medium-deep colour. Fragrant cassis, mulberry, espresso aromas with herb garden/ bush garrigue notes. Inky deep and vigorous with ample blackcurrant pastille, roasted coffee, roasted walnut flavours, attractive mid-palate volume/density and fine sinewy firm tannins. Finishes chewy with ample dark fruits/aniseed notes. Sweet-fruited and buoyant with very good flow. Drink now–2032 Kilikanoon Baudinet Grenache Shiraz Mataro 2021 G 94 A great year and a wonderful GSM rendition that plays to the strengths of Grenache as a solid base for building a well-structured, generous style. A compellingly spicy wine adorned in ripe red berries, plum and liquorice with a light play on aromatic florals, violet. Brings it altogether on a densely packed palate delivered on silky tannins. Fourteen months in French oak has been slurped up easily, leaving some sweet, vanillin oak and baking spices. High drink-now appeal but with plenty left in reserve. Drink now–2030
Pure lime juice, grapefruit, wet river stone, and faint honeysuckle. The juiciness vibrates on the palate like a tense guitar cord just tuned. It’s a sleek wine that flows away with class, leaving shimmering rocks behind on its course. Drink 2025–2035 Rieslingfreak No. 5 Riesling 2024 G 94 Grapefruit, lemon meringue, honeysuckle, and Granny Smith apple. The touch of residual sugar adds fun to the mix, like a juicy feeling on steroids or a refreshing, welcoming breeze on a torrid summer day. It is so well-balanced and thirstily pleasant to drink. Drink now–2034 Skillogalee Trevarrick Shiraz 2022 G 94 Sage and rosemary, pink pepper, smoked meat – not a recipe but a delicious Clare Valley Shiraz, indeed. With some extra air, here comes the fruit: blueberry, plum, blackcurrant, and pomegranate. It’s still well in its infancy, and with that, it is showing a refreshingly tonic aspect with the piquancy of tannins that are yet to mature. Drink now–2038 Sussex Squire Samuel Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 G 94 A solid Cabernet Sauvignon built around a core of ripe, black and red fruits, spice and some beautifully well-defined oak. Celebrates a more traditional style of Clare Cabernet, one offering an intensity of flavour, controlled power and structure, although time in the glass and some swirls of air will reveal greater nuance with the emergence of florals bringing a degree of both elegance and approachability. Will benefit from time and a little patience. Drink now–2034 Taylors St Andrews Shiraz 2021 G 94 Medium-deep colour. Intense pure blackberry, cassis aromas with hints of black olive/spice. Well-balanced blackberry, dark cherry, blackcurrant fruits, fine sinuous/muscular tannins and underlying sweet vanilla, marzipan notes. Red liquorice/aniseed notes at the finish. A sweet and savoury wine with the fruit and oak in wrestle for dominance. Drink now–2032 Wines by KT Peglidis Watervale Riesling 2024 G 94 Vibrant and zesty, like a whiff of spring air. Grapefruit, lemon balm, Granny Smith apple, talc and jasmine tea. Waves of juicy citrus fruit inundate the palate with extraordinary power while wearing a silk white glove. It just works. Drink now–2038
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The Vintage Journal – Regional Focus
South Australia 2024
183
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