Catlin Wines The Gellert Gamay Gamay 2023
First Drop Wines Minchia Montepulciano Montepulciano 2019
G 94
G 94
Nice glossy mid to dark ruby with attractive blue tinges, purity in the aromas and flavours, cherry juiciness, pomegranate, tea leaf, with lighter tannins and sticky grip. Plenty to like here. 13% alc Drink now–2030 Catlin Wines Black Montepulciano Montepulciano 2022 G 94 Dark purple in the glass. Pretty herbal waftings, fennel bulb, darker mint choc, black stewed berries for all the flavour things while the more critical evidence lies in its firm mouthful of tannins that drives it into serious full-bodied territory demanding big flavoured eating. 14% alc Drink now–2035 Catlin Wines Pudding & Pie Pinot Noir Pinot Noir 2023 Sourced from near Hahndorf in the central Hills, there’s a darker tone to this wine, black cherry, cola, tangy spice edges, with a chalky note, maybe wild ferment in play here, with excellent backbone and focus in the palate. Has some class to it. 13% alc Drink now–2032 Cooke Brothers Pinot Noir Pinot Noir 2023 G 94 A winemaker-driven style with 1/3 whole bunch fruit, and spending seven months in French puncheons, 40% new. Who knows where all that wood went, as it’s disappeared up inside some decent, mid-dark cherry and berry, before reappearing as a total compression of savoury and fruit. Quite a compelling style. 13% alc Drink now–2034 DAOSA Natural Reserve Sparkling VI G 94 A Piccadilly Valley Pinot Noir/Chardonnay/Pinot Meunier cuvée from 2022 (85%) blended with older reserve wines out of oak, the lot further aged before tiraged on lees for 18 months. Complex aromas, a comfy heart of fruit and floral sweetness which carries forward into the palate as the wine’s natural acidity balances the mouthfeel, perks the mousse and refreshes with every sip. Joyful bubbles. 12.9% Traditional method Drink now–2030 Deviation Road Southcote Blanc de Noirs Sparkling 2021 G 94 A single Pinot Noir expression, with the faintest of faint bronze tinges, if you look hard enough! This expression shows a touch of red apple and fresh white fig characters, with tingling acidity and a deal of power in the palate, a fine mousse then allowing its sophisticated finish to linger. 12.5% alc Traditional method. Drink now–2030
Dark and deeply coloured with ruby edges. Big, rich aromas, dried plum, date, Middle Eastern spice and braised meats. No shirking here, this is a rich and generously built wine in all its flavour constructions, with attendant mouth-filling tannins and acidity to keep its spine upright. Big, spicy, muscly. Best with a hearty tagine-like dish. 14.5% alc Drink now–2030 Hahndorf Hill Benediction Saint Laurent, Blaufrankisch and Zweigelt 2020 G 94 Deep medium crimson with purple hue. Seductive aromas – deep and brooding, fruits of the forest, morello cherries, cracked pepper, pine timber and five spice. A vinous chiaroscuro – the perfect balance of light and dark – tart red fruits abreast of ripe blackberry, Dutch liquorice and graphite. Plush yet poised, there is a beautiful structure to the wine as it wraps itself in a velvet coat of tannin. A sophisticated wine
of worldly charm. Drink 2026–2030 Hahndorf Hill Gru Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner 2024
G 94
Floral, lemon and lime, white stone fruits, a faint honeysuckle note, with a lively energy in the palate, acidity sitting comfortably with fruit pithiness, every element supportive of the others, spice, with a varietal white pepper familiarity seasoning the finish. Delicious and refreshing with great table manners. Drink now–2030 Hesketh Woodside Gamay Gamay 2024 G 94 Woodside vineyard sourced, darker cherry notes, stone/gravel suggestions, sweet fruit juiciness in the palate with spice and decent acidity lifting its spirits, good length and structure in the exit. Drink now–2030 Honey Moon Vineyard Blanc de Blancs Sparkling 2021 Grapefruit aromas, fresh and tangy in the palate with a subtle baking spice and pastry thread noted in and around the driving citrus acidity, compact mousse, good retention of flavour and refreshing pithiness in the finish. 12% alc Disgorged June
2024. Traditional method. Drink now–2034 Honey Moon Vineyard Sweet Cream Apera Fortified NV
G 94
A white fortified made from Hills Grüner Veltliner. Glossy mid gold-green. Immediate subtle flor notes, nougat as well. A genuinely unique expression with an aperitif-like freshness through the core of the wine, gorgeous flavours and zingy acidity, but couched with an old-fashioned cream Sherry sweetness. Moreish, not cloying, and bloody delicious. 18% alc Drink now–2030
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The Vintage Journal – Regional Focus
South Australia 2024
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