Clandestine Vineyards Shiraz 2021

 

If you like your Shiraz rich and generous, head on over this way. 

Clandestine Vineyards Malbec 2021

 

Clandestine Vineyards source fruit from a range of districts. Here we have Malbec from Margaret River ready for that ragu or osso bucco. 

Break Free Enfant de Lune Syrah 2021

 

Frankland River Syrah harvested by moonlight and fermented for ten days with some Viognier skins tossed in to lift aromatics. This is a great drink.

Sorby Adams Morticia Sparkling Shiraz NV

 

Sparkling Shiraz is a great drink but sadly it gets pigeonholed as a "Christmas drink". Park that idea and reap the reward when you pop that top off this on any of the other 364 days of the year.

FU Manchu Montepulciano 2022

 

If Montepulciano translates to "yummo" then the crew at FU Manchu and Dr Plonk have nailed the brief. Yikes! This is a great slurp. 

Clandestine Vineyards Pinot Noir 2022

 

15% whole bunch, 30% new French oak and 100% juicy. This is the second Pinot Noir release from Clandestine Vineyards and it's a vibrant and perfumed bomb of pleasure. Well played.

Sorby Adams Jutland GSM 2021

 

From an excellent Barossa vintage comes this delicious blend. GSMs are made for burgers and barbecues, well I think so anyway. The detail and slurp factor presented here demand large pours.

Break Free Little Wing Shiraz Noir 2022

 

Carbonic maceration is a sexy thing - thousands of little ferments all happening in one big ferment. It's a flavour orgy of sorts. This Shiraz/Pinot Noir blend comes from the Adelaide Hills, and if low-fi wines are your thing, get this on your radar. 

Clandestine Vineyards Pinot Grigio 2022

 

Here we have a Pinot Grigio that is ready to refresh and delve into all at the same time. This is a great expression from Clandestine Vineyards.

FU Manchu Mourvedre 2022

 

Dry and mouth-sapping, waves of spices wash through effortlessly. One thing you can't miss is the layers of interest that seem never-ending.

Hayes Family Wines Mickan Block Releases 2021

The Mickan Block brings together cuttings of some super premium vines from across the Barossa to be grown on the same dirt at the Hoffman Vineyard in Ebenezer. The vines are still young at five years of age but already the differences between each are telling. Hayes Family Wines have made a barrel of each of the three (300 bottles) plus a blend. 

These wines are available for members only, but a cheeky phone call or email will get your foot in the door to snare a sneaky four pack.

Dallwitz 2021

These cuttings come from the Dallwitz block in Ebenezer. Muscular, this is by far the biggest wine of the group. This is the bouncer at the door. The safety. No one dies on Dallwitz's watch. Lots of dense plums, blackberries and a cheeky suggestion of Ribena. Add some dried herbs and a flash of mint, it's dusty and powdery which brings those 90% cocoa feels through the mouth. Drying and sapping, it's mouth-filling and incredibly long. Give this beast some time but I get a sense it will bloom and potentially outstrip the others. 

92/100

Becker

These cuttings were sourced from the Becker ancestor vines in Koonunga.

This is a wine for later, purely and simply. Follow that simple rule and you'll be rewarded in five+ years. Dense dark berry fruit, fruit bun spices, licorice bullets and some meatiness, it is drying and sapping. Powdery tannins scatter about. Still quite reserved and tight, it is yet to show its hand. Over a number of days of tasting, it started to show itself on day three. One for the cellar, this will improve over time as will the score.

Drink to fifteen years+

93/100

SCC

These cuttings came from the cooler Eden Valley and it was a great expression compared to its Mickan siblings. The cooler climate traits in its DNA shine through with brighter and pretty aromas. Think chocolate brownie, dried petals, blackberry jam, dense plums and dancy purple fruit. Baking spices and waves of earthiness build terrific momentum. Easily the most approachable of the four Mickans for now, it will age beyond a decade make no mistake.

Drink to ten years+

94/100

Hoffman Mickan Block

A cool Friday night and a glass of this curled up on the lounge would be a winning combo.

A blend of the Dallwitz, Becker and SCC, each contributes roughly a third to this wine.

As with the others, this is still so young and no where near its best. Blackcurrants, mulberries, licorice, dark chocolate set the scene. Ribbed with exotic spices, this is long and almost refuses to move. Dense, brooding and structured, those firm and drying tannins certainly make a statement. It's a wine with a decade of aging easily in its veins. Mouth-sapping dryness swoop on close as those characteristic Barossan spices do laps around the mouth with absolute ease. I'm fixated on its mystique. 

A clever wine that will only get better.

94/100

Region: Barossa

Source: Sample

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FU Manchu Mourvedre Rosato 2022

 

Savoury, skinsy and lip-smackingly dry, this is a great starting point if you'd like to step into the world of natural wines.

FU Manchu Cabernet 2021

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Soumah Single Vineyard Pinot Grigio 2022

 

Pinot Grigio with a little colour! You have my attention. That slight copper appearance has me snapping my fingers. More like this, please.

Soumah Tutto Bianco d'Soumah 2022

 

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Dr Plonk The Good Doctor's Cure Mataro Shiraz 2019

 

Mataro and Shiraz are a killer combo when done well! Silky with some muscle, gimme it all!

FU Manchu Carignan 2022

 

I taste this and my mind goes back to a McLaren Vale trip in 2020. I learnt that unique parcels of Carignan are all over the district, but most of the fruit is blended away. When allowed to stand tall on its own (which is rare), it's a great drink - just like Exhibit A here.

FU Manchu Mourvedre Rosé 2022

 

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Briar Ridge Briar Hill Chardonnay 2021

 

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Briar Ridge Signature Stockhausen Chardonnay 2021

 

There is plenty going on here to amuse those who enjoy a Hunter Valley Chardonnay. More people should dive into the beauty that the region delivers with this variety. In this case, a  little bit of richness goes a long way.