- 98 points -

#69 - Top 100 Wines of 2018

A decadent yet persistently fresh shiraz, showing notes of blackberry tart, hot stones, dried herbs, blueberry cake, quartz, resin and baking spices. The palate is very sophisticated in its delivery of chewy, enveloping tannins, which coat the mouth and remain lithe and velvety at the same time. A driven line of acidity runs throughout plums and cassis, and this finishes long and intense. Minerally and tight, too...

- 97 points -

GOLD

The second release from the close planted Estate vineyard planted in '05, 70% whole bunches, 30% whole berries, open-fermented, matured in French puncheons for 14 months, with a further 14 months in bottle before release. This is an exercise in power, bay leaf staring down any attempt to add red fruits, the tannins of the same ilk, ditto oak. Despite the power, the balance and synergy of the components is undeniable.

- 95 points -

From a relatively close-planted plot on clay, ironstone, quartzite and shale. Whole bunches fermented wild in open tops with minimal agitation. A headily aromatic shiraz with notes of lavender and green olive and an underbelly of verdant herb and mezcal, the legacy of whole bunches in the ferment. Notes of damson plum, red cherry, violet and sarsaparilla trail across a raft of peppery tannins, a bit drying due to the low-yielding year. A whiff of iodine, peat and smoked meat lingers. This will benefit from some patience.

- 95 points -

Wow! Attractive plums, hazelnuts, smoked meat and terra cotta. Full body and round, silky tannins. Juicy undertones. Delicious finish. Love the texture and tension to this one.

- 94 points -

Our last look at this wine was 15 vintages ago when it was explained as a cool-climate style shiraz, a style most of the world had been chasing ever since. Indeed it’s cool, but complex, and 2017 is a great example of how cool the wine can be. Heavy rains gave way to lesser amounts during the flowering period, while the harvest was dry and long-ish thanks to record low temperatures. The result is beautiful acidity throughout this red shiraz. Balhannah Vineyard, loam over clay, ironstone, quartzite, and shale, is tightly planted and is coming into its own at a dozen years. Fragrant, stylish, balanced, and swimming in bright red fruit and white pepper, this is a wine you can savour for hours. There is a richness of texture that finishes with an intriguing meaty, spicy note. No rush to drink this. It is hand picked, sorted, and fermented as whole berries and whole bunches, in open fermenters, with minimal intervention. It spends 14 months in 500 litre French oak puncheons and another 14 months in bottle before release. Hats off to that treatment.

93+ Points

The fruit for this 2020 Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz is, as the name suggests, from the Balhannah vineyard, which was planted in 2005. Balhannah, for those who have not yet had the pleasure of visiting the Adelaide Hills region, is an area within the Adelaide Hills GI, north of Hahndorf. The vineyard is at 380 meters above sea level and is north facing. When I was there in 2022, the vineyard was undergoing layering (a method to increase the density of the plantings of vines. In the mouth, the wine speaks clearly of its whole bunches, which bring an exoticism and chalkiness to the wine. These notes will subdue over time and ensure that the wine remains detailed and complex as it ages. It smells of light fruitcake (the dense, spicy kind), and it is textural, chalky and lingering. The tannins hold the fruit in stasis and encourage it to pace itself out over the long finish. There are notes of clove, star anise, cinnamon, orange peel, sultana, vanilla pod, black tea, cassis and blueberry compote. There is plenty of fruit here in the short term, but I wager this will be at its apogee some time in the future. I'd consider it from 2025 onward. If you are restless in the meantime, try the estate Shiraz. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.