James Suckling (97)

I have tasted this producer's wines for a time now and adore the grenaches. Often my preference is for the Sands of Time cuvée but in 2021, a vintage of such effortless quality, This Charming Man ascends. Bitter red-fruit, orange-pastille, tea-tree, dried-thyme, bracken and sandalwood riffs are beautifully compressed by a phalanx of brushwood tannins. Mid-weighted Nebbiolo vibes. Very fine. Extremely long. An exquisite grenache. Drink or hold.

Halliday Wine Companion (95)

One of the most daring releases of recent times, not so much for its blend of shiraz, pinot noir and sauvignon blanc as its bold shot at 100% whole bunch fermentation in the cold, wet '11, from a vineyard so run down it almost didn't crop at all. Bill Downie has worked his magic to create a hauntingly ethereal wine of internal harmony, silky structure and captivating exoticism.

Decanter (97)

Subtle and elegant nose displaying aromas of apple, gooseberry, meyer lemon and fresh herbs. A lovely playful wine with a crisp acidity and juicy, ripe fruit energy. Polished and textured on the palate.

Halliday Wine Companion (98)

It seems a gross understatement to say that Tolpuddle has been in fine form as of late, but they have knocked it out the park again with this release from the cooler '23 vintage. The palest of straw in the glass, the aromas crisp and filigreed. Citrus, white peach and nectarine cut with glorious wisps of struck match and flinty complexity. Grilled hazelnuts, deftly-judged vanillin oak, lardo, white flowers, crushed riverstone, clotted cream and sea spray. The wine envelops the imbiber; flavours precise and pure with an umami-rich, mineral cadence, dreamy texture and daubs of spiced oatmeal, grilled peaches and flint. The finish is sustained, the only thing unresolved the need for another (larger?) bottle. An outstanding Australian chardonnay.

James Suckling (99)

This 6th release of Tolpuddle Vineyard pinot noir is the finest work to date, as it shows refinement and true vineyard expression. The fruit aromas are wildly alluring with red and dark cherries, red plums, strawberries, pink grapefruit, blood oranges, peaches and pomegranate. Some light peppery notes and an array of freshly ground, hard brown spices, stony and sappy elements, crushed roses and violets. Very complex. The palate is just as impressive with a strikingly resolved mix of power and elegance. Flavors of red and dark cherries, persimmon, plums and blackberries are encased in a sleeve of helix-like tannins, which also carry long and emanate waves of fresh fruit flavor. Intense red cherries and red plums hold the finish long and pure. This is something special. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (99)

This is a wine we have not yet seen from Tolpuddle. It has such well-curated complexity and whole-bunch influence (40%) sits in the sweet spot. It is concentrated, yet so elegant and the vivid freshness that pervades every aspect of the nose and palate is striking. Aromas of red fruit, such as raspberry, strawberry, red cherry and red plum are framed in spice and fragrance. The palate has such impressive definition and clarity and the tannins are so detailed, fine and clear-cut. Concentrated red and darker cherries are fleshy, yet elegantly focused, and the acidity laces it all up so clearly. So drinkable now and for a decade at least. Screw cap.

Decanter (98)

A longer, cooler vintage has allowed the sum of all the distinctive site components to marry in ideal balance. It’s all there - pretty aromatics; plush, rounded fruit flavours with some stalky grip adding play to the texture, and a cloak of minerality providing an intriguing counterpoint as fine tannins grip at the finish. It’s alluring, enticing you back to keep reading its complexity.

The Real Review (97)

Deep red-purple, bright and clear colour; superb rich ripe black cherry fragrance with a kiss of smoky oak, the palate remarkably full and rich, smooth and fleshy with excellent texture and immediate drinking appeal, although it has the legs to age well too. Serious structure, but also succulent, sweet and plush—almost too much of a good thing. Outstanding pinot noir.

Jeb Dunnuck (96-98)

Unbelievably rich and decadent, the 2005 Torbreck Run Rig shows bright, slightly volatile aromas of dark fruit, meat, blood, campfire, chocolate and sweet oak. The slight volatile notes detract but the overall size and intensity here is something. On the palate, the wine is perfect with full body, massive fruit, stunning balance and precision, perfect structure and a long, long finish.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The 2015 RunRig is dark and brooding, with tar and resin, asphalt and tapenade. In the mouth, the fruit is sweet, feathered by vanilla pod and medjool date, mulberry, blood plum and sweet licorice. The length is phenomenally long, and the future will be just as long. The wine is so closed at this stage, and yet it has all the hallmarks required for long aging. 15% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.

Vinous (96)

Inky ruby color. Expansive aromas of dark fruit liqueur, incense, candied flowers, Indian spices and vanilla. Has a smoky mineral quality that gains strength as the wine opens up. Fleshy, sweet and broad on the palate, offering impressively concentrated yet lively blackcurrant, boysenberry and violet pastille flavors that are lifted and sharpened by a smoky mineral flourish. Smooth, seamless and appealingly sweet on an extremely long, floral-dominated finish that"s framed by suave, well-knit tannins.

Wine Advocate (99)

The 2018 RunRig is perfectly eloquent of the 2018 vintage. It was warm and dry, and the reds produced both in Barossa and Eden Valleys were of very high quality. Here, the 2018 could be stylistically compared to 2016, however the 2018 offers tremendous chisel and definition of both the tannins and the nuanced fruit profile. This is a brilliantly polished and sleek wine that, while approachable and ready for drinking now, offers none of the gracious complexity that it will no doubt develop with patient cellaring. Should you wish to see the potential of this wine, plan to open a bottle in 2040. Should you feel impatient, opening a bottle now will suffice—it is very good today. 15% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2004 Descendant, an old oak-aged blend of 92% Shiraz and 8% Viognier from a 12-year old vineyard, offers up notes of blackberries, ink, sweet truffles, and acacia flowers. There are 1,000 cases of this full-bodied, intense, rich blockbuster. It will drink well for 10-15 years.

Wine Advocate (98+)

Very deep purple-black colored, Torbreck's 2010 The Laird offers an extraordinary perfume of Chinese five spice, sandalwood, rose petals, espresso and licorice over a core of prunes, dried mulberries and blackcurrant preserves plus a touch of cloves. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and packed with dried black fruits and exotic spice flavors, the generous fruit is structured with velvety tannins and just enough freshness. It finishes with commendable persistence.

Wine Advocate (100)

Deep garnet colored with a touch of remaining purple at the rim, the 2012 The Laird is one of those wines you could just go on smelling all day. It opens with a complex perfume of kirsch, dried mulberries, blackberry tart and spice cake over cloves, mocha, dusty earth, incense, star anise, yeast extract and aged beef. The full-bodied palate is drop-dead seductive, unfurling in the mouth to reveal exotic spice, meat, earth and berry preserves layers, supported by firm, velvety tannins and seamless acid. The finish seems to go on forever—and this is exactly what you want it to do. Stunning.

Wine Advocate (95+)

A new offering, the 2004 The Pict, is a 220-case cuvee of 100% Mourvedre that tips the scales at 13.2% alcohol. Reminiscent of a 1998 Domaine Tempier Cuvee Speciale (a great vintage for that estate), it boasts an inky/blue/purple color, phenomenally intense blueberry and blackberry fruit characteristics, and hints of black truffles as well as fresh mushrooms. Deep and full-bodied, with superb fruit and the right amount of sweet tannin (a rarity for Mourvedre), this beauty should evolve slowly, and drink well for 15 or more years.

Matthew Jukes (19+)

My mind went into orbit when I tasted this wine. Tasting like a magical concoction of 4-parts Serralunga d’Alba and 1-part Bonnes-Mares (Morey-side), this wine’s 43% Eden Valley Shiraz component makes it the most energetic, challenging, and utterly mesmerising vintage I can remember. I have always been a Struie fan, but it often sits down in the pack alongside some of the more powerful Shirazes, so one has to look deep into the portfolio to truly appreciate its charms. In 2021, while it is not a bigger wine, it is undoubtedly more intense and aeons longer on the finish, so I can see it standing shoulder to shoulder with its more fêted siblings for years to come.

James Suckling (97)

A super-polished wine that has a broad array of fruits: raspberry, blackberry and cassis, with white pepper, graphite and a clear whole-bunch lift. The palate has a powerful, focused core of concentrated dark plum and cassis, boldly spicy, then dark chocolate to close. Best from 2019.

Sam Kim Wine Orbit (100)

No tasting note available.

Raymond Chan (100)

Full, dark, deep ruby-red colour with purple-black hues, near impenetrable. The nose has incredibly intense and penetrating aromas of ripe blackberry fruit with subtle dark raspberry and blue fruit notes, lifted by an array of red, violet and black florals, melded with fine spice elements and a suggestion of black pepper. The aromatic components are seamlessly interwoven and harmonious in presentation. Medium-full bodied, the palate is richly sweet and succulent with ripe, vibrant and lively fruit flavours of blackberries entwined with dark-red and blue fruit notes, along with dark-red, violet and black florals, melded with notes of liquorice, spice and black pepper forming a complex amalgam. The fruit is fine and beautifully concentrated with intensity and depth, the lusciousness balanced by considerable extraction, the tannins very fine-grained and flowery in texture. The acidity is ripe, and softly integrated, and the wine carries with great linearity and drive to a long and sustained finish of black fruits, florals and spices. This Syrah has a remarkably intense and perfumed nose with a beautiful array of floral aromatics, on a rich, succulently sweet black, red and blue fruited palate with considerable, but refined extraction.

Raymond Chan (20)

Dark, deep, black-hued ruby-red colour, a little lighter on the rim. The nose is softly fulland voluminous with a very deep and finely with concentrated core with an array of aromatics, showing beautifully ripened blackberry fruit entwined with dark raspberries, harmoniously layered with an array of dark-red and violet florals, together with exotic Asian spice elements, nuances of dark herbs, and a suggestion of black pepper. This has an amazing range of fragrances and aromatics that are expressed without showiness, but plenty of style and harmony. Medium-bodied, the palate is mouthfilling with refined, plush and sweetly rich, ripe and succulent fruit flavours of blackberries and dark raspberries, hints of plums and liquorice, unfolding layers of dark-red and violet florals with exotic spices. This is multi-dimensional and multi faceted in expression. Te fruit is supported by the very finest powdery tannins, but with considerable extract, structure and presence, but is is no way overbearing. The acidity is harmoniously integrated, and the wine carries to a sustained finish of richness. This is a beautifully harmonious and multi-dimensional and complex detailed Syrah of great beauty, finesse and fragrance. Match with the best lamb, beef and venison dishes over the next 10-15 years. 100% Syrah, predominantly MS clone from 20 y.o. vines in the Gimblett Gravels with the inclusion of a small amount of new clone material from hillside plantings behind the winery on Roys Hill (officially not part of the Gimblett Gravels). Fruit all hand-picked, foot-stomped and fermented with 30% whole bunches on average (some lots 100%), adding Viognier skins to 13.0% alc., the wine spending on average 30 days on skins, and aged 15 months in predominantly new French oak barriques and a portion in 5,000 L oak ovals.

Matthew Jukes (19)

The 2017 Homage is a sensational wine, garnering a mighty 19/20 score in my notes and it arrives in the UK this week. No other wine came close to this mark and yet who’d have thought this possible if you digest this wine’s vital statistics? This is a 96% syrah, 4% viognier skins, partial whole bunch, 100% new oak, 12.5% alcohol conundrum and it is bafflingly sublime. Winemakers Warren Gibson and Damian Fischer have turned what could have been a disaster into a work of sheer beauty. “Homage” pays tribute to the late Gérard Jaboulet, who passed away at only 55 years of age back in 1997. I am sure that the man behind the iconic Syrah Hermitage La Chapelle would be bowled over by this extraordinary Trinity Hill creation and would be honoured by the tribute

Andrew Caillard MW (98)

Medium deep crimson. Beautiful pure raspberry strawberry red cherry aromas with espresso/ sage/ white pepper notes. Inky textured wine with dense concentrated raspberry pastille, strawberry fruits, fine silky tannins and roasted chestnut espresso oak. Finishes chalky al dente firm with lovely mineral length and feathery tannin plume.

Wine Business Magazine (96)

Brilliant Barossa Shiraz that comes off the back of an unnervingly good array of new releases. This sits just above medium weight with great depth of flavour but a levity and freshness born from fine tannin and bright acidity. Red berries, lots of sweeet spice, light herbal notes and judicious wood seasoning. This drinks like a charm

Vinous (93)

Medium red color. Floral, mineral-tinged red berry aromas, with subtle spice and underbrush notes; this could pass for a ripe Burgundy. Fine-grained and spicy, showing vivid raspberry and strawberry preserve flavors that build impressively with air. Finishes with silky tannins and energetic notes of red berries and fresh rose. This is awfully suave.

Halliday Wine Companion (94)

Impenetrable colour; thick, dark, dense chewy and massive in every respect; there is a little lack of freshness in the wine; inky fruit, with prune-like intensity; thick and tannic, with bitter chocolate providing some relief from the overwhelming intensity on the palate; if you like them big, then this is for you.

Wine Enthusiast (92)

Densely packed aromas of blackcurrant cordial, violets, mint, cedar, bay leaf and ground baking spice carries through to a full figured palate that oozes jammy fruit. It's balanced by savory spiced tannins, a touch of toasty oak and a good lick of acidity. Drink now with a decanter at hand and throughout the next decade.

Wine Advocate (98)

Just like last year, this patch of the Eden Valley has turned out a magnificent wine. The 2018 Yacca Block Menglers Hill Shiraz boasts fragrant notes of violets and blueberries spiced with hints of cinnamon, caramel and roasted meat. It's the biggest of the Block wines, labeled at 14.3% alcohol, but despite being full-bodied, comes across as impeccably balanced. It's fleshy and generous, but supple tannins, which turn silky on the lengthy finish, keep the overall impression one of savory elegance.

Wine Advocate (99)

A special selection of Shiraz from the Holy Grail vineyard in Seppeltsfield, the 2016 My Hands is an infrequently made, ultra-luxe offering. If you have to ask the price…. After two years in French oak hogsheads (and another couple in bottle prior to release), it's extravagantly perfumed, loaded with scents of vanilla, cinnamon and cedar, yet placed in near-perfect balance with notes of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. It could be your grandmother's mixed-berry crumble but with an added savory edge that includes hints of black olives and dark coffee. Full-bodied and plush, yet structured, this is a rich, velvety wine on the palate, yet one that doesn't sacrifice length or longevity for immediate pleasure—like the juxtaposition of sweet and savory flavors, they're somehow able to coexist and remain harmonious throughout.