Australia & NZ
These far-flung wine regions may be referred to ‘new’ when compared against the historic European wine regions, but they have a long winemaking history. Spared from Phylloxera, Australia in particular has world's highest concentration of venerable vines and legendary producers such as Penfolds, Henschke and Tyrell’s have been around for over 150 years. Though for many years piggybacking on Europe’s successes, branding their own wines as ‘Chablis’, ‘Hermitage’ etc., Australia now have created a real identity of their own, making inimitable styles like Coonawarra Cabernet or Hunter Valley Semillon.
New Zealand doesn’t quite have as an extensive history but has established itself in an astonishingly short amount of time as a reliable source of whistle clean, distinctive examples of varietals like Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.
Australia & NZ
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Western Australia | 1 | 99 (WAU) | $153.00 | |||||
The West Australian (99)Highly perfumed aromas strike immediately. There is that combination of fruit sweetness and fine chalky minerally tannins. Loads of blackcurrant and juicy plum with a dollop of chocolate and mocha cut with floral and dried herb notes. Bright and energetic at every turn with subtlety and elegance. Delivers with a degree of understatement and restraint yet gathers pace and momentum as it drives through to the finish. The tannins are more in the powdery space with that slightly aspirin-like oak influence bringing it all together seamlessly and harmoniously. This is classic cabernet in its varietal makeup with a firm spine and length. The malbec has brought a vibrant red fruit juiciness into the equation. The finest wine yet from Vasse Felix. It’s 2016 without the tannin and 2014 without the opulence. |
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Hawke's Bay | 1 | 96 (TRR) | $249.00 | |||||
The Real Review (96)Intense and deliciously complex chardonnay with grapefruit, saline/oyster shell, ginger, nutty yeast lees and spicy French oak flavours. Impressive depth and cellaring potential. A remarkable success from a difficult vintage. |
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Hawke's Bay | 2 | 96 (TRR) | $447.00 | |||||
The Real Review (96)Deep, dark red/purple colour, excellent hue, and the bouquet is classic cabernet sauvignon: cedar, blackcurrant, blackberry, tobacco and a trace of seaweed or nori. Coffee grounds later. Concentrated and powerful, this is a majestic cabernet, with tremendous concentration, fleshy extract and drive. It fills the mouth to overflowing. A great wine in the making and a triumph for a straight cabernet sauvignon from this region. |
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Hawke's Bay | 1 | 97 (TRR) | $447.00 | |||||
The Real Review (97)Intense yet surprisingly accessible red with cassis, blackberry, cedar, vanilla, black cherry, and spicy French oak flavours. Powerful yet elegant wine with strong varietal identity. Should develop well with bottle age. |
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Victoria | 8 | 94 (HWC) | $208.00 | |||||
Halliday Wine Companion (94)A blend of pressings of Shiraz (62%)/Cabernet Sauvignon (33%)/Dolcetto (5%) assembled from barrels of 2006 vintage with some 'reserve' barrels of the best vintages over the past 10 years. It is neither fearsomely tannic or alcoholic, rather a medium- to full-bodied wine with licorice, blackberry and blackcurrant fruit flavours. |
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Victoria | 1 | 94 (WA) | $103.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (94)The blockbuster 2004 Shiraz Springflat’s inky/purple color is followed by a wine that pushes concentration to the limit. Made from tiny yields of 1.5 to 1.8 tons of fruit per acre, aged in 50% new and 50% 1 and 2 year old oak (half American and half French) barrels, it is a huge, rich, backward Shiraz that still assaults the palate and olfactory senses. Forget this big, structured, intense 2004 for 2-3 years and drink it over the following 15 or more. |
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Victoria | 1 | 95 (WA) | $114.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (95)The 2006 Springflat Shiraz is 100% varietal aged in 100% new French and American oak. The nose offers up an array of cedar, saddle leather, boysenberry, blackberry, and blueberry compote. This is followed by a sweetly fruited, opulent wine with layers of spicy flavors, earth notes, and spice box. Balanced and exceptionally long, this large-scaled effort will evolve for another 5-7 years and be at its best through 2031. |
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South Australia | 30 | - | $103.00 | |||||
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South Australia | 30 | - | $103.00 | |||||
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South Australia | 1 | 92 (HWC) | $256.00 | |||||
Halliday Wine Companion (92)Old-school Coonawarra wrapped within a sheath of contemporary tannin management. Smoother, perhaps, but the region's green olive scented tannins, sinewy and edgy, are strongly genetic. Otherwise, currant, bay leaf and an herbaceous undercarriage of mint, clove and bouquet garni push across a persistent linger. |
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South Australia | 1 | 96 (HWC) | $115.00 | |||||
Halliday Wine Companion (96)Strong purple-crimson; from the first whiff to the finish and aftertaste, the wine has remarkable cohesion, line and balance; there are hints of spice to the essentially black fruits, the French oak evident but seamless, the mouthfeel supple and velvety, the finish with a dry, savoury twist, just what was needed. Screwcap. |
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Western Australia | 2 | - | $298.00 | |||||
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Emanating from the premium vineyards of Western Australia, the Woodside Valley Baudin Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 is a true connoisseur's delight. This lustrous Cabernet Sauvignon has been matured in French oak barrels, offering an extraordinary balance of tannins and fruit profiles. The meticulous cultivation process under cool maritime-influenced climate imparts a distinctive depth to its full-bodied palate. Characterised by intricate layers of well-ripened blackcurrants, delicate chocolate undertones and a hint of earthy complexity, the Woodside Valley Baudin Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 exhibits great finesse. Ingeniously crafted by Woodside Valley Estate, a respected producer known for their attention to detail and unwavering quality standards, this wine is a testament to their expertise. The 2004 vintage speaks volumes of the terroir's unique characteristics, making this wine a superb choice for those seeking a tasting experience replete with the essence of Australian vineyards. Indulge in the remarkable Woodside Valley Baudin Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - a wine that truly stands in a class of its own. |
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South Australia | 1 | 91 (VN) | $235.00 | |||||
Vinous (91)The 2015 Black Label from Wynns, which debuted way back in 1954 but only sported a black label from 1965, is aged for 18 months in 19% new oak. It has a ravishing bouquet of black cherries, menthol, lavender and pitted black olives, well defined and displaying just the right amount of plushness. The palate offers vibrant red fruit laced with white pepper and clove, plus touches of orange peel. There’s plenty of vibrancy here, and hints of cough candy toward the well-balanced, fresh finish. This is a delightful Cabernet Sauvignon that is à point but will have no problem aging for another 20 years. |
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South Australia | 1 | 100 (AC) | $398.00 | |||||
Andrew Caillard MW (100)Deep crimson. Lovely pure blackcurrant elderberry herb garden aromas with hints of espresso/ roasted chestnut notes. Beautiful concentrated wine with blackcurrant elderberry chinotto herb flavours, fine-grained and plentiful yet vigorous tannins, superb mid palate richness and integrated roasted chestnut/ cedar oak notes. Finishes chalky firm with a long inky/ graphite plume. Made for the long haul. Powerfully expressive yet unforced wine with superb vinosity, richness, density and volume. Superb. The fruit derives from the V&A (Victoria & Albert) and Nursery Vineyards, both located on classic terra rossa soils. From a dry, mild to warm growing season. Wait a few years to let it unfold, 2025-2050. |
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South Australia | 1 | 19.5+ (MJ) | $459.00 | |||||
Matthew Jukes (19.5+)This is the most incredible Wynns Cabernet I can remember. This is a fairly heavy statement because I have been drinking these wines for 35 years and on my website you will find vertical tastings of Wynns epic reds going back to 1957. Wynns is Coonawarra’s most famous and historic wine estate and John Riddoch is its flagship wine. This is one of only a handful of Australian wines sold via La Place de Bordeaux, the elite distribution system for top Bordeaux châteaux and a limited number of top-class vins étrangers. I am convinced this wine will be one of the most sought-after non-French wines since La Place opened up its portfolio to wines like Opus One. With only 35% new French oak barriques and hogsheads involved, the sensational Coonawarra Cabernet is allowed to sing at its purest and most melodic in this spectacular vintage. What amazes me is the extraordinary complexity of perfume, flavour, depth and length in this wine. It expands on the palate in all directions without being a heavy or imposing wine. I have awarded the wine a score of 19.5+/20 in my notes, which puts it in the very highest echelons of cabernet sauvignon in the world. The balance is extraordinary, not least because, at only three years old, it can be swallowed and savoured with ease, and yet there must be three or four decades ahead for this majestic wine. |
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