WELCOME This latest issue of the Halliday Wine Companion magazine is full of cellaring insights, including tips for recognising when a young wine is a good pick for the cellar. But if you also like never-fail recommendations, this guide does the work for you. We have compiled 60 diverse, top-rating wines that are sure to go the distance. From riesling and semillon to cabernet blends, wines from regions right around the country are featured throughout. We’ve also asked each of the winemakers to share when they believe we should enjoy their wine and also reveal how they knew these were strong contenders for the cellar. We hope it all provides even more food for thought, as well as some brilliant additions for your cellar, whether you’re a long-time collector or just starting to consider putting wine down now. This is a great place to start. Cheers, The Halliday team.
Contents Riesling
2
Semillon 9 Chardonnay 12 Pinot noir
16
Shiraz
18
Cabernet sauvignon
40
Cabernet blends
53
Durif
59
Other reds
62
Wineries pay to be included in this guide
JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2016 Colmar Estate Block 6 Orange Riesling
94
RRP $32 /
C 2026 / bbbb
Hand-picked, destemmed and crushed, cool-fermented with cultured yeast on light solids, matured in stainless steel. Cleverly made, the light solids giving texture offset by barely perceptible residual sugar. Floral citrus blossom aromas are followed by flavours of lime and green apple tied together by balanced acidity. 12% alc.
Bill Shrapnel Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Although the balance and lack of
austerity in this wine ensure that it’s already fine drinking, lovers of aged riesling will be richly rewarded at four to six years from vintage as complex characters begin to emerge.
How did you know this wine would age well? In the excellent 2016 vintage, the
hand-picked riesling from Block 6 produced a wine with superb flavours, great purity and a backbone of natural acidity courtesy of our high, cool site. A long life is assured.
Colmar Estate Orange, NSW
0419 977 270 contact@colmarestate.com.au www.colmarestate.com.au @colmarestate
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95
2016 Dandelion Vineyards Wonderland of the Eden Valley Riesling RRP $60 /
C 2046 /bbbbb
From Colin Kroehn’s vineyard planted in 1912, hand-picked and small batch fermented. Its very high acidity of 8.8g/l and pH of 2.91 put it fairly and squarely into (normally) German territory, and has been fermented to dryness. The price is ambitious for a wine that really needs to be left alone for a bare minimum of, and will live for decades. Counter to my usual practice, the points are for ’20+, not today. 10.5% alc.
Elena Brooks
Winemaker What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Notwithstanding our intention
to allow for this wine to cellar for a lifetime, it is Elena’s greatest wish that it is best drunk as soon as a Wonderland moment in one’s life presents itself, even if just manufacturing the moment by sharing a bottle immediately.
How did you know this wine would age well? For a once-in-lifetime wine, make/
inherit/borrow as much funds required to secure as many dozen possible. The 2016 will cellar as the first eight vintages have, and those from the eight decades of other winemakers who have made wine from this vineyard.
Dandelion Vineyards Eden Valley, SA
08 8556 6099 winery@dandelionvineyards.com.au dandelionvineyards.com.au @dandelionvineyards
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2016 Mr. Riggs Watervale Riesling RRP $24 /
94
C 2026 /bbbbb
Classic Clare Valley Watervale riesling, with abundant varietal fruit covering all the various citrus bases and sustained by positive minerally/slatey acidity. Good now, greater still in 5+ years. 12.5% alc.
Ben Riggs Winemaker
What’s your best advice on when to drink this wine? At Mr. Riggs our philosophy
is ‘while alive, celebrate’, so relish the big events, but be sure to enjoy all the steps along the way. In that spirit, our best advice is to drink the 2016 Watervale Riesling whenever the occasion arises!
How did you know this wine would age well? The beauty of a good riesling is its
ability to age remarkably well and to evolve over time, making it approachable on release or years later when its secondary characteristics are flourishing. The 2016 Watervale Riesling has all the hallmarks of a riesling that will cellar well – fresh, crisp and vibrant, with a strong acid backbone balanced by full fruit sweetness.
Mr. Riggs Wine Company McLaren Vale, SA
08 8383 2050 info@mrriggs.com.au mrriggs.com.au @mrriggswineco
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2016 Pikes Traditionale Clare Valley Riesling
95
RRP $25 /
C 2031 / bbbbb
Traditionale? Well, it’s from all the best districts of the Clare Valley, and made in a very, very good vintage. Its bouquet is flowery, the mouthwatering palate with an electric intensity to its lime and lemon fruit that draws out the finish and aftertaste. It’s got one foot planted here and now, another 5-10 years down the track (and more points). 11.5% alc.
Steve Baraglia/Neil Pike Winemakers
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Clare Valley riesling is an each-way bet: you can drink it in its first couple years while it is fresh and zesty, or you can put it away for seven to 10 years and be rewarded with a complex, toasty, mouthwatering wine.
How did you know this wine would age well? The wine must have purity of
fruit, good acid/pH balance and above all be fresh and zesty early on in its life. The 2013 Traditionale has all these elements.
Pikes Vintners P/L
Clare Valley, South Australia. 08 88 434 370 info@pikeswines.com.au pikeswines.com.au
5
JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2016 Sevenhill St Francis Xavier Single-Vineyard Riesling
95
RRP $35 /
C 2031 /bbbbB
From the 0.2ha estate Weikert Vineyard in Sevenhill planted in ’78, producing grapes with high natural acidity; only the free-run juice is fermented at a very low temperature. Much more refined and elegant than its Inigo sibling, and richly deserves time in bottle to build on the picture-perfect base it already has. Demure lime and Granny Smith apple fruit is swathed in fine shards of acidity that prolongs the finish and aftertaste – where the quality of the wine is immediately apparent. 11% alc.
Liz Heidenreich Winemaker
How do you see this wine evolving? As
a young riesling, it is crisp and fresh, showing its terroir, with zingy minerality and crunchy acidity. As it ages, the palate softens and becomes richer and more intense, retaining the gravelly minerality of the vineyard.
How did you know this wine would age well? On release, this wine has tight and
crunchy acidity, is packed full of flavour – pithy grapefruit and lime zest, with a slatey finish. The natural acidity allows the wine to retain its fresh flavours as it ages, but the acid softens and the palate becomes fuller, with toasty, nutty flavours.
Sevenhill Cellars Clare Valley, SA
08 8843 5900 orders@sevenhill.com.au sevenhill.com.au
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2016 Springton Hills Eliza’s Eden Valley Riesling
95
RRP $ /
C 2029 /bbbB
A high-quality Eden Valley riesling, already showing its birthplace courtesy of outstanding mouthfeel to its interplay of lemon/lime flavours and soft, but persistent, acidity. One of those wines demanding to be opened today, but with a bare minimum of a decade to show all of its wares. 11.5% alc.
John Ciccocioppo Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Drink now to enjoy the citrus and floral characters and mineral acidity or cellar up to 10 years to enjoy a wine that is still floral, but will develop notes of straw and ripe lemons.
How did you know this wine would age well? The microclimate, metamorphic
soils and longer growing season of our vineyard, along with the lower alcohol and high acidity, complex citrus and floral characters, all point to a wine that will be long lived.
Springton Hills Wines Eden Valley, SA
0400 334 435 john@springtonhillswines.com.au springtonhillswines.com.au
7
JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
94
2016 Zarephath Porongurup Single Vineyard Late Harvest Riesling RRP $30 /
C 2026
Crisp, lively and delicious, circa 35-45g/; of residual sugar is balanced by natural acidity, and the wine will never lose its charm, the sweetness gradually receding as the wine becomes more complex with age – if that is what you want. 10% alc.
Rosie Singer & Ian Barrett-Lennard Owners
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Ideal drinking times come down to personal preference – the longer the cellaring time, the more the toasty and honey characters. The wine will increase in lusciousness and complexity for at least 10 years.
How did you know this wine would age well? Made from Porongurup riesling
ensures there was always great structure and acidity. Balanced with rich fruit flavours, the result is a wine with weight that will evolve and develop more richness.
Zarephath Wines
Porongurup Ranges, WA 08 9853 1152 rosie@zarephathwines.com.au zarephathwines.com.au
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93
2016 Belford Block Eight Reserve Hunter Valley Semillon RRP $39 /
C 2030 /bbbbB
There is considerable more intensity, crunch, sap and line of flavour to this wine than its less expensive sibling. Still, the choir of lemon oil and the spectrum of other citrus fruit is reeled out as the fidelitous voice of the Hunter. The Reserve, however, also boasts riper hints of quince and apricot pith. 11% alc.
Daniel Binet Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Left to cellar for five years, this
wine will take on smooth buttery notes, but we also love to drink it fresh and zesty, so we try a bottle on an anniversary each year, and every year its flavours are completely different.
How did you know this wine would age well? We look for strong citrus flavours
(lemon zest) with underlying grassy notes and overall there should be a vibrant acidity that runs through from start to finish.
Belford Block Eight Hunter Valley, NSW
0410 346 300 todd@blockeight.com.au blockeight.com.au @block_eight
9
JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2014 Goldman Hunter Valley Semillon
94
RRP $21 /
C 2025
Is in the early stages of transformation to fully fledged maturity, but is open for business (not the sometimes awkward transition) with lemon rind, juice and grass flavours on the powerful and focused palate. Quite how such quality comes from purchased grapes and contract winemaking is beyond me – this is a gift horse. 11.2% alc.
Ashley Horner Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? The wine is very approachable now with sweet lime and green apple characters, and will evolve into a classic Hunter semillon with honey, toasty characters through to 2025. The choice is yours!
How did you know this wine would age well? Hunter semillon is renowned for its ageing potential and 2014 was an exceptional year. The fresh, natural acidity and citrus, lime and green apple characters were early indicators the wine had potential for longerterm cellaring.
Goldman Wines
Hunter Valley, NSW 0467 808 316 callan@goldmanwines.com.au goldmanwines.com.au @goldmanwines
10
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2016 Molly Morgan Vineyard Semillon RRP $25 /
92
C 2026 /bbbB
Hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, matured for 5 months in tank. Those who met the challenges of the ’16 vintage made semillons such as this. Despite its low end alcohol, it has considerable mouthfeel and depth to the varietal lemon/lemongrass fruit. 10% alc.
Rhys Eather Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? This wine needs five years of
cellaring to allow the classic bottle-aged characters of semillon to evolve. From 2021 as the wine ages, the toasted bread, honey, bottleaged semillon characters will take over and the acidity will become less apparent on the palate.
How did you know this wine would age well? The fruit is from a site that has
a history of producing semillons that age brilliantly. The 2016 has very good natural acidity levels and lime, which combined with classic ripe semillon flavours will ensure the wine will age well.
Molly Morgan Vineyard Hunter Valley, NSW
02 4930 7695 enjoy@mollymorgan.com mollymorgan.com @momohuntervalley
11
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2014 Narkoojee Reserve Gippsland Chardonnay
97
RRP $48 /
C 2024 /bbbbb
Whole bunch-pressed, fermented in French oak (30% new). It was an exceptional vintage for chardonnay, and this wine fully reflects the vintage. It is as intense as one could imagine, but doesn’t go OTT, its balance and length perfect; grapefruit, white peach, creamy cashew and lingering acidity all join seamlessly. 13.5% alc.
Axel Friend Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? A cellaring wine will have vibrant flavours, aromas and texture of youth, which intermingle with those formed during ageing to produce complexity, harmony and a softer, pleasing mouthfeel. Reassess annually to determine the peak.
How did you know this wine would age well? This wine has intense aromas and
flavours with a fresh acidity, which are all in balance and linger after the wine is swallowed. It also has a light straw colour with greenish hues, indicating longevity.
Narkoojee
Gippsland, Vic 03 5192 4257 wines@narkoojee.com narkoojee.com @narkoojeewinery
12
JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2015 Paul Nelson Karriview Denmark Chardonnay
96
RRP $60 /
C 2027 /bbbb
Oatmeal, dry biscuit, spicy oak and a whiff of lanolin. The varietal character is subtle, but the overall impression is of complex, cool-climate chardonnay. The palate echoes this theme, with slinky texture, perfectly integrated acidity and length of flavour the defining elements. Grapefruit and just-ripe white peach may be the best descriptors of the primary fruit input, just for the record. Top drawer. SC 13.4% alc.
Paul Nelson Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Karriview vineyard is the oldest
chardonnay-producing site in Denmark. Its karri loam and dolerite slopes produce wines of finesse and intensity. Grapefruit tension and a core line of natural acid will keep development in a cage for decades. The oldest Karriview Chardonnay in the cellar (1989) still exhibits freshness of acid and purity of fruit.
How did you know this wine would age well? A strong focus on fruit and acid are the hallmarks of a long-lived wine. There’s an energy harnessed by big oak and Old World charm that make this wine great for the cellar.
Paul Nelson Wines Great Southern, WA
0406 495 066 paulnelsonwines@live.com.au paulnelsonwines.com.au @paulnelsonwines
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2014 Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay
95
RRP $41 /
C 2029 /bbbbb
The colour is still an amazingly youthful straw-green, and the bouquet and palate are likewise youthful, although not the least gawky. Estate-grown, hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed, fermented in French barriques, this wine has remarkable grapefruit/apple flavours of exceptional intensity from the Gingin clone, and the structure to confer exceptional longevity. 13.5% alc.
Bruce Dukes Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Cellaring wine is a very personal
journey. If you like stonefruit characters, drink it young. If you prefer honeyed, nutty flavours, try cellaring. Our best advice? Hide a six-pack away and drink a six-pack now!
How did you know this wine would age well? We use a combination of
techniques designed to assist ageing, including fruit from low-yielding vines, whole-bunch pressing and barrel fermentation. There’s a focus on developing texture and structure to support primary fruit characters at release and also the more complex aged characters.
Clairault | Streicker Wines Margaret River, WA
08 9755 6225 wine@clairaultstreicker.com.au clairaultstreicker.com.au @CS_Wines
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2015 Windows Estate Margaret River Chardonnay
95
RRP $44 /
C 2025 /bbbbb
Barrel-fermented with partial wild ferment, matured in new and 1yo French barriques for 11 months. This is at the elegant end of Margaret River chardonnay style, but absolutely none the worse for that. White peach and a light garnish of gently spicy French oak run through the length of the palate, and the fine, clear and clean finish. 13.5% alc.
Chris Davies Viticulturist
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? The wine will drink at its peak at
around four to five years old, but everyone’s palate is different. I would suggest trying one every six to 12 months to gauge your preferred drinking window.
How did you know this wine would age well? Structure, balance and elegance, which begins in the vineyard with the fruit. Certain sites are conducive to quality fruit, which is key to an age-worthy wine.
Windows Estate
Margaret River, WA 08 9756 6655 cellar@windowsestate.com windowsestate.com @windowsestate
15
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2015 Mandala Yarra Valley Pinot Noir RRP $30 /
95
C 2025 /bbbbb
115, 114 and MV6 clones were hand-picked, destemmed and separately openfermented, matured in French oak (25% new) for 12 months. A pinot with attitude and numerous nooks and crannies of different aroma and flavour contributions to its vinous complexity. In the broad perspective it brings powerful red and black cherry fruits into a web of sour cherry and spicy tannins. A top vintage for Yarra Valley pinot, this wine a bargain. 12.9% alc.
Charles Smedley
Vigneron What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? It all depends on the occasion.
This young pinot will reach peak drinking age between 2018 and 2025. The cherry and raspberry characters will develop alongside the softening acid and tannins, adding weight and intricacy on the palate.
How did you know this wine would age well? Working with our pinot in the vineyard
for 18 years, we know its ‘behavioural’ lifespan – the key is patience. The balance of fruit characteristics, tannins, acid, spice and palate weight will continue to influence the structure and complexity of this wine as it ages.
Mandala Wines
Yarra Valley, Victoria 03 5965 2016 info@mandalawines.com.au mandalawines.com.au @mandalawinesyv
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2015 Paul Nelson Karriview Pinot Noir RRP $60 /
95
C 2026 / bbbb
Clear crimson purple; an unambiguously good pinot noir with drive and intensity to its bell-clear varietal expression coupled with fine, persuasive tannins and crisp acidity; fragrant red cherry fruit carries its line confidently through the long, perfectly balanced, palate; some expensive oak has been worth the money. Very good now, even better in 5-10 years time. 14% alc.
Paul Nelson Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Tasting the fruit in the vineyard
suggested a very good 2015 vintage. Elegant flavours expressed themselves early, coupled with a prominent natural acidity. Careful handling and superlative oak selection add to the natural Pinosity that this wine currently shows. Whilst drinking beautifully now, this Pinot will reward patient palates for another 10 -15 years.
How did you know this wine would age well? Karriview is the oldest producing
Pinot Noir vineyard in the Denmark viticultural region. Old vines produce more concentrated fruit, with an intensity of flavours that will continue to mature and develop over time.
Paul Nelson Wines Great Southern, WA
0406 495 066 paulnelsonwines@live.com.au paulnelsonwines.com.au @paulnelsonwines
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95
2015 Angove Family Winemakers Warboys Vineyard McLaren Vale Shiraz RRP $42 /
C 2035 /bbbbb
Strong crimson-purple hue; the vineyard is planted to old vine shiraz and grenache, and the elegance of the wine half-suggests a small percentage of grenache or partial whole bunch fermentation before maturation in French hogsheads. Red and black fruits, liquorice, dark chocolate and built-in tannins provide an each-way bet for short (say 3 years) or long-term cellaring. 14.5% alc.
Tony Ingle Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Decant and let it breathe for at
least two hours before consuming and make sure it isn’t too warm – 12 to 14 degrees is perfect. The 2015 is still a baby so don’t be scared to put it away for 20 years.
How did you know this wine would age well? Everything is in the right place. It
was not picked too ripe or jammy, so still has some good natural acidity and the fruit flavours are really intense in the wine at this early stage. As the wine gracefully ages, all of these factors will seamlessly meld and integrate.
Angove Family Winemakers McLaren Vale, SA
08 8323 6900 angove@angove.com.au angove.com.au @angovewine
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2014 Ballycroft Vineyard & Cellars Small Berry Barossa Valley Shiraz
96
RRP $45 /
C 2035 /bbb
This is a ballsy wine that eschews the contemporary finesse card, yet is neither jammy nor hot. The alcohol is elevated and yet the confluence of molten dark fruit flavours, American oak and judiciously extracted grape tannins is seamless and sumptuous. Miraculously poised and vinous, this has Greenock’s turf stamped all over it. Reminiscent of Australian wine’s Parker period in the late ’90s? Some would say yes, for the worse. I say for the better. After all, there is nowhere else in the world able to yield wines like this, irrespective of one’s personal preferences. 14.7% alc.
Joe Evans Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine ? As it is made from a rain-fed only
Greenock vineyard that in 2014 produced 1.6 tonne of fruit from five acres, only 90 dozen bottles exist, so drink it with your best friends.
How did you know this wine would age well? It has big fruit, big acid and big oak, but is wonderfully balanced and complex. As it ages, these components will settle and integrate together even more.
Ballycroft Vineyard and Cellars Greenock, Barossa Valley, SA 0488 638 488 sales@ballycroft.com ballycroft.com @ballycroft
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2014 BlackJack Vineyards Bendigo Shiraz
93
RRP $38 /
C 2025 / bbbbB
A rock-solid red with layers of flavour from lavender, pepper, menthol and bitumen to dark fruits, all black plums and currants. Oak still obvious, but will amalgamate; full-bodied fleshy tannins and a refreshing twang of acidity. 13.5% alc.
Ian McKenzie and Ken Pollock Winemakers
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? So much depends on cellaring
conditions. Historically, a window between four to 10 years is a perfect time. Buy enough to experience the developmental journey – it is one of the joys of cellaring wine.
How did you know this wine would age well? Palate balance. A good cellaring wine always starts out in balance from day one; the balance between the structural elements, the fruit flavours, tannins and acid. The vineyard history is also an important guide.
Blackjack Wines Bendigo, Victoria
03 54742355 sales@blackjackwines.com.au blackjackwines.com.au @blackjack_wines
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2014 Cape Barren Old Vine Reserve Release McLaren Vale Shiraz
93
RRP $40 /
C 2034 /bbbbB
The deep sands and limestone energy of the elevated Blewitt Springs vineyard, together with warmer sites abutting the McLaren Vale escarpment, mark this wine. Despite its carapace of lavish, generously toasted oak and corpulent mass, vines ranging from 55-125yo fuel this elixir with a compelling riff of vinosity. The wine pushes the envelope of excess, but manages to squeeze its bulging, black-fruited muscles into an attire with a semblance of taste. 15% alc.
Rob Dundon Winemaker
What’s your best advice on when to drink this wine? This is a wine that is
designed to improve and add complexity for 10 to 15 years, so if stored well at a constant, cool temperature, drinking around 2030 will provide excellent reward for patience.
How did you know this wine would age well? The immediate intensity and
depth of fruit flavour and richness, the level of balanced acidity, and fine-structured tannins all combine to give comfort that this wine is built to last and treasure.
CAPE BARREN WINES McLaren Vale
08 8267 3292 rob@capebarrenwines.com capebarrenwines.com @capebarrenwinebypatrick
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2013 Claymore Signature Series Ian Rush Shiraz
94
RRP $95 /
C 2033 / bbbbb
Named for Liverpool FC’s prolific goal scorer of the ’80s. Only three barrels (1000 bottles) produced. An imposing bouquet of heady oak and rich, almost raisiny aromas. Densely flavoured with deep, dark fruit and sweet spice, the tannin is implacable, but strikes the right balance for a long future. 16% alc. SC
Marnie Roberts Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? This is a big wine and drinking
it needs to be treated as an occasion and celebration within itself. We are sharing our best because you deserve it! Doubledecanting will allow this structured wine to be approachable now or with careful cellaring, drink up to 2030.
How did you know this wine would age well? I look for complexity, intensity and
layering of flavour, supported by formidable structure – the product of careful winemaking and drawing out the best from exceptional fruit, complemented by maturation in high quality oak.
Claymore Wines
Clare Valley, South Australia 08 8843 0200 danielle@claymorewines.com.au www.claymorewines.com.au @claymore_wines
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2015 Coates The Garden of Perfume & Spice Syrah
95
RRP $30 /
C 2028 /bbbbb
From the Adelaide Hills, Robe and Langhorne Creek, each parcel wild yeastfermented for 3 weeks, with 10% whole bunches, matured for 12 months in French barriques (30% new); 300 dozen made. An elegant wine singing the same song from the first whiff of the bouquet through to the finish, blackberry and blueberry faithfully replayed on the immaculately balanced palate, likewise oak and gently savoury/ foresty tannins. 95 14% alc.
Duane Coates Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? When the irresistible urge can
no longer be contained! For those with patience, from 2018 to 2028 would be an ideal drinking window.
How did you know this wine would age well? Great vineyard provenance from
a very good vintage, combined with traditional winemaking techniques. The cooler climate origins of the grapes, good acid backbone and abundant yet fine-boned tannins will ensure longevity.
Coates wines
Adelaide Hills, SA 0417 882 557 duane@coates-wines.com coates-wines.com
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2013 DOWIE DOOLE Cali Road McLaren Vale Shiraz
95
RRP $65 /
C 2033 /bbbbB
Estate-grown, fermented in 5-tonne vats and given 3 days post-ferment maceration, matured in new and 1yo American hogsheads and puncheons for 24 months. Very generous, ultra-typical McLaren Vale style that is not the least extractive; supple black fruits have a cross-grain of dark chocolate and vanilla, all seamlessly joined. 14.5% alc.
Chris Thomas Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? The first release of the Cali Road
Shiraz was 2008 (93 Halliday points). That wine is drinking beautifully now, still with lots of potential. Going by the wine’s pedigree, the ageing potential of the 2013 will be 20-plus years.
How did you know this wine would age well? It has intense and concentrated
fruit characteristics with enhanced weight from the use of American oak. A complex wine with excellent tannin structure, amazing length and the promise of great longevity.
DOWIE DOOLE
McLaren Vale, SA 08 7325 6280 info@dowiedoole.com dowiedoole.com @dowiedoole
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2014 Greenway The Architect Hunter Valley Shiraz
95
RRP $30 /
C 2029
Estate-grown, only 165 dozen made. Light but bright colour; a wonderfully juicy and expressive wine with its array of red and purple fruits presented in a web of silken tannins on the long, light to medium-bodied palate. Ready now or later. 13% alc.
Anne Greenway & John Marinovich Vignerons
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? If you have the capacity to cellar a
few, do it! Every year or two, open a bottle. Only then will you truly understand a good wine and we think you’ll be thanking us in five years or so for allowing you to preview heaven!
How did you know this wine would age well? The 2014 vintage was outrageously
fantastic for Hunter Valley reds and this wine is living proof that the Broke–Fordwich region shared in that year’s wealth of wonders. The first two things that grab you about this wine are its classiness and depth – larger than the average, but also as elegant. It has fine tannins, direct down-the-middle, uncompromising acid and hanging from that framework is voluminous flavour, structure and body.
GREENWAY
Hunter Valley, NSW 0418 164 382 info@greenwaywines.com.au greenwaywines.com.au @greenway_wines
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2015 Gundog Estate Canberra District Shiraz
95
RRP $40 /
C 2035 /bbbbb
Estate-grown, fermented and held on skins for 10 days, matured in French puncheons (30% new) for 12 months. A complex bouquet and medium-bodied palate, savoury/spicy components travelling side by side with purple and black fruits; fine tannins, part fruit, part oak, provide further interest and length. 14.5% alc.
Matt Burton Winemaker
What’s your best advice on when to drink this wine? This ultimately comes
down to personal taste. After 3 years, you are going to start seeing increased complexity in combination with still generous primary fruit flavours. 5-10 years will yield a more savoury, complex wine, with supple tannin and (hopefully) great integration.
How did you know this wine would age well? The outstanding quality of the 2015
Canberra vintage became apparent before we harvested. Throughout the entire production process, the Shiraz seemed effortless, generous, and remarkably well balanced; all factors hinting toward great cellaring potential once safely in bottle.
Gundog Estate
Hunter Valley & Canberra District, NSW 02 4998 6873 sales@gundogestate.com.au gundogestate.com.au @gundogestate
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2011 Inkwell Deeper Well McLaren Vale Shiraz
94
RRP $70 /
C 2034 /bbbbB
Matured in French oak (50% new) for 2 years and given 3 years in bottle prior to release. 744 bottles only. The bold fruit, the spread of tannin, the reach, the impact. From the toughest of seasons comes a wine with no holds barred. Asphalt, cakey blackberry, cleansing acidity and ribs of dry, coffeed tannin. It sits, remarkably, in the upper reaches of the ripeness spectrum and accordingly carries some alcohol warmth. Impressive it most certainly is. 14.7% alc.
Dudley and Irina Brown Winemakers
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? We release Deeper Well at
five years of age for wine lovers who enjoy older bottles or cellaring ageworthy wines. Approachable now, Deeper Well will continue to develop for at least another decade.
How did you know this wine would age well? We make Deeper Well only from
sustainably grown grapes selected for their ultra-fine tannins and intense flavour profile. Fermented without additions and aged in French oak barrels, we expect it to age for many years to come.
Inkwell
McLaren Vale, SA 0430 050 115 Dudley@inkwellwines.com inkwellwines.com @InkwellWine
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2014 J&J Eminence McLaren Vale Shiraz RRP $55 /
95
C 2032 /bbbbB
Open-fermented and matured in French oak. Flavour is never in question with the J&J reds, but the distinguishing factor here is the level of finesse. It hits and holds, and then turns intricate and fine. The palate is drenched in plum and smoky oak; the finish both taut and elongated at once. CM
Scott Rawlinson Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Great wine goes with a great
occasion. Drink this wine when the next great occasion requires some super McLaren Vale shiraz. The wine will age very well over the next 10 to 15 years, from vibrant youthful fruit dominance to increased aged complexity and structural balance.
How did you know this wine would age well? This wine will age well, as have all
J&J Wines Shiraz produced since the very first production in 2006.
J&J Wines
McLaren Vale, SA 08 8323 9888 sales@jjwines.com.au jjwines.com.au
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2015 Kalleske Greenock Single Vineyard Barossa Valley Shiraz
95
RRP $40 /
C 2035 /bbbbb
Estate-grown, matured in new and used American and French oak (in unspecified proportions). Blackberry, plum and hints of spicy oak come together well on the bouquet and palate alike. The tannins are only just evident, and the wine is no more than medium-bodied despite its alcohol. Continues a line of attractive wines. 14.5% alc.
Troy Kalleske Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? First made in 2002, this vineyard has demonstrated a superb cellaring ability. The 2015 will peak in 10 to 15 years, where it will display ripe dark fruits, chocolate and a fuller, rounder mouthfeel with incredible length.
How did you know this wine would age well? It is inky rich with a solid, natural
tannin profile – all the hallmarks of a wine to age. Of similar character to previous great vintages from this single vineyard, it has history on its side.
Kalleske Wines
Barossa Valley, SA 08 8563 4000 wine@kalleske.com kalleske.com @kalleske
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2015 Massena Vineyards The Eleventh Hour RRP $40 /
95
C 2030 /bbbbb
Destemmed, open-fermented with wild yeast, basket-pressed, matured in used French oak. A very rich and complex full-bodied shiraz, opening with an expressive spice and liquorice bouquet, the palate with a savoury edge within the folds of its black fruits. It has an X-factor of freshness that justifies its points. 14.5% alc.
Jaysen Collins Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? The Eleventh Hour Shiraz shows
its best when some intriguing secondary characters support the dense and opulent shiraz fruit complexities. A drinking window of around eight to 12 years is when this balance should be right on point.
How did you know this wine would age well? The wine has abundant natural,
old vine fruit tannins that are fine and focused, supported by fresh acidity that gives verve and direction. This provides the all-important skeleton of structure that will reward drinkers for many years to come.
Massena
Barossa Valley, SA 08 8564 3037 info@massena.com.au massena.com.au @massenabarossa
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2014 Merindoc Vintners Willoughby Bridge Heathcote Shiraz
94
RRP $29 /
C 2034 /bbbbB
Good colour; aromas of spice and cedar join with red and black fruits of the bouquet, the medium to full-bodied palate rumbling with savoury plum and blackberry flavours, tannins and oak both contributing to a wine that will always have much to offer. 14.3% alc.
Stephen Shelmerdine Vigneron
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? The wine should start to peak at
about five years, so we suggest enjoying it in autumn 2019 onwards, together with slowcooked beef cheeks and an open fire nearby.
How did you know this wine would age well? A combination of a good growing
season, fastidious viticulture, low-yielding vines has produced a wine with deep colour and dark concentrated fruit. History tells us that shiraz from this vineyard, at the northern end of the Heathcote region, will cellar for five to 10-plus years.
Merindoc Vintners Heathcote, Victoria
03 5433 5188 cellardoor@merindochq.com.au merindoc.com.au @merindoc_cellardoor
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2014 Plantagenet Lancaster Mount Barker Shiraz
95
RRP $35 /
C 2029 /bbbbb
Clear crimson-purple; the fragrant red fruit and spice bouquet provides a perfect launch pad for the fresh, lively, medium-bodied palate that follows. It is positively silky in its texture, and equally mouthwatering, as red and black cherries are joined by savoury/spicy tannins. The length of the wine builds and strengthens each time it is retasted. 14% alc.
Luke Eckersley Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? From 2024 to 2029, but the best
advice I can give is to buy at least six bottles, because there’s nothing worse than waiting 10 years to drink the perfect wine and only having one!
How did you know this wine would age well? Having recently looked at the
2005 Shiraz, there is a strong similarity between the wines. Both the 2005 and 2014 have very good natural acid, come from a slightly warmer vintage bringing great natural grape structure and are complemented by smart oak management. Together, the components have built a wine that will age gracefully, but needs time for all of its elements to find harmony.
Plantagenet
Mount Barker, WA 08 9851 3133 cellardoor@plantagenetwines.com plantagenetwines.com
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2013 Sandhurst Ridge Reserve Bendigo Shiraz RRP $45 /
95
C 2038 /bbbbB
Excellent crimson-purple; a powerful, intense, black-fruited shiraz that has managed to absorb the new oak; it exudes flavour from every pore, but is light on its feet, allowing red fruits, spice and liquorice to sidle up to the black fruit core and be heard; the finish reaffirms the quality of this wine. 13.6% alc.
Paul Greblo Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? The Reserve Shiraz has always
had a touch of mystery about it, set apart from our estate shiraz through clonal selection, and French and Hungarian oak regime. Black fruits, leather, spices and pepper evolve as the wine opens up from its brooding depths. Wait another three years for the tannins to mellow and keep drinking until 2038.
How did you know this wine would age well? Almost 20 years of working with
the Reserve Shiraz has confirmed a long-living wine that benefits from careful cellaring. With time, the fruit develops a liveliness enveloped in even silkier tannins. Share it or drink it on your own in quiet contemplation – I wouldn’t blame you!
Sandhurst Ridge Bendigo, VIC
03 5435 2534 wine@sandhurstridge.com.au sandhurstridge.com.au @SandhurstRidge
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2013 Shottesbrooke Reserve Series ‘Eliza’ McLaren Vale Shiraz
94
RRP $60 /
C 2030 /bbbbb
Picked in early March with ferment finished in new American oak hogsheads; a total of 20 months in barrel. Unashamedly in the old-school ‘reserve shiraz‘ style; rich and ripe with a hearty dollop of meaty oak. In that context, it’s well executed. The wood is nicely integrated with the fruit, its smoky, mocha character matched by a wave of smooth and seamless shiraz flavour. 14.5% alc.
Hamish Maguire Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Although perfectly drinkable now,
this wine will also benefit from several years in the cellar. Delightful secondary characters will emerge, complementing the upfront fruit and elegant vanillin oak. Cellar it for 12 years or more with confidence.
How did you know this wine would age well? With its balanced, yet structured
tannins, coupled with the high-quality and intense flavour of the fruit used to craft it, this wine is well poised to age gracefully and develop wonderful, robust character over time.
Shottesbrooke Vineyards McLaren Vale, SA
08 8383 0002 admin@shottesbrooke.com.au shottesbrooke.com.au @sbwines1984
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2013 Sunshine Creek Heathcote Shiraz RRP $45 /
95
C 2038 /bbbb
Matured in French oak for 15 months. Liquorice, clove spice and dried darkfruit aromas and flavours give the wine remarkable depth and concentration on the medium to full-bodied palate. 14.5% alc.
Mario Marson Winemaker
What’s your best advice on when to drink this wine? This wine is on the cusp of a fantastic drinking window – from 5 to 10 years of age (2018 to 2023) where vibrant primary flavours of blackcurrant and blackberry are enhanced by secondary flavours of nutmeg, toasted clove and rich dark chocolate for which Heathcote shiraz is internationally renowned.
How did you know this wine would age well? Having made shiraz in this dynamic
region for over a decade, I knew instinctively the fantastic 2013 vintage, with its vibrant, intense fruit characters, would result in a complex, pleasing shiraz with long cellaring potential. I’m always excited to open this wine and look forward to doing so over the next decade.
Sunshine Creek Vineyard Yarra Valley, Victoria
03 9818 5142 info@sunshinecreek.com.au www.sunshinecreek.com.au @sunshinecreek
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2014 Thorn-Clarke William Randell Barossa Shiraz
95
RRP $60 /
C 2034 /bbbbb
Estate-grown, small batch warm (2528ËšC) open-fermented, transferred to American oak (40% new) for completion of fermentation and 14 months maturation before the best barrels were selected for the final blend. A wantonly luscious and complex medium to full-bodied wine with plum, fruitcake, dark chocolate and vanillan oak all having their say, yet allowing high quality tannins to infiltrate the palate and aftertaste. Hard to fault in the context of its style. 14.5% alc.
Peter Kelly Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? While drinking beautifully now,
the wine will evolve and develop enticing aged characteristics over the next 10 to 20 years. Serve with a chargrilled eye fillet and share it with good friends.
How did you know this wine would age well? It has a deep colour, intense fruit
flavours and elegant tannins that frame the palate. This wine is all about balance, and this will keep it in good stead for the long haul.
Thorn-Clarke Barossa, SA
08 8564 3036 thornclarke@thornclarke.com.au thornclarkewines.com @thornclarke
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2014 Tim Smith Wines ‘TSW’ Reserve Shiraz RRP $85 /
96
C 2034 / bbbbb
Grown on two Eden Valley vineyards, one boasting 115yo vines, the other nearing 100. Matured in all-French puncheons before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. It’s floral, meaty, truffly, brimful of black cherry and blackcurrant, shot with plum. Mint notes add lift and life. Tannin wakes slowly in the wine before finally spreading its arms out wide through the back palate. A long life of gorgeous drinking is guaranteed. 14% alc. CM
Tim Smith Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? The wine is sealed under screwcap
so its unlikely the closure will let you down. Personally, I love drinking this wine with about five years of age. It will of course age for a lot longer than that, but I just love that youthful burst of primary fruit.
How did you know this wine would age well? Eden Valley produces fruit, when picked at optimum time, with a naturally low pH, which gives the wine a natural advantage in ageability. Also, after 30 years spent working in this region, I’ve seen overwhelming evidence of not only this wine but also those of other producers performing into the long term.
Tim Smith Wines
Barossa Region, South Australia 0416 396 730 tim@timsmithwines.com.au www.timsmithwines.com.au @timsmithbarossa
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2015 Warramate Shiraz RRP $28 /
94
C 2035 / bbbbb
Good depth to the colour; an archetypal cool climate shiraz with a spice and pepper background to the front-and-centre juicy dark berry fruits, fine tannins and oak playing an important support role. 13% alc.
Sarah Crowe Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Given the freshness and
immediacy of expression it currently displays, it is ready for enjoyment right now. Expect a graceful and satisfying evolution for 10-plus years under suitable cellaring conditions.
How did you know this wine would age well? It has vibrance and structure with
a backbone of acidity. The dry-grown vines are 45 years old with a proven pedigree obvious by tasting older museum wines.
Warramate Wines Yarra Valley, Vic
03 5964 9267 info@warramatewines.com.au warramatewines.com.au @warramatewines
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
97
2015 Woods Crampton Frances & Nicole Old Vine Single Vineyard Eden Valley Shiraz RRP $60 /
C 2045 /bbbbb
Utterly convincing colour to a wine that effortlessly captures the imagination of those who seek to understand and describe it. It achieves this through a medium-bodied palate overflowing with black fruits and an occasional lightning flash of red berries, focused yet supple tannins, oak like Le Carre’s Constant Gardener. 14% alc.
Nicholas Crampton & Aaron Woods Winemakers
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? A great wine tastes wonderful from
the start and simply improves with time – never trust the opposite! Cellar a case and open whenever the moods strikes as the wine ages gracefully, gaining character and complexity.
How did you know this wine would age well? Frances & Nicole shows its class
with its ideal balance of intensity, structure and freshness – the key ingredients of a cellarworthy wine. It has outstanding length and complexity, which are characters that will continue to develop for a very long time.
Woods Crampton Eden Valley, SA
1300 778 047 sales@fourthwavewine.com.au woods-crampton.com.au
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2014 Arlewood Estate Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
95
RRP $40 /
C 2029 / bbbbb
A lengthy sojourn in French barriques (50% new) has left an indelible mark on the wine, but the fruit has ultimately carried the day with its intensity and length, the tannins humbled by the long time in barrel. 14% alc.
Garry Gosatti & Stuart Pym Owner & Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? As one of the more powerful expressions of cabernet sauvignon from recent vintages, this wine will be fully integrated after seven to 10 years.
How did you know this wine would age well? Reflecting on almost 20 years of
Arlewood Cabernet Sauvignon, from early on we can see the components (concentrated depth of flavour, balanced tannins and generous length) that dominate the development of the wine.
Arlewood Estate Margaret River, Western Australia
(08) 9757 6676 office@arlewood.com.au arlewood.com.au @arlewoodwines
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2013 Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Cabernet Sauvignon
97
RRP $100 /
C 2053 /bbbbb
This brings memories of Roman Bratasiuk’s first releases of his wines, comparing them to First Growth Bordeaux, but not reaping dividends. Had this been one of the wines in the comparison, it almost certainly would have done so. For any cabernet lover looking for a wine with a 30-40-year life, this stands alongside the best Australia has to offer. All of that said, be aware of the unbridled power of the wine. 14.5% alc.
Roman Bratasiuk
Winemaker What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? This is a remarkably precocious
young wine offering enjoyment now and for years to come. The soft, juicy tannins will further enhance over time, eventually becoming a seamless savoury nuance that will one day alter the overall complexion and invite mineral, truffle and forest floor notes.
How did you know this wine would age well? After making 20 vintages from this
magnificent vineyard, I can say with confidence the wines age extremely well. The terroir is special and identifiable by a roast almond character that cultures significant individuality. My oldest examples from the mid-’90s still look relatively fresh and have many years in front of them.
Clarendon Hills McLaren Vale, SA
08 8363 6111 info@clarendonhills.com.au clarendonhills.com.au
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
96
2013 DOWIE DOOLE The Banker McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon RRP $80 /
C 2038 /bbbbB
Excellent colour, still young and vibrant; varietal and regional expressions are evenly matched, both contributing to the density and fabric of a richly plumed cabernet, its heart of cassis wrapped in a veneer of high-quality Swiss (or Belgian) dark chocolate, ripe tannins and supportive, integrated oak. 14.5% alc.
Chris Thomas Winemaker
How do you think this wine will develop? The elegant tannin backbone of this wine gives it amazing ageing potential. As the wine ages, I expect the tannin profile to soften, the primary fruit to reduce with more complex/ secondary characters showing.
How did you know this wine would age well? I look at the wine’s tannin structure and balance. The full-bodied palate is rich and generous with an amazingly long tannin backbone, giving the wine great length. The wine’s vibrancy will ensure that it is interesting for many years to come.
DOWIE DOOLE
McLaren Vale, SA 08 7325 6280 info@dowiedoole.com dowiedoole.com @dowiedoole
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2014 Fermoy Estate Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
94
RRP $40 /
C 2029 /bbbbb
Includes 8% shiraz, matured for 18 months in new and used French oak. Good colour; rich cassis and bay leaf/black olive notes fill the bouquet and medium-bodied palate alike; the tannins are plentiful, but relatively soft. 14% alc.
Jeremy Hodgson Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? We think the best drinking will be
from 2018 to 2025, as the fruit and oak tannin integrates and softens. As it ages, expect the primary characters of cassis, bay leaf and black olive to mellow as secondary characters of dark chocolate, cigar box and dried herbs emerge. The best bet is to stack the cellar and drink the wine over a number of consecutive years, keep notes and track the progress!
How did you know this wine would age well? Bright aromatics ensure a wine
is attractive in its youth, and a considered approach to maceration through ferment and oak through maturation ensure a tannin profile that is sufficiently developed in youth while allowing for years of evolution.
Fermoy Estate
Margaret River, Western Australia 08 9755 6285 enquiries@fermoy.com.au fermoy.com.au @fermoyestate
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
95
2013 John’s Blend Individual Selection Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon RRP $35 /
C 2033 /bbbbb
The 39th release. So far as I know, this has the longest elevage of any Australian red wine, although the detailed arithmetic tracking its movements ending with bottling in the winter of ’16 seems very tight. All of which is of academic interest, for the end result is extremely good, as long as dietary restrictions don’t prevent your drinking oak along with your wine. 14.5% alc.
John Glaetzer Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? A top red wine has three stages
of maturation. The first one-third is “getting great”, the second is “being great” and the third is “fading away”. Great red wines of Australia possibly have a one-third life of, say, 15 years. That is, a red from the 1990 vintage will be “being great” from 2015 until 2030 (Grange would be a great example).
How did you know this wine would age well? The first vintage of John’s Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon was 1974. At the moment, our 1986 is looking fantastic, so we are sure our 2013 will follow in the same tradition.
John’s Blend Pty Ltd Langhorne Creek, SA
08 8562 1820 johnsblend@bigpond.com johnsblend.com.au
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2015 Leconfield Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
95
RRP $35 /
C 2035 /bbbbB
Good colour; the excellent vintage has provided winemaker Paul Gordon with a full hand of cassis and mulberry to play with, and he’s played his cards well. The overall result is a medium-bodied cabernet that is already seductive, but please keep your hands off it for the first few years of what will be a long life. 14.5% alc.
Paul Gordon and Tim Bailey Winemakers
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Leconfield Cabernet has the
finesse to be appealing in its youth, and the power, structure and strength to reward cellaring for 10 to 15 years for those looking for the cedar box characters of a well-aged wine.
How did you know this wine would age well? The low yields from a dry, warm
spring and moderate summer temperatures promoting long ripening have created the ripe cassis flavour profile and elegant, velvety tannin structure ideal for a decade or more of maturation.
Leconfield
Coonawarra, South Australia 08 8323 8830 info@leconfieldwines.com leconfieldwines.com @leconfieldrichardhamilton
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
2015 Mountadam Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
95
RRP $27 /
C 2035 /bbbbB
Very good colour; another example of Helen McCarthy’s skills as winemaker, sculpting a cabernet with razor-sharp varietal definition, and also managing to provide textural complexity going beyond the tannins that are part and parcel of the variety. It all adds up to a cabernet that is already enjoyable, but also has a long future. 14.6% alc.
Helen McCarthy Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? It can be enjoyed now while it
is young and fresh, or if you like a bit of age, careful cellaring will reward up to and beyond 2024.
How did you know this wine would age well? This wine will cellar thanks to natural acidity and supple long tannins.
Mountadam Vineyards Eden Valley, SA
office@mountadam.com.au mountadam.com.au @mountadam
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JA M E S H A L L I DAY’S TO P C E L L A R I N G S E L ECT I O N S
95
2014 Thorn-Clarke William Randell Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon RRP $60 /
C 2034 /bbbbb
Night-harvested from the Milton Park Vineyard, fermented in small batches, matured for 16 months in French hogsheads. A wholly convincing Eden Valley cabernet, purity and intensity the two pillars around which the wine is built. Cabernet is seldom as supple and immediately enjoyable as this wine, cassis flowing evenly across and along the palate, fine tannins and cedary French oak providing the final touches. 14.5% alc.
Peter Kelly Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? The wine is showing soft, plush fruit and is drinking deliciously right now. Having said that, with 10-15 years of age this wine will be extraordinary.
How did you know this wine would age well? The 2014 William Randell Cabernet balances the plush fruit and velvety tannins that allow the wine to be enjoyed on release, but give the indication of a long life ahead.
Thorn-Clarke Barossa, SA
08 8564 3036 thornclarke@thornclarke.com.au thornclarkewines.com @thornclarke
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2010 Umamu Estate Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
96
RRP $64 /
C 2035 / bbbbb
Strong purple-crimson; a high-quality, classic cabernet, with blackcurrant fruit on the one hand, fine-grained, ripe tannins and quality French oak on the other. A faultless, perfectly balanced, wine. 13.3% alc.
Bruce Dukes Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Anytime after midday! We are
releasing this wine in May. After bottling, we track our wines to decide when best to release them. This wine is seven years from harvest and is showing beautifully.
How did you know this wine would age well? The native jarrah trees flanking
our 1978 and 1982-planted vines are powerful biological indicators for the suitability of this site to cabernet. Vine maturity, Margaret River’s climate, sympathetic winemaking and a stellar 2010 growing season have produced a lovely balance providing the foundation for an ageworthy wine.
UMAMU Estate
Margaret River, WA 08 9757 5058 umamu@umamuestate.com umamuestate.com
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2014 Vasse Felix Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
96
RRP $45 /
C 2034 /bbbbb
Vivid crimson-purple; it would be hard to find a more elegant, yet razor-sharp expression of Margaret River cabernet. It has cassis nailed to its mast, the sails of bay leaf, perfectly integrated oak and fine-grained but insistent tannins. Lovely wine. 14.5% alc.
Virginia Willcock Winemaker
When’s best to drink this wine?
We release the cabernet at three years old. If you like more fruit these are best to drink as three- to five-year-old wines, while seven to 10 years is an excellent window if you prefer more aged characters and savoury nuances. This has been known to cellar for 20-plus years.
How did you know it would age well?
Margaret River is a remarkable region as it can ripen cabernet that is balanced in terms of flavour, natural acidity, tannins and alcohol. In general, cabernet tannins are stable and long-living, so the variety has strong cellaring potential. This wine has powerful but elegant fruit, which carries the acid and tannin structure beautifully.
Vasse Felix
Margaret River, WA 08 9756 5000 info@vassefelix.com.au vassefelix.com.au @vassefelixwines
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2014 Warner Glen Estate Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
94
RRP $19 /
C 2029 /bbbbb
Very good retention of crimson-purple hue; it’s not often a red wine at this price has so much attitude: there’s blackcurrant, bay leaf, black olive fruit, and cabernet tannins to provide back-up. It has all the requisites to motor serenely into the distance. 14.5% alc.
Glen Harding
Viticulturalist / Partner What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? It has matured in new, second and third fill French oak barriques to soften the firm tannins, and was bottled after 12 months maturation to preserve fruit. This allows the wine to develop over the next five years.
How did you know this wine would age well? The depth of colour, firmness of
tannin and abundance of fruit, full and firm structure all give insights into how well this wine will age.
Warner Glen Estate Wines Margaret River, WA
Office 08 9892 1499 Distributor 0457 482 957 Distributor sales@bestdist.com.au warnerglenwines.com.au
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2013 Whicher Ridge Elevation Geographe Cabernet Sauvignon
96
RRP $39 /
C 2038 /bbbbB
Deep crimson-purple; a distinguished cabernet in every respect. The bouquet is a complex amalgam of blackcurrant fruit, quality French oak and earthy tannins so typical of cabernet grown in the right climate, and vinified very well. The vinification is parallel to that of the Shiraz, except for the oak, French here, American for the Shiraz. 13.5% alc.
Cathy Howard Winemaker
What’s your best advice on when to drink this wine? We have made The
Elevation in a way to fully enhance it’s varietal and regional flavours, and to give it the structure to age gracefully. When it’s best to drink is entirely up to you.
How did you know this wine would age well? Our soil and climate are perfect
for growing great cabernet sauvignon. Our artisanal winemaking practices of hand plunging, barrel fermenting, basket pressing and maturing in barrels for 2 years, all add to it’s aging potential.
Whicher Ridge Wines Geographe, WA
08 9753 1394 wine@whicherridge.com.au whicherridge.com.au
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95
2015 Willow Bridge Estate Coat of Arms Geographe Cabernet Sauvignon RRP $ /
C 2035 /bbbbb
Matured in French oak (25% new), this is an intense, medium to full-bodied cabernet with blackcurrant fruit, dried herbs/bay leaf and a healthy serve of tannins, part from fruit, part from oak. 14.7% alc.
Kim Horton Winemaker
What’s your best advice on when to drink this wine? The two key elements for
a wine to mature with age, tannin and weight are derived from vineyard site and climate. As winemakers, we capture those elements and ensure the wine has all the structural components in place for maturation.
How did you know this wine would age well? Wine quality is apparent at harvest
– at that moment its ability to mature is pretty well defined. Following this it’s a matter of being shaped by the winemaker. Ageing ability is a combination of fruit density and structural components, principally ripe fruit tannin. The Coat of Arms exhibited these characters in youth and work in the winery nurtured them.
Willow Bridge Estate Geographe, WA
08 9728 0055 wine@willowbridge.com.au willowbridge.com.au @willowbridgeestate
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95
2014 Brown Hill Estate Perseverance Margaret River Cabernet Merlot RRP $50 /
C 2030 /bbbbB
A 70/30% blend with abundant currant, cedar, mulch and tobacco leaf notes from attack to finish, yet it is the impeccably polished and tightly knit milk chocolate tannins that serve as the wine’s raison d’être. A mellifluous synergy of fruit and judiciously handled structural components. 14% alc.
Nathan Bailey & Haydn Millard Winemakers
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? From our experience, this wine will reach its peak after five years, but with correct cellaring, will easily age for 10 to 15 years. The tannins will soften and meld together with fruit and oak resulting in a complete wine.
How did you know this wine would age well? We know this wine will age well
because it has masses of fruit, subtle tannins and lovely oak nuances, which in time will meld together to create a great wine.
Brown Hill Estate Margaret River, WA
08 9757 4003 cellardoor@brownhillestate.com.au brownhillestate.com.au
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95
2013 Golden Ball Gallice Beechworth Cabernet Merlot Malbec RRP $55 /
C 2028 /bbbbb
Good retention of crimson-purple hue; the wine abounds with attitude, the fruit flavours bright and fresh, redcurrant, blackcurrant and sundry spices all featuring. Dusty tannins come into the spotlight on the finish, the oak nipping at its heels. 13.8% alc.
James McLaurin Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? It has seen some well-sought
barrels that have come to my attention. The oak and the fruit have come together well and at the moment it drinks well. Moving through the next 10 years will see it gather intensity and drinking pleasure continuing to its secondary life.
How did you know this wine would age well? The tannin of the vintage and
the handling of the wine through its life will warrant it a good, well-structured life to come for the next eight to 10 years.
Golden Ball
Beechworth, Vic 03 5727 0284 contact@goldenball.com.au goldenball.com.au @goldenball
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95
2013 Petaluma Yellow Label Evans Vineyard Coonawarra RRP $42 /
C 2033 /bbbbb
73% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot and 8% shiraz, all 40+yo, hand-picked, crushed and destemmed, 5 days cold soak, then cultured yeast added, 3 weeks on skins, matured in new French oak for 22 months. The hue is very good, fresh and bright; an elegant wine with vibrant cassis-accented flavours, but you have to wonder whether less new oak would have made an even better wine. 14.5% alc.
Andrew Hardy Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? We like to encourage people to buy a case, enjoy a bottle on release, and then one in five years and another in 10.
How did you know this wine would age well? It starts in the vineyard with the
quality of the fruit. We take pride in the fact that we truly know our sites and what they are capable of. It’s a combination of expertise and intuition, of science and art. We consider the 2013 vintage to be one of the great vintages of the past 15 years.
Petaluma
Coonawarra, SA 08 8339 9300 petaluma@petaluma.com.au petaluma.com.au @petalumawine
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2013 Ross Hill The Griffin RRP $95 /
96
C 2033 /bbbbb
Cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. Smoky oak and eucalyptus characters are both front and centre in the profile of the wine but for sheer presence, fruit power and length this wine is outstanding. This can be cellared with absolute confidence. Bold ribs of tannin complete a substantial but well-honed picture. CM 14.5% alc.
Phil and Rochelle Kerney Winemakers
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Some wines improve with age,
some merely get older. The Griffin will mature and improve over 15 to 20 years, but a seat at its opulent yearly birthday dinner should not be missed.
How did you know this wine would age well? The Griffin is deep, powerful, fruity and seductive, with a hefty structure and new oak component. A truffle-like complexity will evolve with time, while youthful notes receed, retaining richness, intensity and balance into old age.
Ross Hill Wines Orange, NSW
02 6365 3223 admin@rosshillwines.com.au rosshillwines.com.au @rosshillwines
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2012 Warrenmang Vineyard & Resort Grand Pyrenees
94
RRP $35 /
C 2032 / bbbb
Cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and shiraz, fermented separately and matured in French and American oak for upwards of 2 years. It is a distinguished wine with a track record going back for decades, always having the minty notes of Central Victoria. It is medium to full-bodied, but fully complete, and now embarking on a long journey thanks to its screwcap, no tannins needing to soften. 15% alc.
Greg Foster and Luigi Bazzani Winemakers
What’s your best advice on when to drink this wine? Invite your best friends,
get out your best wine glasses, roast some red meat and mushrooms, then open and enjoy this five-star vintage Pyrenees treasure any time between tomorrow and 2030 or beyond.
How did you know this wine would age well? Grand Pyrenees, (first produced in 1985) is loved for its unfailing longevity and continuity of style. An earthy, spicy classic blend of merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon will be a joy to have in your cellar for 15 years and more.
Warrenmang Vineyard & Resort Moonambel, Pyrenees, VIC 03 5333 2121 bazzani@warrenmang.com.au warrenmang.com.au
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94
2014 Windows Estate Basket Pressed Margaret River Cabernet Merlot RRP $32 /
C 2029 /bbbbb
Estate-grown, hand-picked from two small blocks, open-fermented, basket-pressed, matured in French barriques for 18 months. The bouquet has fresh fruit aromas, the palate more savoury than the bouquet would suggest, with spicy/earthy notes backing the blackcurrant, plum and bay leaf fruit line. 13.8% alc.
Chris Davies Viticulturist
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? With a home-cooked meal and good company.
How did you know this wine would age well? Structure and balance are key,
which begins in the vineyard. A well-balanced vine with good fruit, skin, seed and acid ripeness are the building blocks.
Windows Estate
Margaret River, WA 08 9756 6655 cellar@windowsestate.com windowsestate.com @windowsestate
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2010 Anderson Cellar block Durif RRP $40 /
95
C 2035 /bbbb
Trophies and medals at the Rutherglen Wine Show ’13 and ’14. Dark and impenetrable colour, the first indication of its dry-grown pedigree. That theme picks up on the bouquet, with brooding liquorice, sweet spice and blood plum aromas wrapped in a layer of quality oak. Softly but deeply textured on the palate, the black fruit flavours are seamlessly wound around a persistent spine of tannin. 14.2% alc.
Howard & Christobelle Anderson Winemakers
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? If you have several bottles, open
them at intervals to experience the changes as it matures. And remember, it is always better to drink a wine too early than too late!
How did you know this wine would age well? It had good structure without being harsh or tart, good fruit flavour and crucially, balance between the two. These things cannot be achieved by ageing alone – they have to be there from the start.
Anderson winery Rutherglen, VIC
02 6032 8111 sales@andersonwinery.com.au andersonwinery.com.au @andersonwinery
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2015 Domaine Asmara Private Reserve Heathcote Durif
94
RRP $45 /
C 2045 /bbbb
Matured for 10 months in 25% new French oak, 25% new American oak and 50% used American oak for 10 months. Dense, inky colour; a full-bodied wine that has contemptuously swept away the new oak by its massive extract of both fruit and tannins, the proverbial ox and open fire needed. My points are a compromise – indeed, I flirted with 95. 14.5% alc.
Andreas Greiving Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? On a cold winter’s night, in front of a fire place…this wine is a meal on its own.
How did you know this wine would age well? Natural tannins extracted from the grape skins complemented by fine-grained French oak tannins, good acid and loads of dark fruit flavours will ensure the wine can go the distance.
Domaine Asmara
Heathcote, Victoria 0432 501 135 andreas@domaineasmara.com domaineasmara.com @domaineasmara
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2015 Sam Miranda of King Valley Durif RRP $30 /
93
C 2026 /bbbb
Awash with flavour, intensity and richness with ripe tannins, plums, prunes, cedary spicy notes, violets and yet it’s not mawkish, thanks to its bright acidity and smoky charcuterie flavours. 14.5% alc.
Sam Miranda Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Grown in a cool climate, our reds
are best after three to five years. The palate develops a silky texture as the tannins and acid settle down with the primary fruit still front and centre. The peak drinking will be around eight to 10 years with earthy, secondary flavours starting to develop.
How did you know this wine would age well? The 2015 vintage was a fantastic
year for reds. The ripening season was mild and dry, which allowed the flavours to develop and tannins to ripen. The fruit was harvested at optimal sugar level with a high natural acidity. This chemical balance is an indicator that the resultant wine would be of great quality and ageworthy, as it required minimal intervention. A classic, cool climate durif.
Sam Miranda of King Valley King Valley, VIC
03 5727 3888 info@sammiranda.com.au sammiranda.com.au @sammirandawine
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95
2014 Rudderless Sellicks Hill McLaren Vale Grenache Mataro Graciano RRP $35 /
C 2034 / bbbbb
1500 vines of shiraz, 864 graciano, 538 grenache, 487 malbec and 294 mataro. Glory be to McLaren Vale and to this eclectic blend that pulls the bouquet and the palate every which way. There are luscious plummy fruits, slashes of red cherry, pots of spices and a gloriously fresh mouthfeel that lifts the finish onto another plain. 14% alc.
Doug Govan Winemaker
What’s your advice on when to drink this wine? Drink now after a couple of hours in a decanter. It will also taste better the day after the bottle is opened. Based on this, it should cellar for 15-plus years.
How did you know this wine would age well? All Rudderless wines are deftly made
with ageing in mind. From the pruning regime and cropping levels, through to the gentle winemaking. Cellar this wine with confidence!
Rudderless Vineyard McLaren Vale, SA
0419 034 541 victory@victoryhotel.com.au www.victoryhotel.com.au
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