{crown seal, 11%} [Glenn] Young gun winemaker out Orange way. What is the methode ancestral, I wonder? This is a fairly simple fizz, with a candied, sweetish fruit salad nose and palate, with perhaps a leesy twist, but also raw and ferment like. The palate is rather prosecco-ish, partly a function of obviously short time on lees. Has a sense of not much cleaning up having gone on, though it’s hardly what you’d call natural. Verging on demi-sec, which takes any edge off the bubbles, making them appear small and creamily delicate. Light-bodied overall, with some mid-palate presence, but the finish tends on the shorter side. I find the sweetness cloys a bit; and at ~$50 the price is pretty ambitious too.

{screwcap, 11%} [Gordon] Still a pale yellow/green colour. Typical big Eden nose of lime, citrus, bathpowder. The palate is medium weight, but way too low in acidity, giving it a flabby presence, despite the evenness of the simple yellow fruits across the tongue. Gives a thick, lemon custard sort of flavour impression despite being dry, but finishes very much on the short side. I doubt this is a dumb phase at ten years; I think it wasn’t structured to develop in the first place and should have been drunk early.

{screwcap, 13%} [Gordon] Had a double-decant two hours prior. Subtly developing nose of dark cherries with an inky black twist of dark chocolate or liquorice. Very seductively spicy. The cool-climate palate is subtly etched with black flavours and the giveaway apricot twist of viognier. It’s medium weight, with low/medium dusty tannins, medium acidity, and a medium long finish, but in a low-key way. Will hold, but you’ve got to like that sweet twist to the flavours; the viognier lifts the nose but does nothing for the palate in my view. I’d take the stablemate straight Murrumbateman syrah over this any day.

{screwcap, 13.5%} [Graeme] Double decant two hours prior, and it’s opened up beautifully since then. Cigarish nose, with lots of cabernet, and that classic sweet aussie twist, with an exotic note as though the cab franc has taken over somehow. It’s medium weight on the palate, dry, with decent medium acidity and fine medium level powdery tannins. Resolving red/black flavours with some complexity on the medium length finish. Very pure, very clean, very modern. But still feels like a real wine, not a lab creation. Doesn’t really have the structure of top Bdx perhaps, but will happily hold longer. Cab-S/Cab-F/Merlot in the ratio 70/25/5.

{cork, 14%} [DavidH] Still a purple-tinged ruby colour. Dark, malty cabernet flavours, leathery, earthy. Lovely. Perhaps a bit advanced for 14 years, but no worse for it. Curranty palate, not herbal. Open, medium, dusty tannins, balanced oak. Medium/full bodied. Bdx in style, but with a rich fruit component and a softly tannic, medium length finish. Sits more on the front palate, but still beautifully built. Still think it will hold another five years no risk. A noble effort.

{cork, 14.5%} [Geoffrey] Aging, fading garnet appearance. Leathery, musty aromas, picking a hint of volatility with time in the glass. Tending to ‘anonymous old red’ on the palate as far as region or variety go, medium weight, with low/medium furry tannins (the remains of the oak I think) and a medium length, even, but fairly simple finish. Not too warm either, but not a wine for cellaring further.

{500ml, screwcap, 17.5%} [Glenn] Cold tea, caramel tart, rich and treacly, a bit dusty and musty, with some carpet like quality. Then caramel and honey, hints of molasses. Lighter and more pointed than the stablemate old premium muscat (which I do prefer), with plenty of acidity, a medium/sweet presence, and a long finish which does hold the interest. Very nice indeed.