4/4/2024 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Identifiably strawberry on the nose and bramberly on the pallate. This is a delicate (not flimsy wine) but with medium - fruit that lingers for a short time. Structure without perceptible tannins, I assume this will develop further characteristics with a year or 2 more time in the cellar.

Enjoyable and unique without being remarkable.

4/2/2024 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Drinking beautifully. Good fruit but fully integrated and smooth without becoming flabby.

A meal in a glass and enjoyable to the last drop.

2 more to go but it’s time to drink up.

3/7/2024 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

I don’t think this will get better.

30min decant helped the slight sourness completely disappear.The tannins are fully integrated, the fruit has settled and is in a good place and the balance is very good.

One bottle left - time to drink up :-)

2/18/2024 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Last bottle and enjoyed it very much. As nice as it is, (smooth, velvety, balanced, fruity)it isn’t worth risking this by holding it this long.

1/29/2024 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Last bottle and Drinking perfectly.

Quite a big drinking window.

Def buy again

1/5/2024 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Lovely and drinking perfectly.

Lots of character and tertiary development/ characteristics.

Not likely to improve. Last bottle. Must buy again (and again and again!).

12/31/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Actually quite good. Enjoyable fruit with finesse and quality.

Medium bodied with strawberries in the pallate.

A bit dear but enjoyable even while young.

12/26/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

It’s good but passing its peak. Drink up if you haven’t already done so.

12/23/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Fringing absolutely perfectly.

Don’t hold for longer.

Fruit with plenty of aged characteristics.

12/23/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Absolutely perfect. Lovely fruit with secondary characteristics.

No need or hold longer.

A quality wine that shines.

12/16/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Drinking perfectly after 2hrs of decanting.

Enjoyed with Ave and Nat

11/29/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Really enjoyable an d remarkable for the price. Drinking perfectly now no need to wait any longer

11/5/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

A tad too old to be at its best.

A quality wine with good elegant fruit and good acid/sweentess balance.

Need to finish the ‘13 and ‘14 by Christmas this year. Best consumed from purchase to within 5yrs from vintage. Not work cellaring longer than that.

10/16/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Beautiful but need to drink the last bottle by Christmas. Risk of keeping longer isn’t worth it

10/15/2023 - BigfootPMH Does not like this wine:

Kept this one too long. Real shame.

10/1/2023 - BigfootPMH wrote:

Big and still has structure. Nice enough but nothing special (esp at $50 price point).

10/1/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Drinking perfectly

8/29/2023 - BigfootPMH Does not like this wine:

Past its prime but not vinegar. Very unfortunate for an expensive bottle. My fault.

8/12/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

So smooth and balanced (with weight!).

No need to keep any longer. Enjoy now.

8/9/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Drinking wonderfully. Super enjoyable right now!

8/6/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Aged beautifully

7/12/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Drinking beautifully. Richie enjoyed it

4/29/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

This is in a good place. Fully integrated and showing nice teriary characteristics.

Enjoyable but not quite remarkable this is drinking well now! Drink up!

4/29/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Enjoyable and in a better spot than the recently consumed 2008 which spent a little too much time in the cellar.

This is the last bottle of 2010 and glad it’s the last one as I feel it will decline from here in the not too distant future.

Enjoyable and a reminder of why I enjoy a bottle with a bit of age.

That being said, we recently opened a 2012 which is drinking well and (based on experience) I will be looking to polish that off shortly as the 2013 is in a great place and is the next vintage in my sights to be exhausted by years end.

That being said I really feel this wine is best consumed with between 5 and 7 yrs in the cellar. More than that doesn’t do the wine justice and runs an unnecessary risk of overcooking it.

4/6/2023 - BigfootPMH wrote:

Opening with a generous and beautiful bouquet, this cool climate Shiraz with 3% Viognier is a medium+ bodied red that is an elegant and smooth wine typical of the terroir. That being said, the balance may be slightly out (leaning towards acidic) and there are better wines at this price point.
Drinking window: now to 2026

4/6/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

This is a refreshing take on a style that is often too sweet and otherwise too bitter/acidic. This is very balanced (sugar and acid), there is no bitterness and it is not sweet. The very fine bubbles are a result of extended maturation in bottle using traditional methods. I am concerned that the very fine bubbles dissipate quickly but the wine is very enjoyable nonetheless. Good value with the 30% discount.
Drinking window: now - 2024

4/6/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Amazing nose, this is a lighter and finer expression of Cab Sav from the Yarra Valley. Bramberly and supported by chewy tannins, this has the structure to reward cellaring. Bordering on a bargain with the 30% discount.
Drinking Window: 2025 to 2030

4/1/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Super impressive nose, this is immediately adult identifiable as a cool climate shiraz. Displaying blue fruits (particularly plums), and the wine is medium+ bodied with long legs and evident tannins even after 5yrs since vintage. I would leave this in the cellar for a couple of years to allow the tannins to integrate more fully into the wine. Both the structure and fruit should be sufficient to see this improve with further age. Reasonable value with the 30% discount.
Drinking window: 2025 to 2028

4/1/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Cherry on the nose, this elegant wine exhibits slight sourness in what is a juicy medium+ bodied wine that doesn’t lack tannins or structure to see this improve in the cellar. Drinking window: now to 2025 (but could go longer)

4/1/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

First experienced at Herd restaurant in Healesville (thanks Toby!), this isn’t as good as the No4 but is significantly better value! The nose is very impressive and is very enjoyable with the right amount of refinement played off against a touch of earthiness and brambles. A very considered wine that is ready to drink now. Drinking window: now (2023)

3/26/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Lovely cool climate shiraz in the Clonakilla style.

Very nice but am happier with the Hilltops.

3/26/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Drinking beautifully.

Time to polish off the last bottle!

2/26/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Agree with the note from a reviewer in August.

Best consumed soon without decanting.

Less complex than previously, it confirms that the best drinking of this wine is anytime from purchase to 7yrs. Not much to be gained beyond that.

2/26/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Drinking beautifully with an amazing nose.

Not going to get any better. Drink up.

2/26/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Drinking nicely but nothing overly special

2/4/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Passable as a quaffer. Expected more.

1/27/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

A lovely example of the variety and drinking beautifully 5yrs from vintage.

Last bottle and worth purchasing again for east summer drinking with a bit of weight.

1/22/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Drinkable but def past its peak.

Should have consumed this many years ago (7-10 yrs max.

Not the fault of the wine, but keeping it too long has resulted in it presenting with stewed fruits that approach becoming a fortified port!

Need to drink our 2010 and 2012’s before it goes the same way.

1/22/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

The last of this vintage and at its absolute peak.

An outstanding aged Riesling with so much freshness remaining after 10/11 yrs.

Character and complexity king. Def buy again.

1/22/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Lovely fruit with touch of creaminess and oak. Drinking very well now.

Starting to think bloodwood whites are up there (or better?) than their reds which we enjoy a lot!

Time to sting the last bottle but a def buy again.

1/15/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Second of 3 bottles and this is ina great spot right now

Same as previous (very recent) review but wanted to add that upon opening the bottle and pouring a glass - this has a funky unappealing bouquet.

By letting the wine settle for 5-10 mins in the glass/bottle before sniffing and drinking, the bouquet improves significantly and exhibits a very slight oily/gasoline character synonymous with aged rieslings.

An outstanding wine that is at its peak. I need to keep some of these in regular rotation in the cellar.

1/15/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Elegant but full flavoured. A great cool climate shriraz that is drinking beautifully (suspect at its peak).

Fully integrated tannins after a 2hr decant, the bouquet has dark fruits but isn’t huge. The pallate is big but not flabby (like some warm climate shirazes can be) with just a tad of restraint evident to deliver a truely enjoyable wine.

Although I love my big warm climate shirazes with a good dose of French oak, I truely appreciate the delicate (but still powerful) cool climate shiraz that this is.

I should buy more and lay them down as this was the last bottle of 2 (the other was a 2008 which was slightly past its peak).
My advice if you have this - drink up and don’t risk it. It’s gorgeous.

1/5/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

As good as it gets

Quality cork and an hour decant, I was surprised (concerned) when the first taste seemed slightly acidic, but subsequent returns to the glass exposed the true class of this wine.

Not sure if it is drinking at its peak (as it may have occurred a year or so ago) but the tannins are fully integrated and the fruit is beautifully fine. Unmistakable fine winemaking.

Not a fruit bomb but a great Hunter Valley wine deserving of its reputation.

An expensive wine but very reliable and enjoyable - just be sure not to hold for too long. Suggest this should be opened 8yrs for perfection but was still enjoyable at 10/11yrs.

Enjoyed with Lake Folly fans (Ave and Nat) although it made them concerned they have kept theirs (earlier vintage) for too long.

1/4/2023 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

This was outstanding and drinking at its peak. Still fresh after 10yrs but has developed a lovely complexity that is truely stunning.

No need to hold for any longer.

1/4/2023 - BigfootPMH wrote:

This is an outstanding wine that has passed its peak and has declined to a point that is barely drinkable. Very unfortunate and a rare reminder that it is better to drink it earlier rather than later.

The cork is of very high quality and was in perfect condition.

Whether it was due to potentially sub optimal cellaring over the years or that 17/18 years is too long for this Shiraz, I will be basing future drinking windows on 10-12yr bottles with few exceptions moving forward.

12/31/2022 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Deep boquet of red fruits on the nose. Elegant and rich.

Smooth pallate with some freshness but with some development/tertiary flavours coming through. Tannins are integrating very nicely with only a slight amount of residual tannins detectable if you look for it.

Definitely in a good spot for drinking now although there is sufficient fruit and slight tannins to support firther development in the cellar.

Sweeter than previous vintages (perhaps too sweet) however it offsets a very slight sourness.

Not sure how long to keep it but estimate good drinking for up to 5 more years.

12/18/2022 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Nice but on the way out.

Worth keeping for 3 years but not 4+

12/18/2022 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Agree with another recent reviewer. Following a 1hr decant, this wine has resolved.

It is fruit forward and showing deep teriary characterisistics supported by tannins that I would have expected to soften more by now.

Unsure if this would have gotten any better with more time, but I would guess that the fruit (although still abundant) would fall out before the tannins fully integrate.

Acidity seems a little high and distracted a bit from the enjoyment of especially the early glasses.

With a 2010 in the cellar, I will watch for others reviews before opening it.

12/9/2022 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Tasted at the cellar door

Easy drinking, mild flavour, summer, dangerous (ie could sink quite a few if these).

12/9/2022 - BigfootPMH Likes this wine:

Tasted at the cellar door

From 70+yr dry growth vines.

Big nose with pepper on the pallate and noticeable tannins that will allow cellaring for 10yrs.

Elegant and juicy