2017  Thomson Family

Thomson Family ---- "The Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz 2017 encapsulates the best of Australian shiraz, and at 13.5% abv to boot! Grapes are meticulously hand-harvested, selected and sorted. It was first made in 1993, one hundred years after the Thomson family settled in the area. It is produced predominantly from the fifteen rows of vines planted by Henry Best in 1868, recorded as "Hermitage" by Henry in his daily journal. It was elevated to the highest and rarest Langton’s Classification of "Exceptional" in the 2018 Classification VII. It is the only Victorian Shiraz in this category." James Halliday: "Predominantly from the 1868 plantings, with lesser amounts from 1996 and '70, hand-picked and sorted, 50% crushed, 45% whole berry, 5% whole bunch. You'd stand up for royalty, and that's this wine. To use the spit bucket is lese majeste. Just savour it, drop by drop, as it magically finds its way unbidden down your throat. It's got the full rainbow of cool-grown shiraz flavors, a conjunction with a year made for it by Dionysis, and, glory be, comes with a screwcap." - 99 Points JH

2002  

"The 2002 Syrah Astralis Vineyard rivals the greatest wines Roman Bratasiuk has made in his 15-year career. This compelling, black/blue-hued offering from 75-year-old Syrah vines tastes like blood of the vine. An extraordinary perfume of flowers, creme de cassis, blackberries, roasted meat, new saddle leather, and earth is followed by a wine with sweet tannin, sensational concentration, full body, an unctuous texture, and a full-throttle, tannic finish. Yet it reveals unbelievable elegance and finesse. Too many Euro-centric elitists argue that Australian wines are too rich and over the top, but all of these offerings have been made by someone with great talent and vision who takes the extraordinary ripeness and purity of fruit available from these old vine vineyards and crafts them into wines that are quite European in style ... just richer and denser. The 2002 Astralis is a tour de force. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025+. Roman Bratasiuk is one of Planet Earth’s greatest winemakers, and obviously a top-notch viticulturist given his obsession with sourcing extraordinary fruit from ancient McLaren Vale vineyards." - 99pts WA

2014  

Predominantly made from Shiraz grapes (PT23 1654) grown on our estate vineyard in Murrumbateman with a small amount of fruit from Long Rail Gully and Quarry Hill vineyards. Soil is decomposing granite. The fruit was handpicked and de-stemmed into small 2 tonne open fermenters. Fermentation took approximately 2 weeks with gentle hand plunging twice daily. Following fermentation the wine was drained to old 500 litre French oak puncheons (20% new) for 15 months of maturation. 400 cases made.

2012  Gundagai

400 cases produced. 100% Shiraz. 13% abv. Silky, sexy and fragrant, the 2012 Gundagai Shiraz, sourced form a single vineyard on the Murrumbidgee River represents exactly what Gundagai Shiraz is all about. Power and density wrapped up in a medium bodied style. Amongst the sheep paddocks of Gundagai old soils formed over 400 million years ago by rich rain forests and dense wetlands have become verdant soils for viticulture. Rich, dense boysenberry nose with a whiff of coffee follows through on the palate.

1998  Amery Vineyards Hillside

2012  McIntyre Whole Bunch

118 cases produced. This shiraz is 100% from McIntyre Vineyard fruit, 100% whole bunch fermented. The wine is deep crimson in colour and the aromatics are intense and complex. Black pepper spice on ripe dark berry fruit is overlaid with savoury, roasted root vegetable and Campari-like citrus peel characters. These complexities are joined on the palate by an abundance of fine, mouth filling tannins, which together, give this wine beautiful silky texture and palate length.

2013  'The Duc' Chardonnay

'The Duc' Chardonnay -- 150 cases made -- 96pts Halliday - "Strap your hands to the engine, a wild ride is in store. Peach, hazelnut, matchstick, bran, flint & roasted assorted stone fruits. It's not the flavors themselves, it's the combination, the run, the way the flavours ache on and on long after you've swallowed."

2003  

"The 2003 The Factor (100% Shiraz aged 24 months in old French oak) is a riveting effort that displays the exquisite talent of David Powell. Its smoky perfume of blackberry liqueur intermixed with cherries, acacia flowers, and espresso roast is followed by a full-throttle, multi-layered palate as well as a 60-second finish." - 96pts WA