An integrated 50/50% blend of American (50% new) and French oak, aged for 22 months adds a frame to this single vineyard wine and there's plenty of stuffing, too. A complex, rich mix of black-red fruits flecked with licorice, new leather and warm earth, fragrant with iron. Real composure to this thanks to its fine-grained tannins and persistence on the finish.

96 points, Wine Companion (January 2018)

A single parcel up behind the winery, planted on sandy soil in 1972. The nose has attractive violet, spiced-blueberry and berry-biscuit aromas that lead to a palate that is full of expressive, ripe blueberries and blackberries. Very pure, voluminous and even. Dark chocolate and cocoa. The tannins are fine, long and sinewy. Fresh finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

96 points, JamesSuckling.com (August 2020)

Whole-berry fermentation, powdery tannins in the base wine, with 7+ years on lees. The dosage of 21g/l is at the bottom end of the scale. A complex bouquet, with notes of spice, pepper and leather. Shiraz shines in this wine, tannins adding to the appeal

96 points and Top 100, Wine Companion (January 2019)

Very deep, dark red colour with a tinge of purple remaining. The bouquet is very deep and earthy and mysterious, with notes of ironstone, black licorice and fresh-turned earth. These flavours re-appear in the mouth with dominant blackberry fruit and subtle fungal, earth notes as well as licorice and mixed spices. A twinge of VA (volatile acidity) doesn't concern me. It's full-bodied and powerful, in impeccable condition at 11 years old, with many more in front of it. The tannins and sweetness are perfectly balanced. A glorious wine.

96 points, The Real Review (March 2019)

85/15% cabernet sauvignon/merlot, cold soaked then fermented on skins for 2 weeks, matured in new French oak for 20 months. The new oak impacts on both the flavour and texture. Needs time to integrate, as it surely will over the next 5+ years. Great potential.

95 points, Wine Companion (September 2020)

Lots of purple remaining in this deep crimson colour, the bouquet shows toasty-oak laced dark berries, with a layer of very dark chocolate. It's very full-bodied and firm, rich and dense with masses of tannins providing formidable structure. A powerhouse of a cabernet. Long-term. (85% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot. Matured for 20 months in new French oak barrels)

96 points, The Real Review (March 2021)

Hand picked, open fermented, matured in French oak. Bright crimson rim; a brooding yet luscious blend filled with blackcurrant and plum fruit, and leaving just enough room in the mouth for tannins to make a furtive dash for it. The aftertaste is particularly appealing, as is the length of that aftertaste.

96 points, Wine Companion (October 2021)

Impressive, deep, dark and inky colour in the glass. Lifted and intense black fruit aromas, mulberry plum, sweet, spiced nutmeg oak, cola, brambles and a menthol lift. Powerful on the palate, thick and quite unctuous, mouth filling black fruits teamed with lashings of creamy oak. The tannins and acidity are doing their best to kept the opulent fruit in check and behaving. This is quite hedonistic gear, built for the long-haul.

95 points, The Real Review (March 2022)

Includes 5% merlot, open-fermented, pressed by the century-old basket press, 95% matured in French oak (30% new), 5% in used American oak. The colour is full and deep, the bouquet alive with black fruits, spice and distinct sandalwood aromas, the palate adding some earthy notes to the parade of blackcurrant, plum and mulberry fruits, savoury tannins providing the necessary structure for a very long life.

96 points, Wine Companion (March 2017)