Good depth of rich red/purple colour. The bouquet is sweetly spicy and blackberry-fruited, the palate elegant and medium to full-bodied, with fine, soft tannins and a juicy mid-palate. A delicious young shiraz, already lovely to drink, and a good foil for the St Peters style. (Seppelt 170th anniversary commemorative release, sourced from the Arrawatta Hill blocks near the winery. Whole-bunches included. Aged in small and large format Fench oak)

94 points, The Real Review (May 2021)

This wine was chosen as an appropriate special release to recognise the 170th anniversary of Seppelt. This comes from a hill planted by Hans Irvine way back in 1888 but replanted with shiraz from 1999. The wine is a combination of two clones with one contributing the seductive blue fruits and the other, the St. Peters, contributing the savouriness. Interestingly the entire blend is made up of partial whole bunch fermented parcels. So, this is a wine with structure and control, yet with supple fruit and plushness. There is a beautiful purity which shines through on the engaging aromas and the bright palate.

97 points, Wine Pilot

So, what do whole bunches (aka, grapes with stems) bring to the party? In this case, there’s a lovely, aromatic fruit lift. It’s there on the scent of the wine and the overall liveliness of the black-hearted fruits on show which, quite frankly, put on a bit of a star turn. It’s a mix of ripe blackberries, bramble and blueberries and don’t forget the lively spice. Fruit and spice go hand in hand here, not to mention a splash of pepper. Very Grampians. Grampians Shiraz has an in-built friendliness and approachability, all of that is a given here. What is also on display is backbone in the form of a fine but, definitely noted, tannin presence. From whole bunches? Probably. Oak, 10 months in a mix of French barriques and puncheons prior to blending and then four months in big oak vats post-blending, is pretty smart and classy. It’s also quite subtle allowing the fruit its centre stage.

95 points, Wine Pilot