"Bright straw-green; this is as energetic and fresh as a 3yo vintage sparkling, showing no signs of age. Granny Smith apple, lemon zest and unsweetened lemon juice flavours cloak the deliberate tannins in the wine, are all there as part of the structure and texture that make this wine so exceptional." 96 points, James Halliday (September 2018)
Light to medium, bright yellow colour, with a slightly reductive note over slightly herbal, lemon and citrus aromas, which translate onto a very brisk, lively, crisp and intense palate. Very good, but it's a fuller, riper wine in Arras terms, and some may baulk at the matchstick note on the nose (Ed Carr prefers 'gunflint'). Very rich, with superb flavour and complexity. A very good but not great Grand Vintage. (7 years on lees. Dosage 6 grams/litre. 65% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir, 10% oak fermented).
95 points, Huon Hooke (November 2017)
08 is one of my favourite vintages in Tasmania, and this cuvee captures the tension of its mood in a pale, bright straw hue and focused lemon and apple fruit. An almost two-thirds chardonnay dominance is proclaimed in white fruit definition and layers of struck flint reduction. 7 years on lees has built more in texture than flavour, lending just subtle almond meal and charcuterie complexity. The tightly coiled acidity of this enduring season calls for time to unwind. Patience.
95 points, Tyson Stelzer
A compellingly rich, savoury, sumptuous fizz with a fine mousse, yeasty autolysis and saline minerality. A touch of oak adds a wonderfully taut note and some dry-roasted nut flavours to the palate, while the finish is long and elegant.
97 points, Susie Barrie MW, Decanter (June 2019)
Methode Traditionnelle. Fanatical tweaking of every nuance hones this generous vintage down to a linear and energetic spec, promising incremental improvement over a quarter century. Chardonnay (66%) assumes its signature lead, charging a long and focused palate with Tasmania's crystalline acidity. Crunchy red apple, more new oak than ever (8.6%) and the lowest dosage yet (2.5g/l). Fine, bitter phenolic grip is well contained amidst generosity and tension. Masterful.
95 points, Wine Companion (October 2020)
