Deep colour. Lifted dark cherry, blackberry brambly praline aromas with mocha, roasted chestnut notes. Smooth and velvety textured with deep set blackberry, elderberry, dark liquorice flavours, plentiful fine bitter-chocolaty mouth-coating tannins and mocha ginger, roasted chestnut notes. Generous and ample bodied with superb vinosity and mineral length. Impressively balanced and elemental. Wait for a while to unfold. Might need to decant to release flinty notes.
97 points (June 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
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)
The Grampians
Located in western Central Victoria, the Grampians was settled during the gold rush of the 1850’s. Indeed the vivid history of the gold rush is inextricably intertwined with the history of viticulture in the region. Seppelt at Great Western, one of the region’s iconic wineries was built at the end of the gold rush when scores of out-of-work prospectors excavated its extensive drives and cellars. The "drives" completed in 1932, stretch for three kilometres and provide perfect conditions for the maturation of sparkling wine, for which the region is well-known. The climate of the Grampians is Mediterranean and essentially cool with vineyards situated at elevations ranging from 240 to 350m. The region experiences long sunshine hours and low rainfall necessitating supplementary irrigation. Soils in the region range from weathered volcanic soils to sandy and red clay loams interspersed with ironstone. The region is suited to a diverse range of varietals including Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon but is best known for its crisp fruity Riesling and distinctive spicy peppery Shiraz.
