97pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

It has notes of rose petals, raspberry leaf tea, brine, licorice root, redcurrant, tobacco leaf and even a hint of orange rind/bergamot. The palate is shaped by very fine tannins that cascade across the mouth, leaving a trail of cocoa nib, clove bud and again with the orange zest/bergamot suggestion. As seems to be the ongoing trend, this has 6% Viognier inclusion and is lighter in alcohol this year, at 13.2%. Highly collectable.

96pts James Suckling

Fantastic aromas of dark berry, thyme, white pepper, and lavender. Medium-bodied with firm and silky tannins that are fine textured, long and persistent that run the length of the wine. Energetic and focused. Drinkable but better in two or three years to take the edge off it.

Winemakers Notes

The Shiraz Viognier is our flagship, a careful selection of the best of the Shiraz Viognier parcels we craft from our Murrumbateman vineyard. A more European vintage perhaps. The cool season and longer ripening period have given us a beautifully fragrant wine with serious spice and soaring floral aromas along with classically fine, supple tannins. A hail storm on January 9 gave us plenty to worry about, reducing what was already a small crop. Mercifully, the vines recovered well. A brilliant ripening season followed, marked by a run of gorgeous weather in the crucial late Summer/early Autumn.