JM 1ST APPROACH

95 points - James Halliday - James Halliday Wine Companion
A unique 29/27/24/20% blend of lagrein, dolcetto, barbera and primitivo. Bright colour, there is an all-encompassing freshness and brightness, achieved by early picking without sacrificing flavour ripeness; the tannins are little short of remarkable, so fine are they. What a magic vintage this was.

The colour of our 2013 Chardonnay is vibrant straw. The nose reveals peach, pear, struck match and toasty French oak notes. The palate carries a sweet middle core of stone fruits, quince, cashews and spice, finishing bright and textured from the natural acidity. This wine will be best enjoyed from 2016 to 2019.

47% Cabernet Franc, 46% Merlot, 4% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon and how good are Woodlands wines at the moment? They are absolutely killing it. Raspberry, redcurrant, tobacco, aniseed and violet perfume, kiss of choc-vanilla oak along with some grassy varietal Franc notes. Medium bodied, fresh and red fruited – positively leaps through the mouth like those gazelles that go in and about clefts – grainy tannin controls and shapes, then there’s tight firm finish that runs pretty damn long. Mainly though, it’s just so good to drink. Vibrant and delicious.92+ points Winefront.com.au

Bright hue; a tightly scripted exercise in precision, balance and length, its blackcurrant and spice fruit driving the fresh, medium-bodied palate; the varietal mix and sense of place occupy equal parts of the stage. 94 points James Halliday
... Medium bodied, firm in the mouth with open weave grainy tannin – tactile things they are – red and black fruit, tobacco and clear acidity. Love the slick of grainy tannin on the finish that marks it a more serious wine than you’re paying for. A terrific vintage for this wine.
93 points Winefront.com.au

Mid-weight, yet not lacking intensity, this is utterly triumphant Grenache in the near perfectly balanced McLaren Vale Burgundy mode. Watch critics swoon over this. Drink: 2013-2022
Score: 18.7/20, 95/100 Andrew Graham Australian Wine Review - Would I buy it? I'd buy this over plenty of southern Rhone reds twice the price. In other words - a big yes."
.... amalgamated fruit flavour and plummy flesh with the savouriness that I wish we saw more often in the is variety. Dusty herbs on the back-palate. It’s persistence cannot be questioned. 94+ Wine Will Eat Itself"
Medium bodied with gentle squishy red fruits mixing with more savoury earth/tobacco flavours, all very good, yes, but what I like most is its insistent fine grained tannin that controls and shapes the wine from front to long back palate. Good now. Good later. Beautiful wine. McLaren Vale Pinot Noir. 95 points Winefront.com.au

..... a little toast and grilled nut is in the mix – it carries itself on bright fruit, judicious oak and clean delivery thereof.  Very long and ‘minerally’ too. Excellent.  Rated : 95 Points Winefront.com.au
The most impressive Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay from the 2012 vintage to cross my path thus far. Depth of fruit, leesy character and persistence are its calling cards.Hazelnuts, subtle florals, nectarine and lemon with an edge of pithiness. Measured toasty oak. Beguiling and unforced creaminess with that obvious lees work enhancing rather than suffocating what the grapes have offered. Its balance and poise are impeccable. I can’t imagine anyone not loving it. 95 points Wine Will Eat Itself

93 points James Suckling-  Pure fruit with strawberry and flowers. Very aromatic undertones of lemon rind. Full body with firm and lightly chewy tannins. Wonderful tannin tension to the fruit. Keeps it in line. Ready.
93 points Wine Spectator-  *Top 100 Wines of 2013* Elegant, with supple, fresh and lively flavors of raspberry and cherry, meshing harmoniously with details of clove, forest floor, tobacco leaf, pepper and dried lavender that echo on the long, lingering finish. Drink now through 2024.

Some old French oak, wild yeast, time on lees, funk. Not your usual NZ sauvignon blanc. Excellent intensity. A tonne of wild character. Gravel, tropical fruit, sweat, earth, thistles, orange peels, sulphur. Has a slippery smooth coating to it, but pulpy passionfruity acidity refuses to be calmed. So intense it almost hurts. Excellent lingering finish. Armed and dangerous style of sauvignon blanc. In-your-face but remarkable quality. Rated : 94 Points WInefront.com.au

Vibrant honeysuckle blossom intermingles with the headiness of papaya salsa, spiked with a pinch of lemon pepper. A bright, aromatic style with a palate that dances with a lively burst of lemon gelato - subtle sweetness and vivacious acidity harmonizing to produce a wine of finesse and tension, with silky floral highlights and tropical succulence.

... This may sound like other top-quality barrel-fermented Chardonnays from around the world but what really marks this out is the terrific freshness that shines vibrantly through all the complex and full flavours.  Jancis Robinson
....This is arguably the best Chardonnay he's made yet at his new venture, a minerally, citrus-tinged white with deftly interwoven oak and flavours of oatmeal and honey. Very classy.  93 points Tim Atkins
$38; 14.5% alcohol; screw cap; 95 points Phillip White - Of the increasing number of finer-style Chardonnays to cross my desk this year, this, the last one to hit, is probably the best...   It is a beautiful elegant wine which is not trying to be Burgundy.  Something makes me feel that it’s past that.  Scallops on the half-shell with strands of spring onion and tiny little slices of mandarin peel, fresh outa the grill, please.