JM 1ST APPROACH

This Barbera has a deep ruby color with a filtered appearance. There is a beautiful bouquet of red fruit, currants and a hint of perfumed violets and some musty cellar floor. This is a medium bodied wine with a winning flavor combination of dark berry, plum, cranberry, chocolate and lead pencil. True to Barbera’s reputation, there is gripping acidity and a whisper of smooth tannins. The finish is long and lingering.

.... It is a blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc (the proportions vary from year to year) with quite exceptional colour, and is absolutely full to the gills with juicy cassis blackcurrant fruit, fine, ripe tannins and quality French oak in abundance. It's way better than the 2009 and, indeed, one of the best 'The Blends' to date. 95 poins James Halliday

it fairly glides along though the mouth, finishing long and sweet. Subtle savoury elements and brown spices too. Typical Barossa Grenache. High quality at the price and a very good drink. 92 points Winefront.com.au

The bouquet is full of mocha oak, sarsaparilla and plums; the palate is fleshy, forward, rich and fresh, showing the McLaren Vale side of this variety's personality; generous, but not to a fault, just a lovely drink. 92 points James Halliday

.. Wonderfully generous palate is ripe and slippery but not sweet. Not hard to like a juicy, ripe, no-nonsense Vale Shiraz like this. 17.5/91 points Australian Wine Review

... meat, spice and dark fruits on the nose ... and soft silky tannins with a long finish. Polished and fascinating.  93 points James Suckling

...enticing rather than overbearing and it lingers beautifully on the finish. A fine wine for the price .... Winingpom

... Has an earthy goodness about it too. Benefits from a quick slosh in the decanter. Excellent red wine. Rated : 92 Points Winefront

Amazing that wines of this quality can be available for under twenty dollars. Mulberry, cherry, chocolate and vanilla with a gentle perfume of bay leaf. Ripe and fleshy with milk chocolate coated berries, round grainy tannin and lovely balance throughout. It's not exactly a wine for hedonists, but does deliver so much pleasure you can almost hear it purring. Nice.  Rated: 92 Points Alcohol: 14.5% Price: $23  Gary Walsh; The Wine Front

Blood plum, nuts, licorice and some chocolate on a middle weight palate that delivers plenty of flavour along with attractive chewiness and freshness. The length is particularly impressive and closes with a desirable Italianate bitterness, like chicory or similar. Is it the best release of Gran Sasso to date? I suspect so. I defy you to find a more interesting, savoury wine with modest alcohol and food friendliness at the price. If you do, please let me know. It’s ever so slightly better than a 90 point wine ... Rated : 91 Points Winefront

A spine of flinty acidity shapes the wine and turns on the thrusters through the back-palate. Toasty, spicy oak provides the chassis. Precise, intense and utterly charming. Crazy price. 95 Excellent – Exceptional Wine Will Eat Itself

Length, length and length. It builds upon itself like a circus troupe, yet never topples or sways. Earlier picking gives life, constitution and potential. Give it up to five years in the bottle and this will be quite special. Even now, it’s a treat. Buy a case if you can, before word gets out. Outstanding / 94 points Sealed with Wax

Fraser Gallop is a winery that’s pretty much gone from 0 to 100 in no time flat. - Struck match, lime and melon, cashew and vanilla cream – region and winemaker working happily together here. Medium weight, but packing plenty of fruit and flavour  93 points Winefront.com.au

An elegantly crafted wine picked at the optimum moment to give flavours of citrus, quince and white peach that are in turn picked up by the barrel ferment oak inputs; the acidity underwrites the future of the wine to five+ years.  94 points James Halliday