JM 1ST APPROACH

This wine, a modern type of French sauvignon, has intense varietal personality, suggesting tropical fruits, blackcurrants, grass and minerals. It tastes forward and fruity, refreshing and clean. Ralph Kyte-Powell

It’s cracking value. ... Tropical fruits and hay. Acidity gets a little stringy on the finish but it’s bright, flavoursome and different-enough to make you want to reach for more. Compelling in its category. Winefront.com.au

.... 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

Here’s the second Barossa 2011 red that shows what uncommonly bright humans of exceptional sensory nous can do in the worst vintage of recent history. For once in my life, I can confidently quote a press release without rewriting the damn thing. This beauty seems to have taken some of the worst of the wettest vintage in history (I think that’s official now) and used it to become more French than Barossan. But you wouldn’t find a Frenchman doing this for $18. Philip White Indaily July 2012

Though I’ve scored it the same, I suspect I like the style of this better than the previous vintage.  Importer: Fourth Wave Wine Lavender and thyme perfume, spice, blue fruit and boysenberry. Medium bodied with a good uptake of fleshy berry fruit, but
tasty southern French elements taper it off neatly. Tannin well tucked in and a juicy, but dry finish. Spot on. No largesse. Great affordable spicy Shiraz drinking. 91 points

WOW, power and intensity from the west. From the area renowned for cabernet sauvignon, shiraz lives in the shadows, but should never be ignored. Earthy, tobacco and dark fruits give this wine a brooding intensity. Juicy blackberry and plum, coffee and dry, intensely gripping tannin add some real punch. Firm, youthful and very bold, this is attractive on many levels. This is worth finding. Value: Excellent Food: Roast beef Rating: 4/5 Tony Love

Medium crimson-purple; the plush red berry fruit and oak aromas lead into a multi-layered textural palate, with plum and more savoury fruit set within the subtle French and American oak in which the wine was matured. This is indeed a serious merlot at a laughable price. 92 points James Halliday Top 100 Wines