JM 1ST APPROACH

All grapes were hand picked; small batch fermented and basket pressed before being blended and matured in old hogsheads. The vibrancy of Graciano is integral to balance the low acidity of Tempranillo and the Mataro adds further depth, structure and savoury qualities. It’s a hedonistic glimpse of McLaren Vale.

A delicious version of Nero d'Avola with a dense ruby-red color. The enthralling bouquet calls attention to mature and sweet but not cooked scents and balsamic and floral notes of violets with a light trace of tobacco at the close. A wine with a big structure and a remarkable personality.

Straight Up Mataro, named after the Mataro vine’s vertical inclination, is a wine heady with floral herbs of kitchen gardens and elderflowers. A core of bramble fruits and blueberries hold it’s terrestrial, earthy characters and muscular structure.

Price-wise this bats against the standard-issue Koonunga Shiraz; it would be easy to argue that it gives it a fair touch up. Distinctive peanut shell-like aftertaste. Bang on for drinkability. Campbell Mattinson; The Wine Front
Wine of the Week - The economic reality is that many other countries can produce good wines more cheaply than we can in Australia. This is a case in point: a terrific savoury quaffing Spanish red blend that won't break the bank.‘Wine of the Week’ Winsor Dobbin.a good mix between savoury and sweet too, with a .. good deal of Tempranillo to pan out the structure. It’s as generous as a paella pan overflowing with flavour, has a silky red fruit palate and some dried herb character. Ends with keen acids that keep it perky but it’s the smooth tannins that impress making for a seamless drink at the price. Patrick Haddock; Wining Pom

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.

The family that owns Pico Maccario is a true Barbera specialist! With an intense purple color, this wine features a bouquet of plum and cherry with hints of baking spice. It has a super silky mouthfeel, finishing in sweet fruit and velvety tannins. A rich, satisfying glass sure to please any crowd.  ... A scent of pine or rosemary leads off, followed by flavors of pure black cherry and blackberry. This has density and grip, but in proportion with the juicy fruit. Drink now through 2016.

Cranberry, damask rose, pomegranate, cherry juice and cracked dark husky spices (not quite clove, or black pepper) mingle in a beautifully pure Toro red earthiness. A full and velvet-soft fruit palate, sheeted on quality fruit tannin. Medium volume, with spread and reach, never sweet, not heavy nor lumpy. Effortless and lovely.

A jam-packed cranberry+field herb nose (red lavender anyone?) is perfectly struck - fresh fruit and earth, lift and depth ... The palate is perfumed, ovoid, lissom, and really harmonious - built beautifully on Telmo's trademark natural fruit tannin-acid twin-track. Juicy and deft, it's not just good and typical, nor merely delicious … this is spectacular wine for the $$

A medium bodied wine that’s chewy and red fruited with a side of meat, Brazil nut and mint/licorice. It has dry tannin, a bit of tension and sinew, and good flow through the mouth, dipping slightly on the back palate, before running long and savoury on the finish. There’s a pleasant dried herbal bitterness and something like coffee beans, though they say ‘roast chestnut’ on the back label, and damn them for besting me. Classy. And something of a bargain.”Rated : 93 Points WInefront.com.au