JM 1ST APPROACH

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

There’s impressive poached pear and fresh lemon fruit presence here, even a touch of baked apple and nutmeg, pulling into a nicely honed tail of cool Adelaide Hills acidity from this single vineyard in Charleston. One-third fermented in old French oak barriques helps to build its finely mineral texture, rounded out just a touch by residual sweetness on the finish. 92 points Tyson Tselzer

Medium to deep crimson in colour with purple hue. Ripe Satsuma plums and mulberry fruits fill the nostrils with lovely creamy vanilla, chocolate and hints of smoke, violets and citrus. Bright, juicy, plum and mulberry fruits flow onto the palate which is medium bodied. The sweet fruit is well balanced with silky tannins, good acidity, briary and sweet spice. A nice long finish tapers from sweet fruit through spice and citrus to end with a little dark chocolate.

Good intensity here. Really fresh and perfumed. Inviting. Textural. Almost chewy. Rose petals and green apples. Stonefruity power to the mid palate. Chalky finish. Has that ‘desperate for shellfish’ quality. Tending towards brineyness. Perfumed aftertaste. Very good – drinking and buying. 90 points WInefront.com.au

A whack of fresh-cut fruit: sliced pineapple, apple, grapefruit and a little white floral top-note. 100% pure varietal on the palate, it has a creamy open feel, and just a tweak of nutty acid/earth definition. Simple, gentle and harmonious, a perfect house wine style. 100% Macabeo. No oak.

Medium depth crimson in colour with purple hues. Delicious aromas of blue fruits, Satsuma plum and liquorice fills the nostrils with hints of Turkish delight and chocolate. Bright, juicy, sweet fruit flows onto the palate and is well balanced with briary spice and plenty of fine silky tannins which continue right through to the finish.

Green pear, citrus, apricot kernel and a few dried herbs, but perhaps ‘cooly fruity’ is a good way to describe it. It’s clean and refreshing with excellent fruit purity and a little bit of ‘mineral’, perhaps there’s a touch of sweetness to round out  and balance, but feels pretty much dry and pulls that way with its gently herbal and sparkling finish. Well, maybe not ultra-complex, but so good to drink. 91 points Winefront.com.au

2012 in the Adelaide Hills was a mild, low-yielding year which gave rise to excellent fruit intensity and high natural acidity. The mild weather during ripening was perfect for allowing generous flavour development before the sugars ripened. The result is a flavoursome, crisp, dry white wine that is ready to drink now but will happily evolve in the bottle for two to three years.

Made by the unflappable Javier Murua. Almost entirely tempranillo but co-fermented with a smidge of grenache. Sees a small portion of old French and American oak. Elegant yet characterful and then punchy through the finish. Has structure. Has a big dry finish. Licorice and cherry and twiggy sinewy almost-bitter notes. Chicory too. A grunty wine. Will be a handy drinking option through the cooler months. Like it. 90 points Winefront