RED WINE

Onkaparinga. A wonderful word. Plum and cherry, ripe and spicy, an earthy coal-like character. It’s firm and almost liqueur-like in intensity, with firm dusty tannin, and a dry plum and dried flower finish. Very good, but not quite as good as the other two single vineyard wines. Kind of sticky in its firmness. GARY WALSH, www.winefront.com

From the Onkaparinga Hills, a parcel of dry-grown bush vines, fermented as whole clusters and aged in a single, larger-format cask. This parcel was planted in the early 1970s and it has a sappy feel (whole clusters) and bright, very pure raspberries and some leafy elements on offer, as well as blueberries. The palate has quite smooth and ripe tannins, holds a fresh edge (low pH) and delivers a similar combination of red and blue fruits as seen on the nose. A little, chewy stone pop at the finish. Nuanced and elegant. Good now, but even better in a year or two. (95) NICK STOCK, www.jamessuckling.com

Mataro / Cinsault / Carignan.

It starts bold, it finishes dry and long. It’s 14.7% alcohol but it holds it well, the finish warm but not overly so. Saltbush, blackberry, iodine, molasses and sweet, roasted game, the latter rolling through rather than gathering. Hefty but neat, is how I’d describe it. CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

Attractive cassis and ripe purple fruit with a wealth of blueberries and hints of cola nuts. The palate has a juicy feel with exceptional depth, length and a complete tannin texture. Really seamless and long. Excellent cabernet. Drink or hold. JAMES SUCKLING

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

The oldest shiraz vines on the MMAD vineyard were planted in 1941.

This is as gorgeous as the come. It’s loaded with pepper, violets, blue- and black-berries, stalks and dark chocolate. It presents as one and it presents as many. The flush of flavour, the almost-aniseed aspect, the finesse and the form; everything pulls in the one direction here. Spicy, fruity, stalky and more. It’s kind of take a bow time, for the vineyard, the sub-region and the team involved. (95) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

Kaleidoscopic, full of light and layer. Fresh acidity illuminates buoyant blackberry and black olive, with a festoon of violets, black pepper and liquorice. Silky dark chocolate melds deliciously with the concentrated fruit through a persistent finish with an ironstone tang. Elegantly, bony tannins maintain the graceful line.  Early picked, old-vine fruit, with 30% whole bunches in the ferment. SARAH AHMED, Decanter

Deep, bright colour; a wine of tremendous presence, the whole bunch component 15-20%, 15 days on skins, 33% in concrete vessels, the balance in stainless steel and used oak. A magical combination of techniques to produce blackberry, licorice and dark chocolate flavours, the tannins almost silky. JAMES HALLIDAY, The Australian Weekend

The clarity of the wine matches its freshness; 90/10% whole berries/bunches; 20 days in Italian-made tulip-shaped concrete 4-tonne fermenters, basked pressed, matured 15 months in old French puncheons. The highly fragrant blend of cherry and plum drives a very long, fine and elegant palate. (97) JAMES HALLIDAY

The grenache vines in the MMAD vineyard were planted in 1939. That’s quite a year, in world terms, to begin your life. This wine was aged in old oak; no new oak was used.

Truly beautiful grenache. Sweet and ripe but savoury and, even, crunchy with it. Best of many worlds. Woodsmoke, herbs, raspberry, cloves and a sweet earth character. The presser mentions pomegranate and it’s a good call; it beings that seed-like crunch to the wine. Tannin is ultra fine and the finish is noteworthy. Blewitt Springs is a great place to grow red wine grapes and here, again, it’s off and away, in full voice. (95) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

Garnacha, Monastrell, Touriga, Graciano.

So much ozone, or petrichor, here, which is so appealing. Red berries, a little liquorice and spice. Medium-bodied, at most, fresh and crisp, slightly earthy, hazelnuts, spiced poached strawberry and red cherry, emery board tannin, a distinct ‘mineral’ feel, and a cool spicy/savoury finish of brightness and excellent length. So individual. So energetic. Outstanding. Get amongst it. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

The name for this cracking little producer is Inspired by the Japanese literary masterpiece of the same name, In Praise of Shadows is. For Rob Mack and Brett Trewartha this is somewhat of a  philosophical wine passion project sourcing the best fruit from vineyards around McLaren Vale, many of which are certified organic and bioydnamic. Lo-fi, unfined, unfiltered, and all that jazz. Ultimately though just really flippin delicious.

Very easy to love, such is the intuitive ease with which all components meld. From the liquorice and Cherry Ripe core, the smattering of thyme, lavender and white pepper about the seams and the carapace of wiry tannins, gritty and savoury in the best sense, this is mellifluous. The message of place, convincing; the drinkability quotient high. Poised in every way, from where it is grown, the fashion in which it is crafted and its versatility at the table. (93) NED GOODWIN, winecompanion.com 
 
A vividly approachable and fruit-forward style that offers much in the way of blue and red fruit aromas and flavours with background spices and sappy complexity. Fleshy, instantly-appealing Grenache done right. (93) NICK STOCK, gourmettravellerwine.com  

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

2 BOTTLES AVAILABLE

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

A great makeup of majority grenache (62%) with a smattering of shiraz, mataro and cinsault, reminiscent of a classic southern Rhône blend, albeit, with a lighter touch. As good, too. Effusive blue- and red-fruit allusions teem along rails of gentle tannins, a burr of whole-bunch spice as seasoning. A sweep of maritime salinity at the finish. Such a complete and joyous wine, light of feel. It would be churlish not to drink a great deal of it. NED GOODWIN, James Halliday

"There must be a bit of magic behind Bondar. All of the wines have an ethereal quality"- JANE FAULKNER, James Halliday Wine Companion 2018

We can't agree more. What Adre has created here in such a short time is impressive. His wines always display a wonderful transparency to site while never shying away from sweet open fruit profiles. However, the never lack any sense of complexity and depth despite their easy-going nature. I am not sure subtle is quite the right word but maybe an understated ease better describes what is going on here. Whatever it is, it works, and his numerous nominations, rewards and accolades are testament that he is doing something very right.

The 2021 Smart Grenache is very fine and bright with punctuating, pop rocky acid through the fruit. This is incredibly bright and exciting - the lingering spool of tannins and acid merge through the finish. There is pomegranate and raspberry pip, red licorice, fennel flower and a smattering of saffron. This is a fantastic, elongated wine that will age gracefully. (96) ERIN LARKIN, wineadvocate.com

Very lithe and fine, pure and frisky, sheathed in silty tannin, juicy in a way and with weight set to medium or just under. Succulent red cherry, brick-ish dusty elements in woody spices and twiggy, dried herbs, a faint fennel note, salted liquorice faintly there. Fragrant too, oh so very much. Savoury scents through with just ripe cherry underlying. That tension is so appealing and refreshing. Compelling drinking. (96) MIKE BENNIE, winefront.com

Really attractive ripe strawberry with orange peel aromas that follow through to a medium to full body with dusty tannins and plenty of lemon rind texture to the vivid fruits. (95) JAMES SUCKLING

Blewitt Springs Grenache (1940’s plantings) with 30% Carignan from the estate vineyard in Seaview.

Pretty, raspberry and strawberry, a smattering of dried herbs, almond paste, white pepper. Medium-bodied, juicy red fruits, but good freshness and control through the palate, acidity has a bit of ‘mineral’ thing. Iron filings. It offers a lively finish of good length, that’s bright, and sweet/sappy. Delightful. Such a good drink. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

Light, clear colour. Hand picked parcels of dry-grown fruit are open fermented with a small proportion of whole bunches retained; a long time on skins, but very gently treated to provide this amalgam of red berry/cherry/spice flavours floating across the palate. A made-to-measure light-bodied wine for current consumption and serving slightly chilled. JAMES HALLIDAY

We have been fans of the wines from Bernice and Julian since we tried their tempranillo grenache so many years ago and are always stoked when they come to town to say g'day. Maybe it's our turn to go visit them. They are still going strong and have been adding to their stable of stellar wines some fine additions from their home turf in the Mclaren Vale as well as some select favourite spots around the country. This is a more recent addition and an absolutely phenomenal one at that. A perfect paring of lush grenache and spicy, vibrant carignan.

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

This is ballistically good. I doubt that I’ll taste anything much better from these shores over the next 12 months. The first thing you notice is the plushness, which is always welcome, but it’s the finish that takes things to eleven. Wow, really, this wine has a show-stopping finish on it. It’s blessed with red and blue berry flavours, cedarwood, roasted spice and earth, but itemising the flavours of this wine kind of misses the point. It’s like focussing on the colour of a tidal wave. The complete and utter command of the final flourish of flavour and tannin here feels, as you swallow, like a high water mark. I’m sold, totally sold, on this wine. (97) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

If you’re lucky, and most of us aren’t, there comes a time in your life when it all comes together. I suspect that’s what’s happened with this Blewitt Springs vineyard, planted in the middle of the  Second World War, and the collection of wine people behind MMAD, all of whom have weathered a lot of summers in a lot of places in the pursuit of wine excellence. This wine tastes of a lot of right decisions, and of a lot of time spent in the journey to them. It has texture, balance, flavour and all that, but as my mum would say, ‘any dumb bunny can do that’. More importantly, what this wine has is all the nods and winks. I once wrote, a long time ago, of a moment where union legend David Campese ran straight through a bunch of defenders without breaking stride, or altering course. He did something, something that couldn’t be seen, and made the impossible look effortless. So too here. It has degrees of silk, fruit enough, a spinnaker on the finish, a volume of nuance. If there was such a thing for single vineyard, vintage, Aussie shiraz, this wine would be classified as first growth. (97) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!