Victorian Wine Showcase

A variety of clones used from the Chalmers vineyard, de-stemmed, co-fermented, pressed to stainless steel tanks, 12 months in a new 2100L Slovenian oak cask. A stunner by any measure, but especially so for nebbiolo, revealing both its beauty and its power. An elegant and fragrant introduction in rose petal and musk, red licorice, bright red fruits and wild herbs. A lovely purity is displayed on the palate, aromatic, lifted, medium bodied and well shaped in ripe, cherry tannins. It's a fine-edged youngster tight in trademark nebbiolo acidity and one with a big future. (95) JENI PORT, Halliday Wine Companion

A blend of 80/20% 1995-planted cabernet and 1990-planted malbec. Matured in French barriques (15% new). A medium deep, bright crimson. Fragrant with aromas of damson plums, blackcurrants, cedar and violets. Medium bodied, this elegantly wrought and persistent wine finishes with very fine-grained and suave tannins suggesting this will age gracefully over the next six to eight years. (96) PHILIP RICH, Halliday Wine Companion

Dark berries, cassis, violets, a trace of ironstone. Palate is tight, firm, elegant, beautifully balanced and ready for ageing. Excellent wine. (Retasted at Decanter World Wine Awards) (94) HUON HOOKE, The Real Review

Deep red with a tint of purple; flowery and fresh green herbal aromas, the palate is intense and full, with ample cherry and plum flavours laced with dried herbs, a lovely core of sweet ripe fruit, the finish lingering on well with fine, drying tannins. Delicious! (93) HUON HOOKE, The Real Review

SPECIAL VALUE - Made in a Kabinett style; the juice is slowly fermented in stainless steel; two months on gross lees and two months on fine lees; 13.5g/l in the final wine. A bite of loquat, pineapple skin and lemonade fruit. There is apple leaf and sparks of lime. The palate is bedazzled with salinity and pick-me-up freshness. Fruit sweetness is well worked into the body of the wine. It's hard to imagine a white wine that is more approachable, with acidity that rolls throughout the palate in cascading waves. This is so tastefully curated, shining a light on the suitability of riesling in Mount Gambier. A wine of total elation for breakfast, lunch, pre-dinner and throughout. (95) SHANTEH WALE, Halliday Wine Companion

This is 60/40% pinot (whole-berry ferment)/shiraz (100% whole bunches) blended prior to bottling. A vibrant crimson purple. Uber aromatic with its aromas of bright red fruits, musk and floral notes. Loads of flavour and a touch of grip on the delicious, medium-bodied and impeccably balanced palate. Approachable now but no problems cellaring this either over the next 3–5 years. (96) PHILIP RICH, Halliday Wine Companion

Full ruby and purple colours in the glass. Blueberry, dark slate and dried thyme aromatics. Medium weighted, ripe blue and red fruits dance along the tongue with a subtle dried herb brush adding detail. Acidity and tannins work subtly in tandem, lifting and carrying it long but allowing the silky tension to carry to the finish. STUART KNOX, The Real Review

Medium lemon yellow colour. Poached pear, clove and honeysuckle aromas. Medium to full weight, pear and white nectarine fruit fill the palate with layers of woody spices and a hint of burnt toffee adding depth and complexity. The supple glide ensures it coats all the mouth, sitting rich but showing enough lift that it doesn’t overbear. Great length; that seamless tension carries it well and offers a fine cleansing brush to the finish. (95) STUART KNOX, The Real Review

I must admit, I was looking forward to tasting this wine. Let’s go!

This wine will have your attention with the faintest first whiff. It smells delicious! Lemon tart, lemon meringue, apple and oat biscuits, notes of nutty pastry, salty pistachios. Then plenty of zest, pink grapefruit, pomelo, a touch of healthy bitterness, and spicy ginger. This wine has acidity for a spine, minerally texture and a great flavour drive, all in one hit. It slides, it glides, it twists and pinches, but most importantly—it satisfies. (95) KASIA SOBIESIAK, The Wine Front

Crushed, wild ferment in small format, neutral oak, aged 10 months on lees. Another top release of a wine that excites the palate, combining complexity, a lingering savouriness and a juicy freshness. It makes for a most charming and un-put-down-able wine. Ripe lemon citrus, stone fruits, red apple, spring blossom and honeysuckle aromas. Concentrated on the palate, with an additional layer of nutty mealiness and preserved lemon that brings with it an impressive depth of flavour as well as length. Gently creamy across the tongue, with a lemony tang to close. An exciting find. (94) JENI PORT, Halliday Wine Companion

25% whole bunch, aged in large format, neutral oak. Yarra Valley gamay – ripe, sweet fruited, approachable and oh-so smooth. All the ingredients are here for some immediate drinking pleasure led by raspberry, cherry and plum with violet florals, a splash of dried herbs and a lively spiciness, including some pepperiness, especially on the finish. Plenty here to appreciate and enjoy. JENI PORT, Halliday Wine Companion

Orchard Vineyard. A 30-year-old site overlooking Western Port Bay, only one acre of it planted to Chardonnay. No new oak. Full malo. Two barrels produced.

Ripe lemon, preserved lemon, some richer stone fruit, fennel perfume, a light smoky/flinty edge. It’s tight, distinctly saline, mixed citrus, a fine powdery grip, some umami character and nut butter flavours, but also has such energy and personality that it stands out from the pack. The finish is long and intense, with grapefruit and fine dusty grip. Outstanding. (96) GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

A 30-year-old vineyard overlooking Western Port Bay. No whole bunch. No new oak. MV6 and 115 clone.

Ripe cherry and red fruits, biscuit spice, a dried rose perfume. It’s medium-bodied, quite succulent in red fruit flavour, a little amaro tang, a mesh of fine powdery tannin, with a slightly nutty finish of excellent length. Lovely wine. Strange thing to say, but it puts me in mind of Barbaresco! (94) GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

Older oak and a touch of tank. A simple, and fresher version of the premier chardonnay release. Lots of lees to play with here. From Dash Farms, Mount Alexander.

Attractive, hazy golden colour. Lots of lemon verbana, crystallised ginger, nashi pear, green apple juice. A frisky, textural experience to taste with attractive, pebbly minerality and pithy citrus characters and a touch of barely there but pleasing toffee. Lots to wrap one’s laughing gear around here, yet super uplifting. (94) MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front

Dashette is meant to be an accessible offering of cool-climate chardonnay – and it fits the brief well. It's savoury and spicy, a kick of ginger infusing the lemony flavours with a feather-light layer of nutty/creamy lees across the tight palate. Lively acidity ensures a refreshment factor and its pleasing mouth-feel ensures satisfaction. Delicious drink for today. (93) JANE FAULKNER, Halliday Wine Companion

While most of the fruit is destemmed, a good thing in this cooler vintage, there’s plenty of sappy/bunchy fragrance and flavour; it works well. This has a bucketload of freshness and vitality focusing on juicy, tangy red and morello cherries, dusted in baking spices, woodsy/oak spice, too, with wafts of autumn leaves. The palate teeters between lighter and mid-weight, tannins sweet and a little sinewy, acidity perky and mouth-watering. It needs some rich fare and an afternoon off to enjoy it all.

It’s from a fabled vineyard and a considered producer. Good ingredients. (94) JANE FAULKNER, Halliday Wine Companion

Sour cherry, dustings of woody spice, some mocha and kirsch and exotic sour-sweetness going on. Succulent texture, good length of flavour, very pure and chewy and generally quality in feel. Has medium weight concentration, great savoury flavour profile amongst riper dark cherry/berry fruit. Grip is good. Herbal inflection works well. This is a wine for big glasses and contemplation to get its best. (93) MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front

From the well-loved (these days) Dash Farms vineyard.

This is slick and elegant, composed and lengthy. Light on its feet but does show some creaminess, slip and slide, a sense of concentration despite the levity. Cloudy apple juice married to lime curd, crystallised ginger, a lick of mint and aniseed with some white pepper in the mix too. Seasoning is subtle, vanilla, butterscotch, more about texture, a lick rather than a slosh, nicely done. A little bit of tinned corn juice to finish, a small quibble. A lot to explore by the glass. (93) MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front

Grampians riesling at its very best. It defines varietal intensity but so too a fine and utterly delicious delicacy of touch. Aromatic, spicy, apple and lime scented with a lemon-lime essence quality, almost crystalline, that impresses and resonates deep. The palate brings an airy, powdery expression that runs deep and long and intense in lemon-lime citrus, grapefruit pith, apple and gingery spice married to a pure and lively acidity. Runs long, stays bright and will age and keep on going. (97) JENI PORT, Halliday Wine Companion

Very light, almost pale green-yellow colour. Restrained and yeasty aromas of lemon blossom, green herbs, and mandarin, the palate soft and open-knit, diffuse and gentle in its acidity. Nice, seamless flow. Very smart wine in the medium-term. (93) HUON HOOKE, The Real Review

(previous vintage)
From chardonnay planted at the Hazeldene vineyard at Gladysdale in '13. Awarded the trophy for the Best White Wine at last year's Yarra Valley Wine Show, it's not hard to see why. Complex and full of energy with its bouquet of white peach, chalk, grilled nuts and a touch of flint. Fans out beautifully on the long, saline and very satisfying palate. Terrific now, this should age superbly over the next five to 10 years. (96) PHILIP RICH, winecompanion.com.au

Oakridge’s Hazeldene Chardonnay is a perennial favourite and this 2024 is another ripper. This wine is flush with fruit and long through the finish, and while its complexity more or less looks after itself there’s plenty going on beneath the bonnet. Nuts, yellow stone fruits, cooked apples, sweet meal and cracked wheat are all washed through with citrus, cedar and grapefruit. There’s a delicate aspect to the texture, in the best of ways. We are absolutely on song here. (95) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, winefront.com.au

Dave Bicknell is the driving force behind Oakridge and a key figure in modern Australian Chardonnay. The Hazeldene Chardonnay never fails to deliver, showcasing site, structure and finesse. With a focus on vineyard expression and restrained winemaking, it’s hard to find a better price-to-quality ratio anywhere in the country.

From '98 plantings of MV6 at Gladysdale. The fact that this was The James Halliday Wine of Show at last year's Yarra Valley Wine Show, beating the Hazeldene Chardonnay in the process, says it all. Perfumed and captivating aromas of red fruits, dark rose and a little whole-bunched-derived sous bois. Medium bodied, this silky-textured wine finishes with just the right amount of understated and persistent tannins. Irresistible now and, I'd imagine, over the next six to eight years plus. (97) PHILIP RICH, winecompanion.com.au

The 2023 vintage was cool, and the quality here is hot. This pinot noir is as delicious as it is textural as it is complex. Everything here is for the win. It tastes of undergrowth, juicy red and black cherries, pomegranate, twigs and cedar, the latter served svelte. Reductive elements are not overt but they’ve been employed to positive effect. In the glass this wine does not seem bell clear and, so far as I’m concerned, that’s a very good thing. From every angle this is a high class wine. (95) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, winefront.com.au

 

This vineyard was planted in deep red Cambrian clay loam by the Chalmers family in 2011 on the lower eastern slopes of the Camel Ranges, within the Heathcote GI, close to the township of Colbinabbin. Hand-picked fruit, whole bunch pressed and rested briefly in tank before racking to seasoned puncheons. Deep Straw to a pale amber coloured with aromatics of baked apple, marzipan and honey. A subtle oxidative character on the palate, balanced with energetic green apple acidity. Herbaceous, citrusy and with serious depth. I mean it for real this time….the best Fiano we’ve made yet and unfortunately the most scarce. Be quick! MINIM

This vineyard was planted in deep red Cambrian clay loam by the Chalmers family in 2011 on the lower eastern slopes of the Camel Ranges, within the Heathcote GI, close to the township of Colbinabbin. Sourced from a newer planting of old Chianti clone Sangiovese (Matt 6 and 7) at Chalmers which we are lucky to have exclusive access too and work with for the first time in 2023. Destemmed berries fermented in two large open pots with daily plunges and a more extractive approach to maceration over 3 weeks then moved to large format oak (3000 L), with the pressings moved to seasoned barriques.

Aromatically this wine is all red fruit and soft spice; cherry, raspberry, cinnamon and star anise. The palate is dry with ripe fragrant fruit of cranberry, raspberry, cherry and plum. There is a lovely spice from the old oak and a long finish.  The drying Sangiovese tannins support the fruit, giving the wine great structure. Such a satisfying wine…a little deeper this year, but still fresh and fruitful. Classic Chianti (via Heathcote). MINIM

Dark, deep red and inky in the glass. Heady aromas of blue fruits, satsuma plum, Asian spice, cola, dried herbs, licorice and white pepper. Fleshy, mouth-filling and layered in flavour. Blueberry, plum, sarsaparilla, clove and a bunchy, earthy edge are all at play. There’s a lovely softness and suppleness to the palate and the tannins and acidity deliver shape and cut. (95) AARON BRASHER, The Real Review

This is understated and slightly surly, but its future is as bright as ever. It will need time. It tastes of black cherries, saltbush, dark earth and herbs, with a thin layer of cedarwood oak helping to tie it all together. Tannin is fine and filigreed; length is pulsing and assured. It's medium in weight, and it will become more expressive as it matures. (94) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

Modern Viognier - textural, aromatic, engaging. Citrus, honeysuckle, ginger and fresh apricot, with zippy acidity and texture.

A light dry red, made for drinking chilled in the outdoors! Made from early-season, handpicked Durif, dialled right back to offer fresh and moreish red fruit flavours. It's all juicy cherry, raspberry, red currant and savoury herb kind of vibes. A day on skins delivers beautiful colour and food-friendly tannin. Wild fermented. Super smashable, this wine is all about freshness and fun.

Single Vineyard, Strathbogie Ranges. Wild yeast fermentation added depth and complexity with ageing in 500L puncheons.

SPECIAL VALUE - It’s the colour of a pale bronze-cherry rosé. Half the fruit is destemmed and on skins between three to 10 days, hence the hue, and the other half whole-bunch pressed, adding texture. All up, such a delicious drink. Rose petals and spice, watermelon and nashi pear, pickled ginger and a lemon/ginger-infusion flavour. It has fine texture and creaminess, with savoury yet lovely light acidity keeping this moreish. (95) JANE FAULKNER, Halliday Wine Companion

This is a great release. It drinks like class rosé while also having the detail and tension of quality orange wines. That being said, it walks like a rosé and quacks like a rosé for the most part. Faint pear notes, crunchy red cherries steeped in cherry juice, light alpine herb and botanical floral notes, a crack of white pepper and dashes of watermelon rind and cranberry drink. It feels dry, shows off a suite of fine, lacy tannin, finishes with pucker and more botanical-laced freshness, almost as per a rosé vermouth. Straight up banger. (94) MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front

Grenache, mataro, mostly, some sangiovese for a fair bit of it, nebbiolo, cab franc, malbec, shiraz.

Soft and slurpy, a little chewy, dark fruited, sweet spice, new leather, dark chocolate, dried herbs, white pepper, blood orange. A roll call of excellent things. Almost a bloody, inky quality to the wine too. Slips along beautifully, drunk cold, wow, a treat. This is such a delicious, effortless wine. All line up! (93) MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front