Reviews

A stellar chardonnay that is tightly coiled and bred of meagre granitic soils and astute craftsmanship: hand harvested, indigenous yeast, superlative choice of French oak and judicious lees work, all combining to confer tension, crunch and an effusive energy. Stone fruit, orchard fruit pith, lime curd and sublime, sinuous length, whirling across a marrow of nougat and leesy detail. A great chardonnay! Among the very best of a region that produces expressions at this country’s apogee. Put this with the greats!

Hand picked, fermented in a mix of new and old French oak with wild yeasts. Unfiltered, minimal handling. More structured, with a clean, linear mouthfeel, than the standard chardonnay, Row 16 embraces a mineral, flinty interpretation of the grape with almost chablis-like precision. Nougat, spiced apple, white peach and grapefruit concentrated flavours. Pure, fresh acidity is nicely integrated.

A blend of 60/40% merlot/cabernet sauvignon. Hand-picked, wild yeast fermentation, 18 months maturation in old and new French oak. A striking merlot-dominant wine of great integrity and class. Masterfully showcasing the floral beauty of merlot – violet, rose petal – with the wild herbal interplay of the other – fennel, sage, bay leaf. Plum and black cherry fruits are lifted and concentrated with fine, velvety tannins tying everything together seamlessly. Four years old and there’s so much vinous life still to enjoy.

The wine’s granitic crunch assembles dark plum, aniseed, bitter chocolate, graphite, lead and a controlled warmth and detail to a cavalcade of expansive, dusty tannins. There, but juicy, moreish and far from hard or compressed. The oak is buried by the wine’s implacable density, gushing fruit and yet, cool climate sinew, reserve and freshness. This is an absolutely superb wine that is surely among the country’s very finest merlot-dominant blends.

Chardonnay is undoubtedly Beechworth’s greatest strength. Serengale is a consistent producer of some of the region’s best, with its mixture of precision and poise. There is both brightness and depth of fruit that is impressive here as summer stone fruits, grapefruit and lemon zest arrive layered with toasted nuts and almond meal, all lightly spiced. Creamy in texture, it also possesses a driving brisk acidity which carries long. An open, confident, youthful chardonnay with ageing potential.

Hand picked, fermented in new and old French oak, indigenous yeast. Serengale style combines richness with cool-climate understatement. The result is all class. Beechworth hallmarks in lifted peach, nectarine and citrus aromas with nutty, mealy nougat notes and gentle spice. It translates into a concentrated and textural, not to mention thoroughly delicious, glass of wine … or two. And all of this in one so young.

Hand-picked fruit, fermented in a mix of old and new French oak using wild yeasts, unfiltered, minimal handling. An impressive wine giving full expression to Beechworth chardonnay with its noteworthy quiet power and intensity. Layer upon layer of citrus, grapefruit, mandarin skin, nectarine and white peach with a pinch of oak spice and grilled hazelnuts. Textural and bright and yet with so much hidden in reserve.

Hand-picked fruit, basket pressed, wild-fermented in a mix of new and old French oak. The epitome of Beechworth class, this top chardonnay reaches out and pulls you in close. Neatly composed, its fragrance is high in white flowers, summer stone fruit, mandarin and quince. With energy to burn, it wields impressive fruit concentration in tandem with bright acidity as it roams long across the palate. With such drinkability now, it may prove a challenge to age.

Hand-picked, wild yeast, 18 months in French oak. The top end of town for Beechworth, rich and opulent. It is very complex, with toasty oak and stone fruit, and a grapefruit backdrop. Acidity is another plus.

While relatively uncommon across rose’s largely Mediterranean gaze to find one crafted from cabernet, this is very good. Crunchy redcurrants pop across the mouth, plied with gentle phenolics, energetic acidity and a waft of verdant herb across the finish, allowing for no mistakes as to the varietal DNA. Lovely barrel-ferment-breadth, too.

Indigenous yeast, matured in seasoned French oak for 24 months. Merlot leads and with it comes some lovely violet and rose petal floral aromatics with black cherry, plum and wild herbs. Starting to show some development on the palate in light savoury earthy, leather characters, sage, fennel seed and fruit with a distinctive autumnal, leafy edge. The palate is supple and even.

Natural yeast fermentation, minimal handling, 24 months’ maturation in French oak. Bears all the deep spice and lively, dark-fruited focus associated with Beechworth combined with the allure of a top year. There’s plenty to like. Black cherry, bramble and plum with blackstrap licorice, vanilla, allspice and clove, combine with oak spice to deliver one fine-tuned, elegant shiraz with a long, supple finish.

From Everton Upper at the base of the Victorian Alps, grown on the granite soils that provide so much character to the wines of Beechworth. A shiraz revealing the complexity of a little bottle age. It changes in the glass in a fascinating way; get the decanter ready. At once dark plums, blackberry, toasted spice, milk chocolate aromas, then a savoury left turn, with turned earth and leather. A warm and inviting texture with hearty tannins.

This pushes the verdant line of cabernet’s envelope, with spearmint, alpine forest, bitter chocolate and beef bouillon lofting over a piercing soprano of cassis and graphite. One soon becomes accustomed to the feel, with a lithe, detailed tannic line making for textural intrigue. The oak, nicely nestled into the fold. Mid-weighted, highly savoury and very long. Just a bit garden green and piney.

Hand picked, wild-yeast fermented and matured in aged French oak. Brings the usual Serengale style of assured winemaking and class to pinot gris. Pear, baked apple, a touch of honeysuckle and spice introduce a wine smooth, silky and even. Rolls effortlessly across the tongue.

Hand-picked fruit, fermented using indigenous yeasts in open-top fermenters, matured in a mix of old and new French oak for 18 months. Unfiltered. A fine-featured young cab merlot that retains a healthy dose of Aussie bush scents, dried herbs and leaves that is immediately attractive and inviting. The palate delivers plenty of flesh and supple tannins in unison with juniper, cassis, spice with a fleck of rose.

The accompanying vinification notes indicate this wine was simply aged in old French oak. It’s an important piece of information that relates to the lovely, relaxed young shiraz found inside the bottle. It’s all about the generosity of sweet, ripe fruit, the abundance of woodsy spice, supple tannins and just the whole laid back nature of this wine. A touch old-school. Love it.

Hand picked, fermented in open fermenters, basket pressed, matured in old French oak. The makers say they fermented their merlot until it smelt like Christmas pudding. How apt. The mental picture insinuates itself into a tasting of the 5-year-old wine with its heady fruitcake, mulberry, heady spice aromas and confection notes. It offers a warm, luxuriant taste rich in plum, black cherry and chocolate panforte wrapped in supple tannins.

The traditional method has been employed to produce this little charmer of a prosecco. Bright and fresh with the scent of orchard apples, citrus blossom and pear. Keeps the mood going on the palate, gently bubbling along and finishing with crunchy lemon citrus.

Unusual wine – seems much riper than the alcohol would suggest. Repeated tasting didn’t help to find the cause.

Hand-picked fruit, fermented and matured in aged French oak barrels. A cabernet sauvignon-based rosé sporting the prettiest almond-pink hue and flavours of red cherry. Glacé fruits, dusty musk confection. Goes down smoothly.