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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.