PICK & CHOOSE

Reviews of the 2025 Vermentino:

89 Points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front, April 2026:
McLaren Vale and vermentino are easy bedfellows. This is exotic in as much as when I tasted it, I immediately thought of Real Lemonade, and couldn’t get much past that. It has that distinct, strong lemony flavour, almost like an essence of lemon, and then dials in a sugary undertow, but that’s met with a touch of saltiness too. It all matches. A sense of melted Lemonade Icy Pole to it all too. And then it doesn’t quite feel sweet to finish either. Curious! And fun. Needs a very good chill, and perhaps the best of salt and pepper squid alongside.

Reviews of the 2024 Vermentino:

90 Points, James Suckling, June 2025:
Vibrant and fresh, with aromas of sliced lemons, white flowers, apple blossoms and talcum powder. The palate is light-bodied with focused acidity, a nicely constructed mouthfeel, a fresh finish and underlying concentration. Drink now. Screw cap.

“Top Five Young Gun of Wine Deep Dive: Australia's Best Vermentino ” April 2025

*Red Star Value. 93 Points, Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion, February 2025:
Picked both early in the season and the morning, this was crushed to tank for a cool ferment on skins for two weeks; pressed to old oak to finish alcoholic fermentation and go through mlf; three months' élevage. Cypress and myrtle, wild grasses, tea tree oil, chamomile, Indian tonic, martini olive, lime oil, Vietnamese mint, preserved lemon, coriander seed and grapefruit pith. It’s a briny, maritime wine – like a botanical-infused aperitif – light of weight with a feathery grip and abundant freshness. This is the second release, and the fundamentals are the same, but this steps up in poise and balance. Very good.

Reviews of the 2023 Vermentino:

92 Points, Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion, February 2024:
Low in alcohol but quite deep in colour. This was fermented cool for 14 days on skins, with free-run juice matured in old French barrels for six months. It’s the first vermentino for the Leask brothers, and it’s a distinctive iteration, with pine needles, pepperberry, myrtle, coriander seed, candied lemon peel, fennel fronds and a Lillet blanc/dry vermouth vibe. Chalky phenolics are preceded by a classic saline slip and a surprising depth of flavour for the ripeness.

Reviews of 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon: 

93 points, Campbell Mattinson, April 2026:
The fruit flavours here are so perfectly ripe; not too ripe and not too under. These flavours are complemented ably by bay leaf, tobacco, violet and cedar characters. This wine is varietal, medium in weight, well formed and well balanced, and all these things combined with the charm of the fruit makes for excellent drinking. The value speaks for itself. This is an absolute Buy. 

92 points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review, March 2026:
Deep, bright purple-red hue; aromas of crushed leaves, berries and mint rush from the glass. A firm, solid red wine that has masses of tannins and chew, concentrated fruit which is powerful, if a little primal at this stage, while the finish is very firm and begs for time. This is all potential at this early stage. 

Reviews of 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon: 

91 points, Shanteh Wale, South Australian Wine Guide 2026, November 2025:
A mix of blackberries and some pops of rosella and persimmon. Cedar, tree bark and a haze of Aussie bush. Some brown earth and gumnut. An endearing moment of red fruit, which takes us straight to the Vale, is very welcome, both on the nose and palate. This feels designed for both drinking now and medium-term cellaring. It’s also smashable, not something we say every day about Cabernet but can, depending on where it’s from. This is a humble wine at its price but full of vigour and varietal pleasure. Drink now-2032.

*Red Star Value, 93 points, Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion, September 2025:
Mainly from the Hillenvale vineyard that edges from McLaren Vale into the Adelaide Hills, with about 18% off the home Sand Road vineyard. Matured in four- to five-year-old oak. Mulberry, currant, hedgerow, violet, cedar and iodine. Some classic regional cabernet things, but there’s also an ease of delivery, a sweep of texture and finely wrought tannins, with the drinkability factor high – not always the variety’s remit. It’s a calmly progressive take on the grape, and it works very well indeed.

90 points, Campbell Mattinson, September 2025:
This is a light- to medium-weight cabernet with boysenberry, blueberry and redcurrant flavours flowing attractively into mint, violet and vanilla. It feels fresh throughout and drinks easily and well as a result.

Reviews of 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon: 

90 points, Angus Hughson, Vinous, July 2023:
The modern 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon McLaren Vale focuses on drinkability and does it well. Mulberry bush and dark cherry aromas with a solid herbal undertone provide a vibrant start. Fleshy fruits, balanced acidity and well-weighted tannins with a savory, cedary finish of good length define a juicy palate. Solid and ready to go.

92 points, James Suckling:
A bright and vivid array of blueberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants with elements of bracken, leaves and hints of chocolate, too. There’s a plush, supple feel to the palate. Medium body. Red plums and cherries throughout. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Reviews of 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon:

91 points, Halliday Companion 2022, Ned Goodwin MW:
Good-drinking cabernet at the price. Jubey, relatively soft and easygoing, without being anodyne. The extraction of 16 days seems deft in lieu of the bright attack, tannic detail and lithe, crunchy finish. Red-fruit aspersions, some garden herb and green-olive notes round out the package.

91 points, James Suckling 2021, Nick Stock:
Aromas of redcurrants and cassis with black cherries, as well as leaves and forest wood. Some florals, too. The palate comes filled with fine tannins that carry plenty of red and dark-berry flavors. Fresh, mid-weight style.

Reviews of 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon:

94 points , The Real Review, Huon Hooke:
Deep red colour with a strong purple tint. The bouquet is reserved but fresh and cabernet-berry-ish, with a lovely core of fruit sweetness at the centre surrounded by abundant soft tannins. The palate is full-bodied and elegantly cast, with classic cabernet structure and firm tannins completing the picture. The finish is refreshing. This looks to have a bright future. An excellent cabernet and astounding value.

91 points, Halliday Companion 2022, Ned Goodwin MW:
Stock-standard regional cabernet for those seeking a full-bodied red with few surprises. This oozes mint, dried sage, bitter chocolate and cassis scents, all slung over a frame of French oak and fuzzy tannins.

Reviews of 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon:

91 points, James Suckling:
Aromas of graphite, cassis and mint as well as mulberries and forest leaves. The palate has a very rich, intense core of dark cherries, blackberries and cassis. Bold, drinkable style.

Reviews of 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon:

Gold Medal at the CWSA 2017

93 points & red star value, James Halliday, August 2018:
A supremely honest McLaren Vale Cabernet, with warm blackcurrant fruit and a cache of dark chocolate, alongsidey the tannins that will emerge with age.

92 points, Gary Walsh - The Wine Front, June 2017:
Dark fruit, chocolate, a sweet dried herb lift, almost a Dutch liquorice thing too, which I love. Medium bodied, good depth to the fruit, though not heavy either, with oak in the back seat, and drinking pleasure at the wheel. Finish has a Cabernet accent, in with a gentle herbal seasoning, and no shortage of length. So well done.

93 points, Mike Bennie - Wine Business Magazine. May 2017:
This release from the creative set at Hither & Yon strikes a chord. There's a generosity to the wine, it reeks of dark plums, mocha, green herbs, dried fruits and the palate takes a similar path. The distinction here is that the flavours find a brightness even with the weight of deep, dark fruit character, and oak seasons rather than smothers. Generosity reigns well here.

Reviews of 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon:

91 points, James Halliday - Wine Companion, August 2016:
Definitive cabernet aromas hold sway, regional influence playing its part and oak chiming in. Evenly flavoured on the palate, the typical firm cabernet structure in good balance with the typical McLaren Vale generosity.

91 points, Gary Walsh - The Wine Front, August 2016:
Has a pleasant, jubey sort of Throaties® perfume, blackcurrant, blackberry and the like, with subtle spiced oak. Medium bodied, again a little jubey, but nicely done with gummy grippy tannin, freshness and energy, and a cool earthy and black olive laced finish of pleasing length. Very nice.

91 points, Wine Enthusiast (USA), March 2016:
The pitch black wine has a thin dark ruby rim.The attractive and forward nose smells of cassis, sweet spices, sugarcoated walnuts and dates. The palate layers on baked blackberries, pencil lead and dried figs. Moderately long on the finish, this wine is feisty, and youthful. Its strucutre of lightly strappy tannins, brisk acidity and its wealth of well proportioned aromas and flavours point to ageing potential. Drink now through to 2020.

90 points, Stuart Robinson, www.thevinsomniac.com, August 2015:
There's just something about the Hither & Yon wines, be it visual appeal, relative ease on the pocket, approachability without sacrificing varietal character. Consistent. That too. Cherry ripe-esque: mass of fruit over chocolate, without eschewing varietal character. Per the Hither & Yon style, a wine of easy going nature; medium-bodied elegance, suggestion of blueberry and bright fruit in general. So easy - and pleasurable - to drink, not an easy feat to achieve.

Reviews of the 2022 Carignan:

91 points, Angus Hughson, Vinous.com, April 2025:
The relatively rare 2022 Carignan has a delicious approachability bursting with blackberry, mulberry and sweet red cherry aromas, with a touch of musky plum skin. The good times continue with fleshy flavors, zippy acidity and just enough tannins to keep its streamlined shape over a generous finish. The 2022 is a fun Carignan that is hard to put down. Drinking window: 2024-2027.

16.5, Max Allen, Jancis Robinson, October 2023:
Vines planted in 2013, last red variety to be harvested in 2022, made in two batches– one free-run juice, lighter, fruitier; the other whole-berry, crushed, pressings added back, more structural – then blended for 6 months’ maturation in older puncheons. Enticing, black fruit, good vinosity, fine and focused. Keeps Carignan’s earthiness, growly tannins and gaminess as background notes, brings the delicious fruitiness into the foreground.

91 points, James Halliday Companion, Ned Goodwin MW:
This is good. Perhaps the most convincing red of the suite, particularly in light of a variety endowed with astringent mettle and inherently high acidity. Placated, toned and let loose with what feels like gentle extraction and the right sort of oak treatment. Red pastille, kirsch, bergamot and a herbal tannic twine directing the fray. Mid-weighted, fresh, intense of flavour and yet light on its feet. Immensely versatile at the table. Easy drinking.

92 points, The Wine Front:
I do enjoy Carignan, especially from creaking old vines, though this offering from a vineyard planted in 2014 shows a fresher face, but still has excellent varietal character. Red and blue fruits, a little ironstone and scrub herb perfume, even some choc-liquorice. It’s medium-bodied, gently saline and savoury, light grip of tannin, good freshness and perfume, and offers a chewy finish of solid length, with a bit of amaro/orange peel trailing. Lots of character, and good to drink. Like it.

Reviews of the 2021 Carignan:

90 points, MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator, December 2023:
This has a wonderful energy to the core of red fruit flavors, including wild strawberry, cranberry and maraschino cherry. Reveals hints of clove-heavy chai tea that are supple, juicy and plush on the long finish. Drink now.

92 points, James Halliday Companion, Ned Goodwin MW:
Grapes like this excite me. They are torrid and equipped with natural astringency and bright acidity, something that most traditional grapes in these parts lack. And? The wines have tension, detail and the savoury sort of lattice between fruit and finish that is required for a second glass. This is handled orchestrally. Red fruits, thyme, rosemary and scrub. A deft approach to gentle extraction that renders character without carignan's facility for hardness. Simple. Perhaps. But a tattoo of crushable drinkability reads 'thrills with a chill'.

Reviews of the 2020 Carignan:

92 points, James Suckling 2021, Nick Stock:
Such attractive, brambly raspberry and blackberry aromas here with a flurry of wild herbs, too. So fresh. The palate has vibrant red-berry flavors that sit lively, framed in bright, easy tannins. Very drinkable now.

91 points, Halliday Companion 2022, Ned Goodwin:
I can't think of many varieties better suited to the dry Mediterranean climate of McLaren Vale. Able to withstand torrid conditions while embedding its wines with a wiry cage of tannin and bright acidity, carignan is one of many tickets into the future. This producer champions plenty of others. A partial wild fermentation and short élevage in older French wood intuits promise: cherry pith, thyme, mint, liquorice. The tannins, as expected. Thrills with a chill.

Reviews of the 2019 Carignan:

91 points, The Real Review, Huon Hooke:
Bright, medium to deep red/purple colour. The nose is savoury, earthy as well as plummy, dark fruits driving the wine. A hint of pepper. Medium to full-bodied, abundant tannins which are powdery and supple. Some chocolate. Good drinking already and will take some age.

91 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front:
Vibrant, forest berry fruitiness, sprigs of green herb, minty notes, peppery stuff. Palate is light and lithe, sizzles with tart acidity in a good way, shows a feathery lick of earthy tannin. Spice, cranberry, kind of transparent, exotic things, it’s interesting and good. I like it. A bit amaro?

91 points, James Suckling:
This has red-flower and leafy aromas, as well as some earthy nuances. Vibrant raspberries and tart red cherries. Succulent appealingly fresh raspberries and redcurrants on the palate with fine, crisp tannins.

Reviews of the 2023 Touriga Tempranillo:

92 Points, Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion, February 2025:
From the home Sand Road vineyard. The 80/20% touriga/tempranillo were vinified separately, but both were destemmed and raised in older oak before blending and spending three months in tank. This is thoroughly Iberian in feel, with lilting red and purple florals across slurpy blue and black fruits. Black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, violet, lavender, dried thyme, dark spices and bitter chocolate, underpinned by a regional ferrous note. It’s pulpy, but savoury, too, the balance of varieties harmonious. It would be great with charred lamb and caponata, or the like.

90 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review, February 2025:
Deep purple colour; sweet herb and raspberry/red fruit aromas, a trace of cola. The wine is soft and medium-full bodied, young and fruity but also approachable and drinking well already, not simplistic/raw fruit but something more.

Reviews of the 2022 Touriga Tempranillo:

93 points, Silver Medal, 2024 National Wine Show

95 points, Gold Medal, McLaren Vale Wine Show 2023

93 Points, The Vintage Journal Summer Wine Guide 2023:
Bright cherry ruby. This opens up with a delicious core of berry fruits - blackberry and dark cherry laced with red strawberry and tobacco spice. It then flows through to a chocolate, inky and earthy core of flavour with tannin torque through to a beautifully sustained finish. Very impressive.

92 Points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, April 2023:
These blokes make some very tasty wine. So purple and intense. There’s salted plum, sarsaparilla, violet, a fair bit of ozone, dark chocolate and liquorice, and toasted hazelnut. Fleshy and ripe, all the toasted nuts and cherry chocolate, are also quite salty and umami, with silty tannin, lavish flavour, ferrous and wheaty, with a rich finish.

Reviews of the 2021 Touriga Tempranillo:

89 Points, MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator, December 2023:
Starts with blueberry syrup, black liquorice and floral details of violet, segueing to toasted green tea on the juicy core. Reveals firming, earthy tannins and a hint of fresh mint on the finish, Touriga Nacional and Tempranillo. Drink now.

16.5/20 Jancis Robinson, September 2023:
Pleasing dark fruit with the black tea-leaf note that I sometimes associate with Tempranillo. Finish has lots of medicinal qualities, proper complexity and fragrance. Savoury and tight in structure. (RH).

94 Points,  Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal, December 2022:
Medium crimson. Musky plum, blueberry, red cherry aromas with lifted aniseed notes. Subtle, sweet and juicy with blue fruits, slinky loose knit tannins and refreshing pure acidity. Finish is chalk and mineral. Attractive early fruit forward drinking style. Drink now, soon.

92 points, Wine Advocate 2022, Erin Larkin:
The 2021 Touriga Tempranillo is layered with salted licorice, pomegranate, raspberry leaf tea, garden mint and brine. This is thoroughly enjoyable and not at all the "prohibitively tannic" wine I was expecting. (I love tannins, and these are very fine.) It is mineral and juicy and all kinds of good. Highly recommended.

92 points, The Wine Front 2022, Mike Bennie:
Touriga and Tempranillo, blended for your pleasure. Oof, so purple-fruited, juicy-slurpy and outrageously delicious. It’s inky dark in colour and vibrant as all get out, a cavalcade of raspberry liquorice, blood plums, woody spice and cherry cola. Gently savoury in all that too, but its way more about that friendly and bombastic nature and a vivid portal to the varieties, with come-hither attractive everything. While it does all this, it sits quietly complex in its detail too. A no brainer. Slosh it around with abandon.

92 points, Halliday Companion 2022, Ned Goodwin:
This is delicious drinking, attesting to the future of the Vale as makers become more proficient with better suited varieties. Touriga services the floral perfume and vibrancy, while Tempranillo fills the mid-palate with dark cherry, thyme, mint and sage, pushing the flavours long across a twine of dusty chamois tannins. Mid-weighted of feel, immensely versatile and nicely savoury.

Reviews of 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon: 

93 points, Campbell Mattinson, April 2026:
The fruit flavours here are so perfectly ripe; not too ripe and not too under. These flavours are complemented ably by bay leaf, tobacco, violet and cedar characters. This wine is varietal, medium in weight, well formed and well balanced, and all these things combined with the charm of the fruit makes for excellent drinking. The value speaks for itself. This is an absolute Buy. 

92 points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review, March 2026:
Deep, bright purple-red hue; aromas of crushed leaves, berries and mint rush from the glass. A firm, solid red wine that has masses of tannins and chew, concentrated fruit which is powerful, if a little primal at this stage, while the finish is very firm and begs for time. This is all potential at this early stage. 

Reviews of 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon: 

91 points, Shanteh Wale, South Australian Wine Guide 2026, November 2025:
A mix of blackberries and some pops of rosella and persimmon. Cedar, tree bark and a haze of Aussie bush. Some brown earth and gumnut. An endearing moment of red fruit, which takes us straight to the Vale, is very welcome, both on the nose and palate. This feels designed for both drinking now and medium-term cellaring. It’s also smashable, not something we say every day about Cabernet but can, depending on where it’s from. This is a humble wine at its price but full of vigour and varietal pleasure. Drink now-2032.

*Red Star Value, 93 points, Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion, September 2025:
Mainly from the Hillenvale vineyard that edges from McLaren Vale into the Adelaide Hills, with about 18% off the home Sand Road vineyard. Matured in four- to five-year-old oak. Mulberry, currant, hedgerow, violet, cedar and iodine. Some classic regional cabernet things, but there’s also an ease of delivery, a sweep of texture and finely wrought tannins, with the drinkability factor high – not always the variety’s remit. It’s a calmly progressive take on the grape, and it works very well indeed.

90 points, Campbell Mattinson, September 2025:
This is a light- to medium-weight cabernet with boysenberry, blueberry and redcurrant flavours flowing attractively into mint, violet and vanilla. It feels fresh throughout and drinks easily and well as a result.

Reviews of 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon: 

90 points, Angus Hughson, Vinous, July 2023:
The modern 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon McLaren Vale focuses on drinkability and does it well. Mulberry bush and dark cherry aromas with a solid herbal undertone provide a vibrant start. Fleshy fruits, balanced acidity and well-weighted tannins with a savory, cedary finish of good length define a juicy palate. Solid and ready to go.

92 points, James Suckling:
A bright and vivid array of blueberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants with elements of bracken, leaves and hints of chocolate, too. There’s a plush, supple feel to the palate. Medium body. Red plums and cherries throughout. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Reviews of 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon:

91 points, Halliday Companion 2022, Ned Goodwin MW:
Good-drinking cabernet at the price. Jubey, relatively soft and easygoing, without being anodyne. The extraction of 16 days seems deft in lieu of the bright attack, tannic detail and lithe, crunchy finish. Red-fruit aspersions, some garden herb and green-olive notes round out the package.

91 points, James Suckling 2021, Nick Stock:
Aromas of redcurrants and cassis with black cherries, as well as leaves and forest wood. Some florals, too. The palate comes filled with fine tannins that carry plenty of red and dark-berry flavors. Fresh, mid-weight style.

Reviews of 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon:

94 points , The Real Review, Huon Hooke:
Deep red colour with a strong purple tint. The bouquet is reserved but fresh and cabernet-berry-ish, with a lovely core of fruit sweetness at the centre surrounded by abundant soft tannins. The palate is full-bodied and elegantly cast, with classic cabernet structure and firm tannins completing the picture. The finish is refreshing. This looks to have a bright future. An excellent cabernet and astounding value.

91 points, Halliday Companion 2022, Ned Goodwin MW:
Stock-standard regional cabernet for those seeking a full-bodied red with few surprises. This oozes mint, dried sage, bitter chocolate and cassis scents, all slung over a frame of French oak and fuzzy tannins.

Reviews of 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon:

91 points, James Suckling:
Aromas of graphite, cassis and mint as well as mulberries and forest leaves. The palate has a very rich, intense core of dark cherries, blackberries and cassis. Bold, drinkable style.

Reviews of 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon:

Gold Medal at the CWSA 2017

93 points & red star value, James Halliday, August 2018:
A supremely honest McLaren Vale Cabernet, with warm blackcurrant fruit and a cache of dark chocolate, alongsidey the tannins that will emerge with age.

92 points, Gary Walsh - The Wine Front, June 2017:
Dark fruit, chocolate, a sweet dried herb lift, almost a Dutch liquorice thing too, which I love. Medium bodied, good depth to the fruit, though not heavy either, with oak in the back seat, and drinking pleasure at the wheel. Finish has a Cabernet accent, in with a gentle herbal seasoning, and no shortage of length. So well done.

93 points, Mike Bennie - Wine Business Magazine. May 2017:
This release from the creative set at Hither & Yon strikes a chord. There's a generosity to the wine, it reeks of dark plums, mocha, green herbs, dried fruits and the palate takes a similar path. The distinction here is that the flavours find a brightness even with the weight of deep, dark fruit character, and oak seasons rather than smothers. Generosity reigns well here.

Reviews of 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon:

91 points, James Halliday - Wine Companion, August 2016:
Definitive cabernet aromas hold sway, regional influence playing its part and oak chiming in. Evenly flavoured on the palate, the typical firm cabernet structure in good balance with the typical McLaren Vale generosity.

91 points, Gary Walsh - The Wine Front, August 2016:
Has a pleasant, jubey sort of Throaties® perfume, blackcurrant, blackberry and the like, with subtle spiced oak. Medium bodied, again a little jubey, but nicely done with gummy grippy tannin, freshness and energy, and a cool earthy and black olive laced finish of pleasing length. Very nice.

91 points, Wine Enthusiast (USA), March 2016:
The pitch black wine has a thin dark ruby rim.The attractive and forward nose smells of cassis, sweet spices, sugarcoated walnuts and dates. The palate layers on baked blackberries, pencil lead and dried figs. Moderately long on the finish, this wine is feisty, and youthful. Its strucutre of lightly strappy tannins, brisk acidity and its wealth of well proportioned aromas and flavours point to ageing potential. Drink now through to 2020.

90 points, Stuart Robinson, www.thevinsomniac.com, August 2015:
There's just something about the Hither & Yon wines, be it visual appeal, relative ease on the pocket, approachability without sacrificing varietal character. Consistent. That too. Cherry ripe-esque: mass of fruit over chocolate, without eschewing varietal character. Per the Hither & Yon style, a wine of easy going nature; medium-bodied elegance, suggestion of blueberry and bright fruit in general. So easy - and pleasurable - to drink, not an easy feat to achieve.

Reviews of the 2023 Touriga Tempranillo:

92 Points, Marcus Ellis, Halliday Wine Companion, February 2025:
From the home Sand Road vineyard. The 80/20% touriga/tempranillo were vinified separately, but both were destemmed and raised in older oak before blending and spending three months in tank. This is thoroughly Iberian in feel, with lilting red and purple florals across slurpy blue and black fruits. Black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, violet, lavender, dried thyme, dark spices and bitter chocolate, underpinned by a regional ferrous note. It’s pulpy, but savoury, too, the balance of varieties harmonious. It would be great with charred lamb and caponata, or the like.

90 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review, February 2025:
Deep purple colour; sweet herb and raspberry/red fruit aromas, a trace of cola. The wine is soft and medium-full bodied, young and fruity but also approachable and drinking well already, not simplistic/raw fruit but something more.

Reviews of the 2022 Touriga Tempranillo:

93 points, Silver Medal, 2024 National Wine Show

95 points, Gold Medal, McLaren Vale Wine Show 2023

93 Points, The Vintage Journal Summer Wine Guide 2023:
Bright cherry ruby. This opens up with a delicious core of berry fruits - blackberry and dark cherry laced with red strawberry and tobacco spice. It then flows through to a chocolate, inky and earthy core of flavour with tannin torque through to a beautifully sustained finish. Very impressive.

92 Points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, April 2023:
These blokes make some very tasty wine. So purple and intense. There’s salted plum, sarsaparilla, violet, a fair bit of ozone, dark chocolate and liquorice, and toasted hazelnut. Fleshy and ripe, all the toasted nuts and cherry chocolate, are also quite salty and umami, with silty tannin, lavish flavour, ferrous and wheaty, with a rich finish.

Reviews of the 2021 Touriga Tempranillo:

89 Points, MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator, December 2023:
Starts with blueberry syrup, black liquorice and floral details of violet, segueing to toasted green tea on the juicy core. Reveals firming, earthy tannins and a hint of fresh mint on the finish, Touriga Nacional and Tempranillo. Drink now.

16.5/20 Jancis Robinson, September 2023:
Pleasing dark fruit with the black tea-leaf note that I sometimes associate with Tempranillo. Finish has lots of medicinal qualities, proper complexity and fragrance. Savoury and tight in structure. (RH).

94 Points,  Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal, December 2022:
Medium crimson. Musky plum, blueberry, red cherry aromas with lifted aniseed notes. Subtle, sweet and juicy with blue fruits, slinky loose knit tannins and refreshing pure acidity. Finish is chalk and mineral. Attractive early fruit forward drinking style. Drink now, soon.

92 points, Wine Advocate 2022, Erin Larkin:
The 2021 Touriga Tempranillo is layered with salted licorice, pomegranate, raspberry leaf tea, garden mint and brine. This is thoroughly enjoyable and not at all the "prohibitively tannic" wine I was expecting. (I love tannins, and these are very fine.) It is mineral and juicy and all kinds of good. Highly recommended.

92 points, The Wine Front 2022, Mike Bennie:
Touriga and Tempranillo, blended for your pleasure. Oof, so purple-fruited, juicy-slurpy and outrageously delicious. It’s inky dark in colour and vibrant as all get out, a cavalcade of raspberry liquorice, blood plums, woody spice and cherry cola. Gently savoury in all that too, but its way more about that friendly and bombastic nature and a vivid portal to the varieties, with come-hither attractive everything. While it does all this, it sits quietly complex in its detail too. A no brainer. Slosh it around with abandon.

92 points, Halliday Companion 2022, Ned Goodwin:
This is delicious drinking, attesting to the future of the Vale as makers become more proficient with better suited varieties. Touriga services the floral perfume and vibrancy, while Tempranillo fills the mid-palate with dark cherry, thyme, mint and sage, pushing the flavours long across a twine of dusty chamois tannins. Mid-weighted of feel, immensely versatile and nicely savoury.

Reviews of the 2022 Carignan:

91 points, Angus Hughson, Vinous.com, April 2025:
The relatively rare 2022 Carignan has a delicious approachability bursting with blackberry, mulberry and sweet red cherry aromas, with a touch of musky plum skin. The good times continue with fleshy flavors, zippy acidity and just enough tannins to keep its streamlined shape over a generous finish. The 2022 is a fun Carignan that is hard to put down. Drinking window: 2024-2027.

16.5, Max Allen, Jancis Robinson, October 2023:
Vines planted in 2013, last red variety to be harvested in 2022, made in two batches– one free-run juice, lighter, fruitier; the other whole-berry, crushed, pressings added back, more structural – then blended for 6 months’ maturation in older puncheons. Enticing, black fruit, good vinosity, fine and focused. Keeps Carignan’s earthiness, growly tannins and gaminess as background notes, brings the delicious fruitiness into the foreground.

91 points, James Halliday Companion, Ned Goodwin MW:
This is good. Perhaps the most convincing red of the suite, particularly in light of a variety endowed with astringent mettle and inherently high acidity. Placated, toned and let loose with what feels like gentle extraction and the right sort of oak treatment. Red pastille, kirsch, bergamot and a herbal tannic twine directing the fray. Mid-weighted, fresh, intense of flavour and yet light on its feet. Immensely versatile at the table. Easy drinking.

92 points, The Wine Front:
I do enjoy Carignan, especially from creaking old vines, though this offering from a vineyard planted in 2014 shows a fresher face, but still has excellent varietal character. Red and blue fruits, a little ironstone and scrub herb perfume, even some choc-liquorice. It’s medium-bodied, gently saline and savoury, light grip of tannin, good freshness and perfume, and offers a chewy finish of solid length, with a bit of amaro/orange peel trailing. Lots of character, and good to drink. Like it.

Reviews of the 2021 Carignan:

90 points, MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator, December 2023:
This has a wonderful energy to the core of red fruit flavors, including wild strawberry, cranberry and maraschino cherry. Reveals hints of clove-heavy chai tea that are supple, juicy and plush on the long finish. Drink now.

92 points, James Halliday Companion, Ned Goodwin MW:
Grapes like this excite me. They are torrid and equipped with natural astringency and bright acidity, something that most traditional grapes in these parts lack. And? The wines have tension, detail and the savoury sort of lattice between fruit and finish that is required for a second glass. This is handled orchestrally. Red fruits, thyme, rosemary and scrub. A deft approach to gentle extraction that renders character without carignan's facility for hardness. Simple. Perhaps. But a tattoo of crushable drinkability reads 'thrills with a chill'.

Reviews of the 2020 Carignan:

92 points, James Suckling 2021, Nick Stock:
Such attractive, brambly raspberry and blackberry aromas here with a flurry of wild herbs, too. So fresh. The palate has vibrant red-berry flavors that sit lively, framed in bright, easy tannins. Very drinkable now.

91 points, Halliday Companion 2022, Ned Goodwin:
I can't think of many varieties better suited to the dry Mediterranean climate of McLaren Vale. Able to withstand torrid conditions while embedding its wines with a wiry cage of tannin and bright acidity, carignan is one of many tickets into the future. This producer champions plenty of others. A partial wild fermentation and short élevage in older French wood intuits promise: cherry pith, thyme, mint, liquorice. The tannins, as expected. Thrills with a chill.

Reviews of the 2019 Carignan:

91 points, The Real Review, Huon Hooke:
Bright, medium to deep red/purple colour. The nose is savoury, earthy as well as plummy, dark fruits driving the wine. A hint of pepper. Medium to full-bodied, abundant tannins which are powdery and supple. Some chocolate. Good drinking already and will take some age.

91 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front:
Vibrant, forest berry fruitiness, sprigs of green herb, minty notes, peppery stuff. Palate is light and lithe, sizzles with tart acidity in a good way, shows a feathery lick of earthy tannin. Spice, cranberry, kind of transparent, exotic things, it’s interesting and good. I like it. A bit amaro?

91 points, James Suckling:
This has red-flower and leafy aromas, as well as some earthy nuances. Vibrant raspberries and tart red cherries. Succulent appealingly fresh raspberries and redcurrants on the palate with fine, crisp tannins.