Appealing in its savouriness as much as the fruit profile, which is centred on red and tart cherries, plus pips. Lots of herbs in the mix. Freshly rolled tobacco, woodsy spices and a blood-orange tang all fill out the mid-weighted palate. This has lively acidity yet quite chewy, sinewy tannins and is drying on the finish. Points: 90/100
Nick Spencer cut his teeth at the highly successful Eden Road Wines in the Canberra district before heading out on his own. He sources fruit from regions that aren’t yet household names but still produce quality fruit. Here he takes the Italian variety Sangiovese, adds 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (thus creating what is akin to a ‘Super Tuscan,’ a nod to the French/Italian power blends from Tuscany). Winemaking sees open vats for fermentation before 14 months maturation in 200L Amphora. Minimal sulphites and vegan friendly. Bright, floral and earthy nose: sour cherries, violets, black olive, red jelly crystals with a herbal core of tobacco, oregano and thyme. There’s a wet sand, damp turned fresh sod, roast almond earthiness that acts as a base. Alive and lifted: mid weight elegance of flavour with sandy, tight and crunchy tannins before being decorated with a regional acid flourish. Lingering cherry off-set with cassis, drinking chocolate and black olive. An extra point for drinkability. Points: 94/100
I think Nick Spencer said that this wine is amphora, but also has a little oak this vintage, to flesh things out a little. Cherry, strawberry, some tobacco and spice, almond and liquorice. It’s medium-bodied, cherry and nuts, some savoury flourishes of tobacco and dried herb, a chamois-like chew to tannin, with some grainy grip on a slightly sappy finish of good length. Well, this seems more like it. So there you go. Points: 92/100
