2021 Halliday Wine Companion Results
“The common theme of these wines is brightness and freshness of the varietal fruit expression, coupled with effortless balance and length. He [Alan Varney] is a brilliant winemaker. His ability to draw the varietal heart of each wine he makes is extraordinary”
- James Halliday AM, Wine Companion, August 5th 2020
View our Halliday listing here.
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2017 GSM
“A 38/32/30% grenache shiraz mourvedre blend. Multiply the '17 vintage with Alan Varney's vinous beliefs and the quality of each piece in the jigsaw puzzle has been put in place. Its complexity knows no bounds, savoury yet sweet, the mouthwatering flavours leading me close to drooling.”
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2017 Shiraz
“From vineyards in Clarendon, Tatachilla and Macclesfield, cold-soaked, 5% whole bunches, destemmed, not crushed, 14-22 days on skins, fermented with custom-made headed down open top fermenters, pressed to mature barrels for 10 months, 84 dozen made. Everything to love about the wine: the spicy/savoury input of '17, the mouthwatering texture, the evocative call of a wine blended with such skill, yet keeping the blend under cover.”
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2019 Grenache
"From a 60yo bushvine vineyard, picked slightly early to retain its natural acidity and vibrancy. Partial whole bunch carbonic maceration, 14 days on skins in the open fermenter with gentle plunging, pressed to one used French hogshead, matured for 8 months, 33 dozen made. Message to all grenache growers: this is from another planet."
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2018 Chardonnay
"From a single block planted '99 at 390m at Echunga. Hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, wild-fermented in 2-3yo French barriques, matured for 7 months with frequent stirring, 85 dozen made. This is no pushover. It has considerable attitude and push-back on the long, tenacious oak and finish."
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2018 ‘Entrada’ Grenache Mourvèdre Touriga
"The 60/30/10% blend was cold-soaked for 3-5 days, partial whole bunch fermentation, thence to used French barriques for a short maturation. It's light-bodied, but that counterintuitively serves to highlight the rainbow of red, purple, blue and black fruit flavours."
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2019 ‘Entrada’ Rosé of Grenache
"From 60yo bushvines in Blewitt Springs, crushed and destemmed, 90% cool-fermented in tank, 10% wild-fermented in used French barriques to add palate weight. Bright, clear puce, it is fresh, fruity and finishes bone dry. This means - a la Spanish manzanilla - it can be served with literally anything. Can't be faulted."
