Bob McDonald

9.5

Brief notes. Had my last bottle on 17th August and it was sublime. More fulsome with less citric acid than the early years. Notes of mandarin and a little white peach on the palate. Not a hint of petrol/kerosene. Worth the patience to cellar it for 11 years. Tim Kirk, the winemaker reckons you could cellar it for 15 years. — a month ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

See previous notes for this Cuvée - a Shiraz Viognier from the ACT made by Bryan Martin who is the winemaker at the nearby and famous Clonakilla, for Tim Kirk. Pepper and Spice with Charcuterie - in fact like a junior version of Clonakilla. Interestingly the large label has pencil images of charcuterie in a butcher’s shop. Also excellent QPR. My last bottle. — 5 months ago

Travis W

9.0

Top shelf Riesling. Aging beautifully. Drank over two days. Love aged Canberra district Riesling. Generally I've found that they need at least a decade to integrate. Balance of citrus fruits and talc. So different from Eden and Clare. This will go another decade easily. — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Pale Lemon in colour. White peach notes on nose and palate along with herbal and Lime notes - a little grapefruit. Overall the impression of ripe grapes in a really good season gives one the impression of almost off dry but it is dry. Not as much tension as a few years ago - this being my last bottle. At its peak if you like mature Riesling with a swipe of cleansing acidity to finish off. Again, little or no kerosene or petrol notes which I am starting to believe is a wine fault and the subject of sunburnt grapes as Canberra Riesling producer Ken Helm once told me. 3 Trophies and many Gold Medals on the Show Circuit. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.7

Initially oak aromas which blew off. Indian spices - more savoury than fruity. Balanced. More than a nod to the Northern Rhone in its structure and tasting profile. A trace of white pepper. Always the best Shiraz Viognier in Australia from Murrumbateman near Canberra. Understated yet delicious. Superb. Perhaps not as spicy fragrant as the really great Clonakilla Shiraz Viogniers of earlier years but with a very long life ahead, like up to 2040 who knows how good the perfume will be then? — 2 months ago

Helen Arvanitopoulos

9.3

A beautiful Canberra Shiraz I had with an amazing T Bone steak up in the blue mountains in front of an open fireplace. Beyond. — a year ago

Bob McDonald

9.7

A Collection of great Australian Reds - Christmas break up of the Tennis Group. This or the Wynns Centenary would have been the WOTN. A Delicious balanced mature claret showing leather spice with noticeable mocha , like coffee grounds. Cruising at 32 years and will sit on the plateau for a while yet. The Reserve was the forerunner to what Yalumba now call The Caley which is now their flagship. A top shelf Cabernet Shiraz from a great vintage utilising Yalumba’s extensive vineyard resources. — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Pear and apple notes on nose and palate - a touch of ginger. M+ intensity on the medium bodied palate - low acid. Coincidentally, last night I was at the Yalumba dinner at the Downs Club and sitting near Louisa Rose, ex winemaker and now Ambassador for Yalumba. Nobody in Australia would know more about the Viognier grape than Louisa. Yalumba pioneered its use and “The Virgilius” would be the leading example in Australia but this Clonakilla is also outstanding. — 4 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

See previous note from June 2019. Red florals, spice (cinnamon and nutmeg) and a little pepper. More Syrah than Shiraz if you know what I mean. The medium +bodied palate showing red and blue fruits with savoury spices. Clonakilla is very much more known for their stellar Shiraz/Viognier ( the best Cuvée of that blend in Australia). However this 100% Syrah is a wonderful expression. I’m considering the current release. Next bottle in a few years. — 10 months ago

Scott Rowe

9.2

Killer Chardonnay. We have been seeing some great gear across the tasting bench of late. — 4 years ago