Will Stanley

9.4

My second time trying this wine having opened my case three years ago, and the 2015 BdB from Wiston hasn’t budged an inch. It remains a taut, incredibly youthful and monolithic Chardonnay which will age well for another decade at least. While the nose is a little shy, it has great effervescence and pristine aromas of gooseberries, lemon sherbet, crushed shells and hints of bread. On the palate the wine is very singular and direct; a testament to great English Chardonnay, with massive acidity and flavours of brioche and bitter lemon, and great minerality – perhaps the most I’ve experienced in an English fizz. The finish is, well, endless, and the wine benefits greatly from time in the glass, gaining a bit of fat and broader mouthfeel. Really complex stuff, and a wine I’ll leave for another three years at least before trying again. — 5 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

Another candidate in the 41 wine lineup at the Downs Club tasted blind. Unlike many of the other candidates which had ripe black fruits from 2018, this had notes of dried meat and charcuterie. Full bodied - more savoury than fruit driven. Spinifex is a boutique Barossa producer. Winemaker is the Kiwi star, Peter Schell. Very Good. — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

At the Downs. Club magnum dinner on Wednesday night. A very rich Pinot Noir and one of New Zealand’s finest. A bit closed - needs a lot of swirling. A medium to full bodied palate. Tannins are a little coarse and grainy but I put that down to its youth. Too young to be drinking this particularly from magnum. Should be great in 10 years time. 99 points from James Suckling. — 3 years ago

Jason Keefer

9.0

First English bubbs and it was very nice. Color super vibrant! Strawberry and rhubarb, pretty dry. — a year ago

with Natasha

Chris DeMay

9.2

WineText $21.04 6/11/22 — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

The 6th wine from the Downs Club Italian dinner. Also from Magnum. Brief notes. A totally different expression from this Super Tuscan made up of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Blackberry with vanilla oak scents at this young age. Has a lot of developing still to do. Just a touch of tobacco. Infanticide to be drinking this, particularly from magnum. From the producers of the much more famous Sassicaia. — 2 years ago

S.S. Mandani

9.4

Big pastry guy as you can see. This baby never stays empty.

The wine seller calls these grapes “happy grapes.”

Plummy, rich, dark, sweet like licorice and cedar. A forest perfume of pine.

They’re definitely happy because I’m happy. This is a succulent, rich wine. A lot to enjoy. A good rouse between tannins and acid on the palate, in a good way, like an entertaining joust, a rumble in the ring, or the bull and the toreador. This is the downs I imagine Hemingway drinking from the bottle at a spontaneous picnic on the Spanish countryside in his real life The Sun Also Rises.

Dry, but not leaving you puckered and wanting more, just the right balance with a creamy mouthfeel of silken roses to follow, lingering on the palate like the twirl of the toreador’s cape in the ring. — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

Another candidate in the 41 wine list tasted blind at the Downs Club. Brief notes. Very dense in colour with a crimson rim. Rich and full bodied from a great producer showing those lovely ripe fruits from the 2018 vintage. Hard not to like. Turkey Flat has some of the oldest vines in the Barossa. — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

The 3rd wine at the Downs Club Italian Dinner. Showing the many styles possible with Nebbiolo. A soft fruit forward flavoursome Red for early consumption - light tannins, red and black fruits - dry and dusty. Nothing like a big long living Barolo. — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

At the Downs Club Magnum dinner on Wednesday night. This was the mystery wine. Probably New Zealand’s most iconic wine according to Bob Campbell MW. A lovely nose of cassis, dark fruits and spice. M plus intensity of aroma. Elegant rather than a blockbuster - great balance with controlled power. Tempted to buy some and cellar it for 10 years plus. 98 points from Bob Campbell MW. — 3 years ago