• French oak
• Dark cherry & raspberry
• Toasted spice & cedar
• Fine, polished tannins

"Delightfully fruited and complex, the wine shows dark cherry, thyme, cedar, toasted spice and dark mushroom characters. The palate delivers excellent weight and finely layered mouthfeel brilliantly complemented by fleshy texture and polished tannins, leading to a persistent silky finish. At its best: now to 2024" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, May 2020

"Soft and fruity, quite floral and seductive - aromas and perfumes of cherry and rose, raspberry and a touch of dried thyme, a quiet softly spoken oak layer with brown spices of oak and a touch of wood smoke. On the palate - tense, dry, fruity and poised. A youthful textured wine with firm tannins and an abundance of acidity. Flavours of red fruits mirror the nose as do the wood spices of french oak and wild herbs of the Bendigo Hills. A wine that will develop and age well over the coming 2-4 years. ideal drinking from early 2021 through 2026. Decant for service throughout this time" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier

"Bright, ruby-red colour, lighter on the rim. The nose is coy with gentle notes of dark ripened cherries and sweet plums, unveiling perfume and oak spices. Dry on the palate, sweet scent of black cherries and plums balanced by the right amount of acidity; medium-bodied hauled by silky fine tannin, melded herbaceous fragrant with nutty notes from barrels and seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg spices and a subtle tone of liquorice. This wine shows a sense of place with restrained alcohol, serene acidity and underlying fine-grained tannin extraction. The wine is youthful with plush, sweet-scented ripe fruit with a lightness, serene acidity; firm but silky fine tannin contribute to the weight and texture, providing backbone, layered with herbaceous fragrant, nutty oak and spices. Enjoy with game meat over the next 5+ years. Fruit from Bendigo flat and Chinaman's Terrace, 23% whole bunch, aged 11 months in French oak" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, May 2020

Aromas of plum, dark cherry, red licorice and rosemary on the nose with the addition of raspberry and cassis on the palate. This sexy, understated wine exudes elegance with persistent bright red fruit, fine tannins and enduring freshness. The athletic frame speaks of its “classic” Bendigo origins, yet it’s supple and graceful side show a character less often found in the sub-region. It’s class in a glass!

The hand harvested fruit was picked from each vineyard at optimal ripeness which occurred on average one month earlier than normal in 2018. The lower (warmer) site was harvested first with the two clones co-fermented in one vessel with 20% whole clusters. The terraced site came a week or so later and was fermented in 2 vessels with 15-25% whole clusters. Including fermentation of about seven days, the average time on skins was 25 days. All three ferments were pressed to 2bar with no press cuts and were settled over night before going to barrel. The wine underwent full malolactic fermentation and was aged in fine grain french oak barrels (28% new) for around 11 months before all components were blended in preparation for bottling.