Trophy or 96+ Points: Mixed Reds Edition

Unequivocally the finest of the five vintages of Revelation that have been released between 2010 and 2024, this is made in tiny quantities; fewer than 3,000 bottles were produced of this flagship Kilikanoon Shiraz.

Every vintage thus far has been compared favourably to Penfolds Grange and the 24 whilst not having drawn that comparison already has a 98 point score under its belt. Handpicked grapes from an 80 year old contoured vineyard in Gomersal; long, slow fermentation including more than 10% whole bunch fruit before basket pressing into 30% new oak inc. both French and American. A stunningly perfumed nose leads to a palate with exceptional structure and richness. Blue fruits, black fruits, coffee, cherries, red plum, dark chocolate, spice and fine, powdery tannins to finish. A pinnacle Barossa Shiraz experience.

97 points from James Halliday (incidentally this is the same score the last 2 winners of the Halliday Annual Cabernet Challenge received).

This is luxe, bounteous and exceptionally powerful. Double decant a few hours before drinking, or drink it over several days and watch it evolve.

Black tea, cedar, anise, mulberry, violet, black liquorice and masses of silky mouthcoating tannins and a real finesse to the palate shape. Symphonic fruit which builds to a mighty crescendo.

Another delicious release of Hillside Shiraz from low yielding vineyards in Marananga, old vines from Stonewell, planted to the R6 and 1654 clones. There’s old vine fruit from Greenock, the vines so old that the clonal selection is unknown. Matured in a combination of new French and older American oak, this is a stunning Barossa Shiraz offering black fruits, blue fruits, blackberries, coffee, graphite, chocolate, minerals, liquorice, spice, blueberries, cedar and firm tannins.

A first release Reserve Cabernets from Leconfield. Huon Hooks gave it 97 points, marking this as one of the finest reds he's reviewed in the last year.

Kim Brebach wrote, 'The best red I’ve tasted in the last 6 months'. - 96pts

This blend sees Leconfield's finest Cab Sauv co-fermented with Merlot and Cab Franc, resulting in the perfectly harmonious integration of flavours. Deep in colour; the nose is fresh, and bright, offering dark fruit aromas, cedar, cigar box and dark chocolate. It balances richness with elegance beautifully and finishes with perfectly modulated fine tannins. Exceptional already, and has a long future ahead of it.

Rich and black, with sweet fruit balanced perfectly by savoury notes. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate and velvety goodness here. A superb follow-up to the excellent 2017 and 2021 vintages.

A tightly coiled Cab that needs a little coaxing by way of an hour or 2 in the decanter. While that's happening, turn your thoughts to lamb and what you might be eating in an hour or 2 when the wine is cherry ripe. Funnily enough, we found cherries here, along with blackcurrant, cocoa, tomato leaf and a plushness emerging from an intense baseline once the wine had gulped a little air. You can see the promise on opening, but post decanting, the Trophy and gold medals this wine has won make a great deal of sense.

The Martins has maintained the exceptionally high standard it set with the 2018 vintage. Fruits are blacks and blues, with blueberries, blackberries, olive tapenade, dark chocolate, plentiful cedar and vanilla populating a powerful and long palate. The tannins are polished, waxy and plentiful. The best Martin's yet!

This is a stunner every year. With 25% of the fruit added to the ferment as whole bunches to give perfume and zest, the remaining fruit is hand plunged and basket pressed into big, old oak where it spends almost a year sitting on its solids, adding texture and class. Has stunning intensity of bright fruit aromas and flavours of cherry and raspberry along with spice, herbs and superfine tannins. A Gold, Top Gold and Trophy Winner at the Adelaide Show.

Another spellbinding Alcala Grenache; estate grown and entirely sourced from the Firehawk Farm vineyard. Ripe plush fruits of dark cherries and strawberry. Plenty of punchy, exaggerated aromatics from the high % of whole bunch in the ferment and a significant whack of new French oak. Brimming with life, bold, yet nuanced of fruit and just gorgeous.

The Grenache (from 95 year old bush vines) was fermented on skins for 10 days after harvest with a small element of whole bunch. The Shiraz is from Blewitt Springs and fermented on skins for 8 days then pressings were added back in. Both wines were then transferred to 8 and 9 year old barrels for the wines to develop without the intrusion of oak flavour.

This is a magnificent blend of robust, full bodied Shiraz with spice and chocolate offset by the juicy red and blue fruits of old vine Grenache. A wonderful wine to enjoy now but the structure suggests it has 10-15 years of improvement ahead of it.