www.jamessuckling.com, March 2024
by Ned Goodwin
The Laird 2019
96 points
A warm, low-yielding vintage. Sourced from vineyards dating from the 1960s, prone to cooling afternoon breezes that facilitate a long hang-time and supple tannins. Violet, clove and cardamon notes. A complex potpourri of spices confers savoriness to the blue and black fruit. The oak is toasty but well placed to corral and compress the fruit rather than overwhelm it. Drinkable now, but best from 2028.
The Forebear 2019
97 points
A brand new cuvee. The inaugural release comprises fruit from a proprietary property in Lyndoch, documented as the second winery built in the Barossa Valley. Vineyard planted in 1850s on its own rootstock. I really like this. An earlier picked site, spending two years in oak and three years in the bottle pre-release. Despite the typical Barossan weight, there is ample freshness. Baking spice, licorice, saturated dark fruit, iodine and forest accents. The tannin structure is chewy and nourishing. Long finish. Plenty to get the teeth into. This is an excellent wine. Drinkable now, but best from 2030.
The Struie 2022
96 points
Some new oak here, as the material creeps into the older vine zone (60-70 years). Molten aromas of blueberries, lilacs, apricots and iodine, as if there was some viognier in the mix, so lifted and floral is the nose. Typical Eden-Valley lift. Full-bodied yet taut, refined and prodigiously long. If refinement is a construct in a region known for power, this is among the most refined wines of the region. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.
The Factor 2021
95 points
Northern Barossa sourcing, encompassing Ebenezer and Moppa. Quintessentially old school. Chocolate, dried fruit, clove, coffee bean and densely packed dark berry allusions, all compressed by a swathe of licorice tannins, funneling the forceful finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.
Descendant 2021
95 points
A tad of viognier added to shiraz propagated as a massale selection. No new oak, but uses second-fill barrels that still impart subtle oak tannins. A broad style, full-bodied, palate-staining and forceful, yet there is admirable detail and a degree of finesse. Blueberry, camphor, licorice, tapenade and ironstone accents, lurking behind the pithy quince and apricot tones. From a single vineyard in Marananga that delivers the goods in a superlative vintage. Drinkable now, but best from 2028.
Harris Vineyard Grenache 2021
94 points
From a vineyard abutting the cellar door. All bush vines planted circa 2002. Notes of panettone, orange peel and baking spices segue to dark cherries, a whiff of kirsch and brambly tannins. Long and impressively detailed, with a sweep of tannins in the finish. Drink or hold.
The Gask 2022
94 points
Old vine shiraz with a floral nose, from the higher elevations of the Eden Valley. Crushed musk, violets, dried kelp and boysenberries. Notes of wood. The tannins confer tension and pliancy. A powerful wine with an intoxicating nose, if not the refinement of other bottlings from this producer. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.
The Bothie NV
98 points
Majority muscat à petits grains, fortified and run across a long, deep solera. This is a glorious expression. A wine with levity and density, power and grace, sweetness and a palpable dryness. It’s very fresh, with a well-served jolt of volatility across the infinite finish. Think cloves, dates, cardamon, fennel seeds, orange bitters and the scents of an exotic bazaar. A gorgeous elixir with endless possibilities at the table and a drinking window that, frankly, is endless. Drinkable now, but will hold for years.