90 pts Vinous Oct 2017
Brilliant red. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes fresh red fruit, incense and Asian spices, while a nervy hint of smoky minerals adds urgency and lift. Juicy and seamless in texture, offering sappy raspberry and rose pastille flavors that show very good focus and building sweetness. Round, even tannins lend shape to a long, fruity finish that strongly echoes the spicy note.
91 pts Wine & Spirits This blend takes grenache, shiraz and mataro two steps further with a little carignan and cinsault. It might start off tarry, but those dark tannins quietly yield to lovely fresh fruit. Hints of plums and violet candies carry some sweetness, a clean and vibrant contrast that helps to gentle the tannins, feeling completely integrated with the earthiness of the wine. It’s the kind of Barossa blend to enjoy with local cured sausages in Angaston.
96 pts James Halliday
Grenache, shiraz, mourvedre, carignan and cinsaut. This is flush with gloriously juicy red, blue and purple fruits, the components picked with unerring accuracy. While there is prodigious flavour, there’s no overripe fruit. It weaves some of the magic of the Rhone Valley’s iconic Chateau Rayas, the ultimate compliment.