Critic Scores:

• 96 – James Suckling

Positioned on a unique, eastward-sloping lakeside escarpment, this parcel is defined by ancient clay reefs running laterally through fine schist gravels, which naturally coaxes a more open and generous expression from the estate's mature vines. The 2017 vintage stands as a beautifully evolved, terroir-driven masterpiece shaped by a classic cool climate that prized precision over sheer weight.

Pouring a lovely, translucent ruby core, the wine offers an expansive, highly perfumed bouquet of spiced red and dark cherries, forest leaves, and dark pepper, balanced by an overlay of integrated oak spice and the quintessential, dry-stone minerals of native schist.

On the palate, it exhibits an incredibly detailed, sleek profile where the inherent fleshiness of the clay-grown fruit takes center stage. This concentration is masterfully corralled by a very silky, smooth-honed texture and a long, focused run of fine tannin that drives exceptional tension. Vibrant, fresh darker-cherry elements reemerge on the persistent, harmonious finish.

Leading the critical reviews for this beautifully resolved vintage, James Suckling awarded the release an outstanding 96 points, commending its refined architecture and noting that it boasts "aromas of spiced red and dark cherries, forest leaves, dark pepper, some oak spice and the savory, dry-stone notes of schist."