The Houdini Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc has been rated 91 points by the James Halliday Australian Wine Companion. “Ash, wood smoke and dried herb characters thread their way through more traditional juicy fruit flavour. It walks to its own beat and has good texture too.”
The GruVe from Smidge Wines was one of the first wines under the Smidge Label. The name comes from Matt and Trish finding their own ‘groove’ – dancing to the beat of their own drum. With the 2016 vintage, although the season was dry and warm, the night time temperatures were often low, which maintained freshness and acidity in many varieties, including Grüner. A much-needed rain at the end of January freshened everything up and many varieties finished ripening well. The 2016 GruVe has been made in a similar fashion to previous vintages, although unlike the 2015, it is dry. Whole bunch pressed, no acid addition, wild yeast fermentation and then 6 months on yeast lees. Bottled mid-October.
"Hand-picked, 90% whole-bunch pressed, 10% skin contact for 30 days. 35% barrel-fermented. No additions, all fermented wild. It’s high on both personality and flavour. Indeed it’s a ripper white wine. It tastes of tropical fruit, crystallised citrus and custard powder, and has honeysuckle notes laid on too. So much is going on, and it then seals the deal on the finish."
-Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2020 95/100
The Pedra Branca series celebrates the forces of nature that create things unique and remarkable. This is a project wine where each year, the wines made are different in variety or style to bring out the best in the grapes and the conditions in which they were grown. The wines are made only in small quantities when interesting parcels of fruit are available and are crafted to bring out the best in their natural flavours. This makes them remarkable and highly sought after. 2013 Pedra Branca Barossa Sauvignon Blanc, 94 points, James Halliday
"Remarkably cloudy, fizzy and alive. It attacks with flavour and finishes with it too, though it seems to dip through the middle. Freshness and vigour are the real keys here though whispers of grassy/smoky varietal character don’t hurt."
- Campbell Mattinson, Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2020 90/100
