"94 pts ... Deeply coloured; rich, plush and mouthcoating, with deep, sweet, plum fruit which takes you to the edge of dry red, but doesn't go over; very good fruit, oak and tannin balance; heroic pinot. Drink through 2015. 14.5% alc." --03/08

"91 pts ... The 2005 Pinot Noir included 20% stalks and was aged in 75% new French oak. Dark ruby-colored, it exhibits aromas of pain grille, scorched earth, meat, black cherry, and black raspberry. Full-bodied, mouth-filling and ripe, this uniquely-styled Pinot Noir has layers of sweet fruit, 6-8 years of aging potential, and a long finish. It could easily masquerade as a Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru (from a top producer)." --10/07

"92 pts ... Vivid red. Strong red and dark berry aromas are complicated by rose, dark chocolate, herbs and smoky minerals; this is Burgundian in its interplay of fruit, minerals and earth. Suave, sweet raspberry and blackcurrant flavors coat the palate and are energized by brisk minerals. Gains sweetness with air and finishes with a late jolt of bitter blood orange. I really like the mix of depth and energy that this wine offers." --09/08

"95 pts ... The 2005 Dry Red Wine No. 2 is predominantly Shiraz with a dollop of Marsanne and Viognier. Purple-colored, it delivers a splendid perfume of toasty oak, smoke, violets, pepper, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Velvety-textured and seamless on the palate, it brilliantly combines elegance and power. There is superior depth, great harmony, and a very long, pure finish. It can be enjoyed now but its impeccable balance will carry it for 20-25 years." --10/07

"95 pts ... Deeply coloured; has more focus and intensity than the Underhill, with more spice and more complexity to the fruit; the texture, likewise, is excellent. Drink through 2020. 15% alc." --03/08

Winemaker's Notes
"A powerfully structured wine of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot added for complexity, the 2005 Dry Red No 1 offers concentrated aromas of black cherries and cassis with hints of olive and earth notes in the background. The palate is interwoven with cedary, French oak characters with integrated tannins running in unison along the long, silky finish. This is a wine of great clarity and depth and one that will age beautifully over the next 20+ years."

Stephen Tanzer
"92 pts ... Dark violet. Fresh red berry and cherry aromas are strikingly pure, with fresh floral and mineral nuances contributing to the impression of brightness. Crisp and focused, with vibrant redcurrant and wild strawberry flavors, silky tannins and a late note of licorice. Finishes brisk and clean, with a hint of pungent herbs and striking freshness and length." --07/07

James Halliday
"95 pts ... Altogether stylish, the whole character and impact radically different to the shiraz side of the portfolio; bright and lively cassis and blackcurrant; not the least bit green, and has very good length. Drink through 2020." --07/08

Wine Advocate
"93+ pts ... The 2005 Dry Red Wine No. 1 is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and the balance Malbec and Petit Verdot. It was aged in 100% new oak. Purple-colored, it emits an alluring fragrance of smoky oak, toast, vanilla, pencil lead, olives, black currant, and blackberry liqueur. This is followed by a full-bodied, tannic, muscular wine in need of a decade of cellaring. Impressively balanced, all components are well-integrated, and the finish lasts for 60 seconds. It will drink well through 2035." --10/07

Technical Notes
"Cabernet Sauvignon (80%), Merlot (15%) with the balance Malbec and Petit Verdot. In his search for purity, Dr. Carrodus has maintained his classically proportioned, elegant style of winemaking. Grapes are hand-harvested into small containers before being gently lowered into an antique crusher-destemmer. From there, the must flows into custom designed fermenters – vintage tea chests lined with stainless steel and propped on wheels. When necessary, cooling is achieved by lowering ice blocks into these unique vessels. Maturation is carried out in lightly toasted barrels before the wines are bottled in the simplest of packaging, reflecting the purity of the wines with in. Aged 18 months in 100% new French oak barriques. 13% alc."

Stephen Tanzer
"92 pts ... Flamboyantly aromatic nose offers piercing notes of wild strawberry, raspberry, fresh rose, violet, magnolia and mocha; smells like a Dujac wine from the '80s, or something from Cristom. Pliant, juicy and fresh, with red berry flavors demonstrating excellent sweetness, focus and verve. This suave, silky midweight could easily be confused for a high-end Burgundy. Finishes on a spicy, peppery note, the sweet red berry flavors repeating." --07/06

Winemaker's Notes
"Displays a concentrated essence of red berry fruits and blackcurrant with an olive and mint background. Has a deep, structured palate that is interwoven with cedary, French oak characters. The ripe fruit and tannins run in unison along the entire palate. A wine of great clarity and depth that will cellar well for 10 years in ideal conditions."

Stephen Tanzer
"92+ pts ... Deep red. Explosive, entrancing aromas of creme de cassis, dark cherry, black olive, hot asphalt and cigar box. Rich and dense, but with no excess weight, displaying ripe redcurrant, cherry, plum and licorice flavors with an overlay of fresh herbs and allspice. Finishes firm, with ripe tannins and a lingering note of bitter chocolate. History says that this will be worth waiting on." --09/05

Technical Notes
"Predominantly cabernet sauvignon with the balance comprising merlot, malbec, cabernet franc and petit verdot. The dry farmed vines are hand harvested into small plastic buckets. Crushing takes place within 2 hours of picking through the old Amos crusher/destemmer into specially designed 1-ton stainless steel lined fermenters. Approximately 30 % of this wine is left on skins for around 3 weeks before being transferred to barrel. Dry Red No.1 is matured in 100% new French oak. 12.5% alc."

Stephen Tanzer
"95 pts ... Deep purple-edged red. Delicately perfumed aromas of cassis, sweet plum and violet, with subtle oak notes of chocolate, cedar and vanilla. Supple and fine, but steeped in almost searingly intense blackcurrant and mulberry flavors of essence-like concentration. Sharply focused, perfectly integrated wine, with a spine of firm, powdery, slightly astringent tannins. Offers exceptional length and cellaring potential." --08/03