This wine is predominately from Pinot Noir (65%) with a small amount of Shiraz, rather than the traditional 100% Shiraz Sparkling Reds.  Very ripe Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley is used as the backbone of the wine and support the mid palate with plump Shiraz from McLaren Vale and Northern Central Victoria.  The wine is aged in old oak and is blended to yield strong dark cherry and cinnamon spice flavours.

Light to medium red-purple; the moderately intense bouquet is clean and relatively straightforward, but with some spicy fruit; the palate does the work, with a good balance of fruit flavours ranging through strawberry, spicy plum and cherry, yet avoiding clumsiness. Well balanced dosage. 93 out of 100 James Halliday

Well balanced; starting to settle down with longer bottle age; neither phenolic nor the least bit sweet; excellent, if unusual, example of the style. 93 out of 100; James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2006

It smells of blackberries and mocha with a foresty note in the mix. The palate has good flavour intensity, a touch of sweetness, and a supple texture, with a slightly stemmy firmness behind it. Huon Hooke & Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2005 / 2006  * * * *

A very aromatic, fairly youthful but smooth and well-balanced sparkling red. Cedary, herbal, raspberry aromas; a touch of mint. Lighter bodied and soft with evident sweetness that's well balanced to partner food. Drink now but it will keep for several years. Best sparkling; Huon Hooke, Sydney Morning Herald, Good drinking, 18 January 2005

Lovely Bubbly; There’s nothing more Australian than sparkling shiraz and this one’s drier than most. It was launched recently at RQ restaurant in Darlinghurst where its dark cherry aroma, opulent feel and velvety softness had us gasping. Brilliant with Indian, Thai, Malay and Vietnamese food, it’s also excellent with Christmas turkey. Dorian Wild, Wentworth Courier

Top Drop; This is a more refined and less robust style than the traditional Australian sparkling red. It was created as a point of difference and it works beautifully. Lovely lifted pinot characters with the shiraz providing the palate grunt. Ray Jordan, The West Australian

Highly Commended; A bit of a twist on the Sparkling red with the addition of pinot noir, so you get the raspberry from the pinot and a back bone of flavour from the shiraz. Very good indeed. Donna Hay, Wine Guide 2004

Label Conscious; The blend of pinot noir with shiraz gives this sparkling red some intrigue. It’s not as big and boofy as some (which is a good thing); and there’s plenty of sensuous spiciness to go with the standard berry flavours. Try it on a picnic with a cold terrine. Greg Duncan Powell, Sydney Morning Herald