Domenic Torzi makes this wine as if it’s destined for a far higher price: open fermenters, whole berry bunches, wild yeast and mostly French oak. Bravo! It’s as smooth as a big-lipped kiss, as satisfying as a pay rise, as full and fruity as a blackberry pie. Curranty, soft, long and stylish, its tannins, fruit complexity and oak full of ‘wow’ factor. The only problem is that there’s not much of it. It is a great wine at a great price – as good a bargain as I have seen in Australian wine over the past 10 years. Loaded with Flavour and style, it is the perfect red wine package. It tastes better than a lot of $35 reds. Please, get in fast – this will not last. Drink 2008 – 2014; 94 points – Campbell Mattinson; The Big Red Wine Book
#1 Top 100 Red wines under $20 - Campbell Mattinson; The Big Red Wine Book
The Big Red Boutique Bargain of the year’ Campbell Mattinson; The Big Red Wine Book
Bargain Shiraz of the year’. Campbell Mattinson; The Big Red Wine Book
It’s certainly aromatically complex and fragrant with ripe dark cherry, menthol, brown spices, mint, leather, coffee and coconut ice all contributing to the riot of smells. Medium to full bodied with a mix of sweet dark fruit, spice, aniseed, coffee and malty scorched peanut giving a distinctly dry savoury impression rather than a plump fruity one. It has fine light grainy tannins, fairly prominent sappy acidity and a finish of decent length. Offering a degree of complexity and finesse rarely found in wines under twenty dollars, it’s a very successful follow up to the debut vintage. Rated : 91 Points; Tasted : May08; Alcohol : 14%; Price : $17; Closure : Screwcap; Drink : 2009 - 2015+; Gary Walsh; Winorama
This drought red’s a dead honest expression of the High Barossa in the driest vintage Dominic Torzi can remember. Make that could remember – he wrote these notes before vintage 2008. There’s as much old black pepper and austere micaceous stone in it as red and black berries. The middle’s all plush and caramelly before those dusty finishing tannins move in. It’ll live for a very long time, but sang a hearty duet with pepper and game sausages, pasted with Krondorf Road Trading Company Fig and Chili Chutney and a little Matchett’s Chili Fire from Currency Creek. It’s a bargain! Philip White The Independant Weekly May 2008
Another seriously slick wine from Torzi Matthews. Densely fruited. Ripe and sweet dark plum and prune flavours that slide around the mouth effortlessly and finish with a soft, salted liquorice aftertaste. It's very ripe but not alcoholic, and more-ish in the extreme. Grant Dodd The Wining Pro May 2008
Aged for 13 months in ex Frost Dodger barrels with the addition of two year old 70% French / 25% American oak hogshead and barrique barrels. Vintage2007 Vintage was the driest I have witnessed here in Mount McKenzie since planting back in 1996. It was on track to produce another blinding Schist release. You be the judge! Dom Torzi. Total production: 1280 cases!
