A surf trip to California in 1999, supported by some winery work with his winemaker uncle on the central coast, turned Shaun Crinion’s fledgling interest in wine into a lifelong obsession. Over that time, his winemaking philosophy has evolved into a light-handed approach of minimal intervention and scant addition, focusing on the pure expression of site and fruit – ‘I’m a traditionalist, hands-on winemaker and I like it that way.’ With that confidence of direction, Shaun started his own venture in 2009, ‘with the view to make high quality unadulterated wines from special patches of dirt at realistic prices.’

A blend of upper and lower Yarra Vineyards - Clones P58, I10V1 and Dijon clones 76 and 95 - from vineyards in St Andrews, Steels Creek and Seville. All fruit is hand-picked and cooled overnight, followed by whole bunches being lightly crushed by foot before a long pressing when the un-sulphured juice is transferred straight to oak. The oak is a combination of 80% old and 20% new French Barriques, Puncheons and Demi-Muids. Ferments are allowed to start naturally (wild) and complete with no temperature control. The wine is not battonaged and left on lees for 10 months where some MLF may have occurred, but not encouraged, and SO2 is added when the wine is ready for it. The wine is lightly filtered before being bottled un-fined.

Aromas of white peach, citrus blossom, mille-feuille and toasted nuts. The palate is quite savoury with salty lime freshness, but the weight and texture builds with time and you’ll start to see the trademark juicy stone fruit flavours. It’s tightly-coiled and as usual with be fantastic now with some air, or a few years in the cellar if you can wait.

This wine is both seriously impressive and seriously delicious. It tastes of grapefruit, pear, citrus, peach and whispers of both cedar and flint. But it’s the wine as a whole, and its cohesion, and its general juiciness that is the main take, and the main attraction. Every sip of this wine makes you want another. There’s a chalky-steeliness to the finish and plenty of fruit there too. In summary, it’s bang on. Date: Jul 2026; Alcohol: 13%; Price: $45; Closure: Screwcap; Drink: 2026-2032+; Rated: 94 Points; Campbell Mattinson; The Wine Front