96 Points - James Halliday

About the Winery

Five Geese is made by Hillgrove Wines, a small McLaren Vale winery established in 1999 that specialises in Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. Five Geese spans across 32 Hectares of vineyards located in the McLaren Vale region of South Australia. Nestled in the north-eastern end of the Willunga Basin, Blewitt Springs lies about 180m above sea level. This slightly higher elevation provides a cooler climate than nearby McLaren Vale and Willunga. With cooler temperatures and moderating afternoon sea breezes, the grapes grown here enjoy a long, even ripening season.

About the Wine

James Halliday writes...

The grapes come from the 50-year-old vines surrounding Sue Trott's house in Blewitt Springs. It has wonderful crimson-purple colour, a great dark berry bouquet, and a glorious palate, with layer-upon-layer of plum and dark chocolate fruit accompanied by velvety tannins, oak somewhere in the background.

This wine, the second Five Geese Reserve Shiraz, is made from 100% Shiraz, which has come from the Blewitt Springs, where sandy soils, high elevation and lower ambient temperatures have produced an elegantly powerful wine, artfully balancing tannin structure and depth of flavour, resulting in a more extended savoury finish with hints of aniseed and cocoa rich chocolate, making it surprisingly different to what you would generally associate with a McLaren Vale Shiraz proper. Crimson red in the glass, the wine exudes a rich aroma of berry and spice and a palate full of blackberry and pepper. 

The Reserve Shiraz has been aged for 16 months in predominately French and American oak hogshead, and has excellent cellaring potential according to winemaker Mike Farmilo and vingeron  Sue Trott.

Enjoy:)