93 points - James Suckling

“Deep, dense red-purple with superbly concentrated, essency blue fruit and violet aromas, touches of graphite and ironstone, palate just full bodied and firm with a trace of bitterness in the tannins and good extract/fleshiness. Will reward cellar time. (52% cabernet sauvignon, 41% merlot, 7% petit verdot)” 

94 points. – Huon Hooke, The Real Review

“The second trial release of this wine, a blend of 52/41/7% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/petit verdot from Bordeaux's Left Bank, though designated Vin de France. Matured 12 months in French (20% new) and American (19% new) barriques, with the balance in one-year-old barrels. Bright crimson in the glass with characters of ripe blackberry, cherry clafoutis, crème de cassis, baking spices, licorice, veal jus, dark chocolate, blackcurrant leaf and softly spoken cedar tones. Tightly packed with black berry fruits and firm, gravelly tannins with a plume of oak and pure fruit on the finish.

93 points – James Halliday’s Wine Companion