$21.00
"It’s a juicy one this year, offering plenty of peach and pear flavour, a little oatmeal, cashew and cinnamon, but with a p ink grapefruit tang. It’s flinty and spicy, a ball of flavour that pulls longer, and tighter on the finish. There’s a little struck match complexity and a whole lot more than a little in terms of enjoyment. It’s very good drinking already." Rating: 93. Gary Walsh. The Wine Front.
The D'Anna family established their vineyard on a property that had been in the family since 1960. The vines (chardonnay, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, pinot gris, merlot and pinot blanc) are hand-pruned and hand-harvested, a 300t, split-level winery built in 2003. Son Franco is the viticulturist and inspired winemaker; he started work in the family liquor store at age 13, graduating to chief wine buyer by the time he was 21. He completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Melbourne University before studying viticulture at CSU. A vintage at Coldstream Hills, then two years' vintage experience with Peter Dredge at Witchmount, and with Mario Marson (ex Mount Mary) as mentor in '03, has put an old head on young shoulders. The Wickhams Road label uses grapes from an estate vineyard in Gippsland as well as purchased grapes from the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula. Best Value Winery Wine Companion 2015. James Halliday Wine Companion