2021 Tim Smith Mataro, Barossa Valley

So purple. Boysenberry, plenty of spice, new leather, aromatic with dried flowers and scrub herbs. Medium to full-bodied, quite the ‘mineral’ feel to it, deep and rumbling, but fresh too, with a bitter orange peel and meaty flavours mingling with vibrant purple fruit. Tannin is ripe, with fine chalky powdery grip, and a zesty savoury finish of excellent length. Black tea too, maybe. Very young, but already extremely good. A superb release.

95 points Gary Walsh winefront.com.au

The more I sample Tim Smith’s Mataros, the more he is becoming the Barossa Mataro boss – in my mind at least. This release is sublime. Exquisite. Would you find better I ask? Blue fruits and blackberries sing early. It’s so fruit-driven – this is something! I remember talking to Smith in mid-2021. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet when discussing the Barossa 2021.

A quote that has never slipped my mind is, “Believe the hype.” He’s right too. There is a delicacy and juicy factor here. Medium to full-bodied, it’s precise and laser-focused yet it exudes so much pleasure and class. Some earthiness, wallet leather and dried herb come with the territory, but there is a prettiness here too. It’s attractive and lively – think dried petals with a mandarin or orange peel touch. But before rounding off, this does one better. This bumps up. It’s vibey and energetic to close.

Many Mataro wines close out with a comforting ho-hum follow through. Not here. This release wants to go another round. Gimme another shot. Sure thing – I’ll keep sipping. That tasting turned into a drinking all too easily. What more can I say – the best Mataro I’ve had to date would do it.

96 points Qwine Feb 2022