2020 Mount Horrocks Nero D'Avola Organic, Clare Valley

Australia’s future vineyard sustainability depends on identifying appropriate drought-tolerant varieties, and Sicily's robust Nero d’Avola grape is showing great promise. Winemaker Stephanie Toole has been nurturing this variety for more than a decade in Clare and has evolved a style of voluptuous, rounded flavours without the dark, inky juice ever becoming too broad. A pretty nose of violets and wild fennel mixes with juicy flavours of liquorice and black cherry. It has rich colour but gentle tannin extraction with a medium weight from 12 months maturing in French oak barriques, then eight months in bottle before release.

97 points David Sly decanter.com

Certified organic, matured in French oak for 12 months (20% new). Sarsaparilla, black cherries, graphite, damp leaves, black pepper, strawberries and pomegranates too. This is elegant, supple, and superfine, with a core of pure fruit that is untouched by tannin, oak, or anything else. Unwavering. The swirling vortex of elements that spiral around it bring the fruit into balance, certainly through the finish. Which is long and again unwavering. Really lovely.

94 points Erin Larkin winecompanion.com.au

It’s bright and floral with a lift of roses and chocolates spinning through the nose.  A trace of red raspberry fruit and those lovely chalky tannins make it.  This was a hot year in most places, yet Clare fared rather well, and this is a great example.

95 points Ray Jordan The West Australian

Wonderful Sicily-inspired Nero D’Avola – a wine with moderate weight, juicy fruit and lively tannins.

Hand harvested grapes are cold-oaked prior to a seven day ferment with daily plunging to ensure ideal colour, flavour and gentle tannin extraction. The wine then spends twelve months maturation in French oak barriques (20% of which are new) prior to bottling and being held for eight months prior to release.

Light, bright red, the colour belies the fruit intensity in the glass. Super aromatic, generous scents of violets, cherry and raspberry, with hints of white pepper. Similarly generous in the mouth, this might be medium-bodied and relatively soft in tannin terms, but its fragrant, crunchy juiciness enhances its appeal, with a smart balance of fruit and oak, bright acidity and lovely mouthfeel. Dangerously easy to drink now, will age comfortably to a decade though.