This is another favourite of mine...although earlier vintages are a little difficult to find other than from the winery itself. My first taste was of the 2002 vintage and the two bottles I was lucky enough to be gifted didn't last long...I've been lauding it's drinkability ever since.

Gapsted Winery incidentally has some terriffic events during the summer months too. You can pack a picnic and see a movie outdoors in the winery grounds (and enjoy some of the wine of course) and while it's a long way to go for a movie and I suspect a dedicated driver would be necessary - I think it would make a great weekend to stay over somewhere local and enjoy the surrounds while you're there!

Tasting notes from the Gapsted website:

Winemaking: Seven individual vineyard wines were selected for the final wine, and were fermented separately in stainless vats using isolate Bordeaux yeasts. After draining, the skins were pressed without pumping, retaining full fruit character and providing firm tannins. The final wine was aged in American oak barriques for two and a half years prior to bottling in March 2006.

Tasting Note: An explosion of ripe plummy/raspberry and cassis fruit aromas, with a good dose of spicy liquorice, nutmeg and secondary oak to finish the nose. The palate is at first fresh, astringent and powerful, but has a ripe fleshy mid palate weight that persists. This clearly indicates the wine is full bodied enough for aging, but is also ripe and fruit driven to accompany good food straight away.

Food Suggestion: Fresh pappadelle with a slow braised tomato, beef, and mushroom ragu.

Awards:

• Silver Medal Rutherglen Wine Show 2003
• Bronze Medal Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2003

Wine Makers: Michael Cope-Williams & Shayne Cunningham

Technical:

• pH 3.44
  TA g/l 6.18
  %Alc/Vol 14%
  Total SO2 ppm 123

$23 direct from the winery.