2019 The Steading

Full, cork-stoppered bottle 1,285 g. Blend of 60% Grenache, 21% Shiraz and 19% Mataro (Mourvèdre) from vines all over the valley at 40 to 150 years old. Picked 14 March to 17 April. 20 months on lees in 4,500-litre French foudres. Mid crimson. Mellow, rich nose with a very sweet start and slightly intrusive acidity on the finish that has a charred edge to it. The alcohol is quite obvious in this wine, but it's an artful blend with the sweetness of Grenache dominating. (JR)

The newest release, the 2019 The Steading, offers restrained aromatics of mixed berries and cherries interlaced with hints of savory herbs. If it lacks the ripeness and richness of the 2018, it's more elegant and perhaps more complex, with those herbal striations adding silky textural elements to the medium to full-bodied palate. Gentle tannins linger on the finish.

Full screwcapped, embossed bottle 1,305 g. Barrel-fermented blend of Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne from their Descendant vineyard. Very broad and mildly oaky with a saline finish. Lots of pleasure offered here in a wine that is somehow a bit like malted milk. Satisfying, well made even if not the most appetising. Comforting rather than stimulating. Quite long. (JR)