Review - The Wine Front (Jul 2026)
“I reckon the hotter vintages suit Blue Poles. The cooler ones have more perfume, though perhaps less stuffing. Anyway, from the much lauded 2023 vintage comes this wine. I opened it yesterday and came back to it today. I tried it out on Fluffy Hair Adair, and he was of a similar opinion.
 
It’s quite minty and menthol-laced, but there’s perfume here too. Fresh blackberry, plum, redcurrant, cocoa powder, sage and bay leaf. It’s medium-bodied, a cocoa and graphite feel to tannin, acidity is perhaps a little too crisp, a cranberry crunch to it, and there’s baking spice and nori in the mix, and while it’s a good and interesting wine, I don’t feel it has the concentration and density of the best vintages. Still, early days. These wines often surprise.” 92+ points. Gary Walsh, July 2026