Birks Wendouree - Malbec - 2019

100% Malbec from 1920 Eastern and 1898 Central vineyard plantings. Malbec is my favourite Wendouree wine, pretty much most years. Dried roses and potpourri thing happening here, a slight gum leaf perfume, ripe plum and blackcurrant, a sweet damp earthiness and coffee bean bass note. It’s medium-bodied, succulent with flavour, flying high on aromatics, but grounded to earth, suede-like tannin offers grip and, and there’s something of frozen raspberry tone to acidity and some tobacco savouries closing out a long finish. It’s so distinctive and energetic. A bit less fleshy, and more stern than some of the more voluptuous releases over the past few years, but I love the somewhat unfettered growly character of this vintage. 96 Points Gary Walsh, The Wine Front Wow. What a wine! So much perfume, joyous and triumphant, ripe plum, cassis, violets and alpine herbs. Slippery texture with a quiet build of tannin, ultra ‘purple fruit’ feel to the wine, bright and sleek with incredibly pure, complex fruit and spice characters, tension with a sheath of finest, lacy tannin and extraordinary length. Ludicrously complex and detailed, delicious too. Striking release. 96 Points Mike Bennie, The Wine Front