World Wine – Sam Kim (Wine Orbit)

James Halliday – "The ancient (1847 planted) vines provided the backbone of this ultra-elegant, medium-bodied, French-oaked shiraz. Its perfect texture and balance." - 98 Points - Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2023 (The Australian Newspaper, November 2023)

World Wine – Vivino

World Wine – Vivino

The Wine Front – Plum and blue fruits, peanuts in dark chocolate, plenty of spice, touch of stalk and meaty funk, with a subtle floral perfume. Medium bodied, silky and well knit, with fine grained graphite tannin, balanced acidity, and an even finish of good length.

World Wine – Sam Kim (Wine Orbit)

James Halliday –

Wine Enthusiast – 19.5+/20 - (99 Points) “When a wine has this degree of deliciousness, extraordinary build quality, and perhaps most importantly, a massive emotional hook, it does its job perfectly. Made from the finest parcel of fruit in Ben’s Ebenezer vineyard, this is a wine that does not waver from its mission to graffiti Ben’s bane on your palate with indelible Shiraz ink. The volume of fruit is staggering, but its delivery is incredibly measured and even, and this is the trick. Rã is not a monster wine but a monstrously long wine. It is perfectly polished and amazingly spicy, with never-ending layers of fruit and immense class. It is also drinking well, which is a surprise, but the vintage is generous with seamless fruit and unique allure. I feel it will maintain its welcoming and rewarding attitude for two decades, so you are in no hurry to pop a cork! While this icon wine has an iconic flavour, I must urge you to seek it out. Imagine all of Ben’s experience and skill in just one bottle - Rã is it.” - 19.5+/20 - (99 Points) Matthew Jukes

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – 98 Points - "The 2018 The Eye of Ra Shiraz is wildly aromatic: blood plum, pastrami, cracked peppercorns, clove bud, mountain herbs (alpine mint?), boysenberry, blackberry (actually, every black berry you can name), dark chocolate, squid ink, blueberry, resin and char. In the mouth, the wine is velvety and concentrated, with a surprising amount of detail embedded and embossed into the folds of tannin that shape the wine. This is very big, make no mistake, but also balanced between its sweet and savory sides. A galaxy of complexity exists in this glass. It shows the 2018 vintage off to its best effect: ripe, dense, concentrated, fresh and beguiling. Super good. The drinking window is conservative, however, as I prefer a modicum of primary fruit. It's important to note that it will age gracefully beyond that point, so it is up to you... The fruit for this cuvée is from Ebenezer, largely from Adrian Hoffman. Diverse soil types in the vineyard allow for diversity in picking and fruit flavors; this here is from the sandy/free-draining sections of the Ebenezer vineyard—from four blocks in the vineyard. It was handpicked, and picked based on flavor, then crushed, destemmed and cold fermented, barrel selection. It matured in 300-liter hogsheads for 14-16 months, in a combination of French oak coopers (100% new). Packaged in a black metal box, under natural cork and wax, this is a superstar." (98 points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate April 2023)

James Halliday – From the sixth-generation Riebke growers, deeply coloured and unashamedly full-bodied, gritty tannins standing guard over wild blackberry fruit. A degree of patience is absolutely essential, but will be rewarded thanks to the overall balance of the wine.

The Wine Front – Shiraz from Greenock and Stonewell in the Barossa Valley. Open fermented, basket pressed, no new oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered. Old school Barossa, in a new school way. Barossa shiraz is such a pleasurable beast when it’s allowed to run free. This is the famous fruit in all its deep, dark, blackberried glory. It’s fresh but intense, simple in a straight-shooting way, intricately tannic and lengthy. I’d reckon they’ve nailed it. It’s sturdy but pretty; it drinks ever-so-well. Sweet and ripe. This is luscious red wine drinking. Tar, honey, baked plums and dried herbs. It loads up the palate with flavour, all sweet and loose and delicious.

James Halliday – 45/35/25% grenache, shiraz and mataro; vines up to 80yo; small open fermenters, wild yeast, 10% whole bunch; 2-week ferment, hand-plunged. The rich bouquet, hinting at luscious fruits, doesn't deceive. A vibrant, supple cherry/plum/raspberry trifecta. James Halliday Wine Companion 2023, 3 August, 2022

The Wine Front – Gary Walsh - 94 Points - So purple. So good. It’s spicy, floral, liquorice, dark fruits and boysenberry, with a bloody ‘mineral’ character from the Mataro. Light grip of open-weave tannin, freshness and vigour, and a long shapely finish. Wonderful expression of Barossa here.