2022 Arila Gardens Gardens of Moppa Nero d'avola

95 POINTS

James Halliday - Halliday's Wine Companion

The grapes come from the De Fazio estate, the result a splendidly aromatic bouquet and juicy, succulent palate overflowing with red cherry and spice fruits. Sensitive winemaking.

95 POINTS

David Brookes - Halliday's Wine Companion

Moppa fruit, a small percentage of whole bunches, matured for 14 months in seasoned French oak hogsheads. Thickly coloured and packed to the gills with ripe, plummy fruits cut with baking spice, violets, fruit-and-nut chocolate, Christmas cake, chocolate bullets and earth. Impressive fruit density, and I love the tannins here, thick, sedimentary, fine and toothsome, and a finish that lingers nicely. Very much the picture of contemporary Barossa shiraz.

91 POINTS

Ken Gargett - WinePilot.com

Another emerging variety, this time from Italy, given the Barossa treatment. Whole berries were used in the ferment, which took place in small open top fermenters over 8 days before ten months maturation in seasoned French oak hogsheads. The colour is a vibrant magenta. The wine offers notes of dark chocolate, blackcurrants, bay leaves, bergamot and animal skins with deep earthy notes. A wine of moderate length, it is concentrated and plush. This is chunky in style, rather than sleek, but it is chock full of flavour. Drink now and over the next five to six years and enjoy its full flavoured, food-friendly style.