Terre a Terre Crayeres Vineyard Reserve 2018

Details

This wine made by Xavier Bizot, is a classic Australian blend of cabernet sauvignon (58%) and shiraz (31%), as well as a little bit of cabernet franc (11%). The fruit comes from the estate's Crayeres Vineyard, is located in Wrattonbully, just north of Coonawarra. I'm a big fan of Xavier's winemaking and have written about him many times in the past. I love his ability to combine new world power with old world elegance.

Lots of great reviews:

“Medium deep crimson. Intense blackcurrant, blackberry, roasted chestnut, shellac aromas with tobacco leaf notes. Well balanced wine with fresh pure blackberry fruits, fine chocolaty / graphite textures, superb inky density and well-integrated roasted chestnut, vanilla oak notes, Finishes claret firm with lovely fruit complexity and tannin plume. A very classical and genuine ‘reserve’ style with 18 months oak maturation and 18 months bottle age before release. Drink now -2032 14.5% alc.”
96 points, Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal.

“58/31/11% cabernet sauvignon/shiraz/cabernet franc, planted 2004–2008. Each variety was vinified separately and matured in French oak (74% new) for 9 months, before a further 18 months in bottle prior to release. This wine is routinely firm on release. The tannins are firm, but as ever, superfine; they shape the fruit in the mouth and carry it across the tongue through into the long finish. They will surely fortify the wine for the long future it has ahead of it. Elegant plus.”
95 points GOLD, Halliday Wine Companion 2023.

“Bright deep ruby in colour, here is a wine which immediately announces itself as a special cellaring proposition. It’s surprisingly shy to begin, thanks to 18 months in oak, but not for long showcasing beautifully pure, perfectly ripened Cabernet Sauvignon fruits with leaf and cassis aromas laced with distinctive white pepper and coffee grounds oak. The palate is then a powerhouse with firm, muscular dark fruits and a backbone of rich tannins which sustain a long, strong and earthy finish. It’s actually quite approachable although it is clear this wine’s best days are well ahead of it over the next two decades.”
95 points, Angus Hughson, Winepilot.com

“A release of elegance and power in the same breadth. An exercise of exacting viticulture and winemaking technique showcases once again an emerging icon of Australian wine. The blend was 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Shiraz and 11% Cabernet Franc with the wine aged in a high proportion of new oak for 9 months before another 9 months in large format, older oak foudre. The aromatics on the nose have floral blackberry and plum in terms of fruit, but there are layers of secondary interest in terms of graphite, understated cedar and unsweetened liquorice. The wine has soaked up the influence of new oak, it provides a glossy, lightly spiced backdrop for black fruits, earth and graphite to show themselves. Tannins are supple and fine yet give texture and polish; the finish has wonderful persistence with drying blackberry and liquorice swept up with lingering dry spice.”
97 points, Patrick Eckel, winereviewer.com.au

Specifications