2025 Riesling

"I like Riesling and think our part of the Adelaide Hills with its altitude, cool air and granite soils ideal for growing the variety. We took a chance, pulling out young Chardonnay and planting Riesling, but I think we’ll be proved correct, Riesling is at home in the Adelaide Hills.” SCP"

Vineyard: Peramangk Country, Kenton Valley , Adelaide Hills.

Clones: Gessenheim clones: GM198 & GM239.

Block: Block 3, planted in 2020 on own roots.

Growing Season: The driest season in living memory. Average winter rain was followed by a dry spring and a reasonably mild summer with one heat spike in early March, all fine if you had access to water. Good flowering and set was followed by an average season with no disease pressure. Vintage was two to three weeks earlier than average. A terrific vintage for the Adelaide Hills.

Harvest: 1st of March - 6 tonnes by hand.

Process: De-stemmed and gently pressed. Settled in tank for 14 days before inoculation with an Austrian yeast culture. Fermentation lasted 4 weeks.

Maturation: Settled in tank post fermentation for 4 weeks before racking and stabilisation. Settled in tank again and racked before bottling.

Bottled: Early August 2025

Alc: % 12.5 Ph: 3.1 TA: 5.9

Aroma: Alpine | Spice | Native. Apple and spice in a field of native flowers. Yeast buns and streudel speak to the varietal heritage but hibiscus, candied fruit drops, rain clouds and petrichor feel at home.

Flavour: Varietal | Energetic | Confident. Pomme fruits on entry followed by brown lime and baking spice. Talc and dusty roads pepper the fruit on the back palate.

Texture: Silky and aromatic, this is not your standard Australian Riesling. The tone is expansive rather than fine and linear spreading then tapering on the finish to a long fine point.

Cellar: Approachable and appealing now with a future in the cellar if you can, try five years for extra complexity.

Try With: Nettle & pink peppercorn risotto from tipo 00 the pasta cookbook by Andreas Papadakis (you may need more than one bottle!)

Halliday Wine Companion review by Mike Bennie

Published on 18 November 2025

'You could cut yourself with this riesling. Laser beams, glass shards, so tight and lean, bright and frisky. For many, this is a precise, firm, scintillating style, though for others this may also be underpowered and too racy. Lemon is the strength, with some juicy lime, a touch of just-ripe pineapple and a grapefruit finish. Pure, for sure, jut geez, this is searing. Or refreshing. You choose.'

92 Points

2025 Pinots

"I asked the question: can I make Pinot Grigio more interesting? I found the answer in blending three varieties from the same family each adding a layer of complexity that couldn’t be found individually. I liked the result and planted a vineyard to create a true field blend that speaks clearly of it’s home in our part of the Adelaide Hills. Deeply complex, concentrated Pinot Grigio." - SCP

Vineyard: Peramangk Country, Kenton Valley, Adelaide Hills.

Block: Pinot Grigio – Block 5, Pinot Bianco – Block 6, Pinot Nero – Block 5.

Growing Season: The driest season in living memory. Average winter rain was followed by a dry spring and a reasonably mild summer with one heat spike in early March, all fine if you had access to water. Good flowering and set was followed by an average season with no disease pressure. Vintage was two to three weeks earlier than average. A terrific vintage for the Adelaide Hills.

Harvest: 26th of February - 27.5 tonnes by hand.

Blend: 77% Pinot Grigio, 19% Pinot Bianco, 4% Pinot Nero

Process: Individually de-stemmed and gently pressed. Settled in tank for 12 days before inoculation. Fermentation lasted 5 weeks. Maturation: Settled in tank post fermentation for 6 weeks before racking and stabilisation. Settled in tank again and racked before bottling.

Bottled: Early August 2025

Alc: % 13.5 Ph: 3.32 TA: 5.1

Aroma: Perfumed | Delicate | Oriental. Nashi, hay bails in the sun, white tea, yuzu zest, clove, almond and anise.

Flavour: Composed | Energetic | Confident. Citrus to start, great refreshment then the complexity: florals, jasmine, matcha, pear drops, grapefruit and faint fennel fronds.

Texture: Narrow on entry swelling through the mid palate and fanning accross the back. The zest and florals follow through on the finish. Delicous pomme fruit crunch.

Cellar: You could but perfect now.

Try With: Spaghetti with marron & finger lime from tipo 00 The Pasta Cookbook by Andreas Papadakis.

Halliday Wine Companion review by Mike Bennie

Published on 18 November 2025

'A blend of mostly pinot gris with a larger balance of pinot bianco and a smaller one of pinot nero (noir). It's a textural feast, slippery and grippy through the finish. Quite a bit of talc and ginger, some peachy notes, lots of nashi pear. It feels great to drink, super easygoing, but with some more interest from the varied varieties playing well. Good, chirpy white is the result.'

92 Points

2024 Aromatico

"A white blend inspired by the wines of Northern Italy but suited to the spicy foods my household craves. Try with Miang Kham." - SCP

Vineyard: Peramangk Country, Kenton Valley, Adelaide Hills.

Block: Gewürztraminer – Block 1, Riesling – Block 3, Sauvignon - A friend.

Growing Season: An upside down, inside out vintage brought a new set of challenges starting with a cool spring, strong winds at flowering, a wetter than average January, a heat wave in March, and the driest autumn on record. White varieties offer pretty aromatics, perfect acidity, complex flavour and are set up for long lives.

Harvest: Gewürztraminer 22nd February, Riesling 28th February, Sauvignon 7th of March.

Blend: 75% Gewürztraminer, 23% Riesling, 2% Sauvignon

Process: All three parcels were individually destemed, gently pressed and held as juice before blending and co-fermentation on the 14th of March. A reasonably quick primary fermentation of 6 days was followed by a long slow settling in tank leaving 3 grams of residual sugar.

Maturation: Settled in tank post fermentation for 6 weeks before racking and stabilisation. Settled in tank again and cross-flowed before bottling.

Bottled: Mid-June 2024

Alc: % 13.5 Ph: 3.37 TA: 5.2

Aroma: Wise | Energised | Daring. Turkish delight, rosewater and all the Gewurtzy fragrance but then melon, cinamon, clove and pink grapefruit peel.

Flavour:  Captivating | Ambitious | Confident. A fruit cart loaded to the gunnels with melons and citrus followed by a smaller wagon of grilled nuts and exotic herbs like lemongrass, ginger stems in syrup and topped with flowers.

Texture: A slippery, slurpy entry that is soft and welcome soon becomes mouth watering through the finish. Phenolics add interest and a toothsome texture like bighting in to an unpeeled pink grapefruit makes it all the more exotic.

Cellar: We’ve done that for you, perfect as is.

Try With: Anything with spice and lick of chilli.

2025 '111' Rose

"I first made a Nebbiolo Rosé in the early 2000’s during my formative time in Piedmonte with G.D.Vajra. Nebbiolo’s aromatics and tone lend itself to Rosé and the flavours are unusually complex. We grafted an old Chardonnay vineyard on Protero to the rose clone (111) specifically for making rosé. The result is a wine we love to drink year-round from a single site and a clone of Nebbiolo ideally suited to rosé." SCP

Vineyard: Peramangk Country, Kenton Valley, Adelaide Hills.

Clones: Nebbiolo 111, the rose clone.

Block: Block 6, grafted on chardonnay 2021.

Growing Season: The driest season in living memory. Average winter rain was followed by a dry spring and a reasonably mild summer with one heat spike in early March, all fine if you had access to water. Good flowering and set was followed by an average season with no disease pressure. Vintage was two to three weeks earlier than average. A terrific vintage for the Adelaide Hills.

Harvest: 7th of March - 3 tonnes by hand.

Process: De-stemmed and very gently pressed. Settled in tank for 7 days before inoculation. A cool fermentation lasted 4 weeks before racking off gross lees.

Maturation: Settled in tank post fermentation for 4 weeks , racked and stabilised. Settled in tank again and racked before bottling.

Bottled: Early August 2025

Alc: % 13 Ph: 3.41 TA: 5

Aroma: Pretty | Pink | Delicate. Blood orange, pomegranate, pink rose petals, pink peppercorns, pickled stawberry, alpine meadows, autumn leaves and very faint sage.

Flavour: Bright | Long | Gentle. All the aromas follow through to the palate in a seamless transition. An added dimension of roasted chestnuts and musk give a backbone to the finish.

Texture: The slow reveal of lacey tanins backed up by seductive acidity makes for complex refreshment. There’s a trance like state that is languid and seductive before a big reveal. Will it be kind? Absolutely! Deeply complex rosé.

Cellaring: We’ve never tried. A wine to consume with pleasure whilst we wait for our red Nebbiolo to mature in the cellar.

Try with: Spaghetti with king prawns & cavolo nero from tipo 00 The pasta cookbook by Andreas Papadakis. A favourite restaurant on Little Bourke St Melbourne.

The Winefront review by Gary Walsh

Published on 4 September 2025

'I believe it’s made from the Nebbiolo Rose clone, which is used by some Barolo producers to enhance aromatics and acidity. Elvio Cogno is a notable exponent of using this clone. Don’t have a bottle image, though looks kind of like this.

Red cherry, almond, quite a similar smell to the wonderful Ines Rosales Seville Orange Tortas!, also mint/aniseed. It’s a zesty orange-laced expression of rosato (and why is it not called that?), cherry, quite juicy and tangy, a fair bit of chalky texture, with a lively finish of good length. A nice wine here, offering a distinct point of difference.'

93 Points

2025 Dolcetto

“The first wine I taste with every G.D Vajra release is not the Barolo but the Coste e Fossati Dolcetto. It’s the Vajra wine I drink at home most often. I prefer it to Gamay as a light to medium-bodied, fruit-driven red wine that goes with everything.” - SCP

Vineyard: Peramangk Country, Kenton Valley, Adelaide Hills.

Block: Block 9, 0.7ha, planted in 2022, facing west, bordered by a chestnut grove.

Growing Season: Normal winter rain was followed by a dry spring and a warm, dry summer with one heat spike in early March. Good flowering and set was followed by a good growing season with no disease pressure. Vintage was two to three weeks earlier than average. A lovely vintage for late ripening varieties.

Harvest: Picked by hand on the 13th of March 2025.

Process: Left on skins for 14 days with fermentation in a stainless-steel fermenter with daily pump overs. Gently pressed before transfer to extra large French oak puncheons for malolactic fermentation.

Maturation: A further three months of maturation in puncheon post malo before being sent to bottle.

Bottled: Late January 2026

ALC: 14% PH: 3.39 TA: 6.0

Aroma: Lush | Exuberant | Fun.

Sumac and brick dust begin. Then an intesnse blast of mulberries and dark cherry among bitter chocolate and tranistory wafts of moscatel.

Flavour: Fleshy | Questioning | Even more fun.

A serious yet squishy compote of mulberries and dark cherry and sharper loganberries entwined and engaged by alternating facets of tannin. Addictive tannins.

Texture: The tannins alternate between firm and soft, wet and dry, then dusty and melty. Mingling with sweet rye fruit loaf crustiness among cuddly warmth.

Cellar: The tradition in Dolectto’s spiritual homeland, The Langhe, where its nestled alongside Nebbiolo and Barbera, is to sweetly smile, lick your lips, and guzzle it upon release. We see no reason to question this tradition.

Try with: Vitello Tonnato; Beef cheeks braised in Dolcetto with pea puree; and even with Nutella Baci. Dolcetto pours through an entire meal.

2022 Barbera

“The International flavours of Barbera make it an ideal accompaniment to the Australian way of life, be it the food we eat or support for the underdog. It may come second to Nebbiolo in its native Piemonte but that doesn't mean it’s short on authenticity or character and in many ways it is my preferred variety for everyday drinking.” - SCP

Vineyard: Bonoposto Vineyard, Peramangk Country, Kenton Valley , Adelaide Hills.

Clone: F6V4

Growing Season: The second year of the recent LaNina cycle saw a wet winter and spring followed by a mild summer and a dry autumn. Veraison was two weeks behind normal and wild weather at flowering delivered lower yields. Quality, however, was good due to the long slow ripening period. Whites retained great acidity and reds developed depth of flavour and complex tannins. A vintage to watch!

Harvest: 11th of April, hand picked.

Process: Gently de-stemmed and fermented spending 16 days on skins.

Maturation: Settled in tank post fermentation for 3 weeks before racking and dispatch to old oak puncheons for malolactic fermentation and maturation. Racked four times.

Bottled: Early January 2024.

ALC: % 14.5 PH: 3.33 TA: 7.3

Aroma: Lifted - Blackberry, iodine, black pepper fresh bay, black cherry and a cedar chest of draws followed by Italian aftershave and rose petals.

Flavour: Rich and intense - Dark, delicious and rich flavours including glaze cherry, musk lollies, brine, and black cherry in syrup.

Texture: Gentle - A subdued entry before a plush coating of the palate and mild tannins.

Cellar: Approachable and appealing but the surprise comes from cellaring for up to 10 years.

Try With: The classic match - Gnocchi with Napolitana Sauce, don’t hold back on the Parmigiano Reggiano!

"This is quite the palate-saturating barbera, dense in its slosh of red berry fruits, stewed plum, black olive, licorice and white pepper. There's a little streak of dried herbs, sea spray and green almond. It makes for a more complex, interesting rendering of the variety; pulpy and fleshy, long lived in the palate, chewy but light on with tannin, too. A bold, striking drink emerges."

93 Points

2022 Nebbiolo

"There really aren’t many places outside Piedmont where Nebbiolo has translocated well. This vineyard is one of those places and I am confident in stating that it may well be the ideal red grape variety for the region." - SCP

Vineyard: Peramangk Country, Kenton Valley Road, Gumeracha, Adelaide Hills

Clones: 230, 111, F12V7, F12V13 and Mudgee all on own roots

Block: Block 2, planted in 1999 by Frank and Rosemary Baldasso, managed by Carmine Pepicelli.

Growing Season: The second year of the current LaNina cycle saw a wild, wet winter and spring followed by a mild summer with no heat spikes and a dry autumn. Veraison was two weeks behind normal, setting winemaker’s teeth on edge. Poor flowering due to wild weather in spring including high winds, frost and hail lead to lower than desired yields. Quality, however, was good due to the long slow ripening period. Whites retained great acidity and reds developed depth of flavour and complex tannins. A vintage to watch!

Harvest: 28th of April 2022.

Process: Very gently de-stemmed and left to soak in open top fermenters for 48 hours before fermentation kicked off. Left on skins for 27 days with daily pump overs. Gently pressed and settled in tank for 3 weeks before being sent to an old French oak vat, two old French oak puncheons and one old Hungarian puncheon for Malolactic fermentation and four months maturation.

Maturation: A further seven months of maturation in various puncheons post malo before being sent to large oak vats for the final seven months of maturation

Bottled: Bottled mid January 2024 without fining or filtration.

Alc 14.5% Ph 3.45 TA 5.9

Total sulphur: 62ppm

Aroma: Perfumed | Noble | Dark. Dark cherry, sweet red strawberry, cherry wood, terracotta, Strega, orange zest, zabaglione and dark spice. More tar than roses.

Flavour: Varietal | Pulsating | Shameless. A classic roman legionaire full of bravado and ready for a long march. Superbly medium-bodied; fresh raspberry, fennel fronds, chinotto and porchetta surrounded by plums, finishing with delicate citrus.

Texture: Energetic waves of grapey tannin that are toothsome and leathery on the mid palate before climbing accross the back palate and crashing in to a classicly long finish. The definition of naturaly derived and varietal tannin.

Cellar: Drink now or keep for ten.

The Winefront review by Gary Walsh

Published on 1 September 2025

2019 CAPO Nebbiolo

"The greatest wines I have ever tried have been difficult to describe, it’s as though words aren’t enough." - SCP

Vineyard: Protero, Kenton Valley Road, Gumeracha, Peramangk country

Clones: Mudgee and 230, both on own roots.

Block: Block 2 planted in 1999 by Frank and Rose Baldasso and managed by Carmine Pepicelli.

Growing Season: Dramatically reduced yields due to lower-than-average rainfall set up for a winemaker’s vintage with every scrap of experience tested and measured.

Harvest: Handpicked on 17th April

Process: Both clones blended at the crusher and co-fermented in stainless steel variable capacity fermenters. Very gently pressed after 25 days on skins and a spontaneous fermentation. Transferred to an old 2800L vat, after two months settling in tank, for malolactic fermentation.

Maturation: Returned to vat for extended maturation.

Bottled: Bottled without fining or filtration on 27th July 2021.

Alc: 14.5% Ph: 3.64 TA: 6.1

Aroma: Voluminous | Classical | Mystical. Cherry, licorice, forest walks, black tea, savoury spice, rosehips and other classic Nebbiolo aromas that flit in and out of frame before they can be processed and recorded. There’s wizardry here.

Flavour: Continental | Wise | Composed. Cranberry, fennel, porchetta, black tea, Australian sandalwood, blood orange pith, red currant, vanilla spice, Cynar, Chinotto, strudel cherries and walnut. With a little air, fresh leather, praline and rosehip jelly. Tastes like the movement of time and place, a witness to history.

Texture: Layers of complexity and mouthfeel. The tannins come in gentle waves and the flavours bubble and unfurl with the texture. It’s difficult to determine where the fruit flavours end and the tannin flavours take over on the insanely long finish.

Cellar: We think it has the potential to keep well for 15+ years in a cool, dark cellar.

'In Australian winemaking circles there are few that know nebbiolo like Steve Pannel, so expectation here is high. And my word, it delivers. It's almost skittish in its tannin profile, stellar in its tension. Sits at medium weight, but the underlying freshness makes it lighter, dare we say ethereal. Dark chocolate, dark cherry, dried herbs, anise, blood orange and amaro-like botanicals and bitterness in tow. Pulverised granite minerality sits in the mix, as does the emery board-finesse of that tannin profile, rippling with authority and driving the wine long and to a fine, succulent point. It's outstanding, and a torchbearer for the variety in Australia.'

95 Points