Jasper Hill Georgia’s Paddock Nebbiolo 2023

From 1993 plantings in Georgia’s Paddock. A tiny production wine of great singularity and classicism, it’s hard to imagine such a fine nebbiolo coming from such an inhospitable a place as Heathcote. Fragrant with a compote of red fruits and sweet and savoury spice. Intense, with a wonderful attack of tannin, fruit and acid. The structure and shape really does define the wine, a sweeping plateau of precision and seduction. Notes of spice, turned earth and bitumen are subtle and will no doubt play a bigger role as the wine ages. Mineral tannins are interwoven with the fruit and are apparent right from the beginning, gaining in stature on the finish. Norris at Waters Wine Co

Some wines are ready to go on release, this isn’t. To get an inkling of what’s in store, bring out the decanter and a big bowled glass. The aromatics that emerge will be worth it: violet, rosehip, anise, red licorice, dark cherry and woodsmoke. It’s the start of a wonderful wine trip into the world of the aromatic, the savoury, the earthy and the mineral-flecked direct from ancient Cambrian soils, all under the stern (as yet) direction of steely tannins and bright acidity. Further ageing is definitely recommended. 95 points – Halliday Wine Companion