5 Stars & 93 Points - Sam kim Wine Orbit
"It's splendidly ripe and inviting on the nose with blackberry, vanilla, olive and cedar characters, followed by a generously weighted palate offering ripe fruit intensity together with silky mouthfeel, making it instantly appealing and delectably drinkable. At its best: now to 2028" 

Black Barrel is Nicholas Crampton and Jim Zerella’s take on proudly traditional, full bodied wines with barrel aged complexity using the classic combination of old-vine vineyards, traditional open fermenters and partial maturation in high toast “black barrels”. Sourced from established, low-yielding and dry-grown vineyards in Langhorne Creek vineyards managed by Jim Zerella. The fruit is hand-harvested and vineyard sorted before de-stemming and a traditional vinification in small two and three tonne open fermenters with regular hand plunging before partial maturation in three hundred litre, high toast American oak “black barrels” for six months.

A bold, smoky and fruit forward drop. Nice price!