Parker First Growth 2019

From an exceptional vineyard planted on the famous Coonawarra Terra Rossa soil, ‘First Growth’ is only made in the finest years and clearly this was one of them. There’s aromas of blackberry, big fleshy Kalamata olives warmed in the oven with springs of rosemary, blackcurrant leaf tea, cinnamon sticks and Dutch salted licorice. I was delayed in tasting it for what seemed ages because I just wanted to bask in the scent. After that smoulderingly sexy aroma profile, the initial sensation on the palate is surprisingly bright and juicy – blueberry and blackcurrant, sliced strawberries, red delicious apple skin. There’s also hints of eucalypt and cocoa powder with savoury, tea-like tannins, and a vibrant, yellow plum acidity. I want to tell you to hold off on drinking this and you should, but you should also taste it now because this is such a charming expression of the best of Australian Cabernet. Decant it to release more juicy cherries and sweet vanilla spice as it opens up. 

Nicole Bilson

Wine Critic at Winepilot

Nicole loves wine. So much so that she gave up a successful career in Pharmacy, perfected her spitting technique, and moved from sunny Queensland to the wine-drenched laneways of Melbourne. Stints in hospitality, wineries, retail, sales and marketing filled the next few years while Nicole built her knowledge and searched for the right path. She completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Diploma in 2016 and became a certified WSET Educator the following year. She now juggles a number of roles including teaching people about wine, curating wines lists for restaurants and bars, judging in Australian wine shows and, of course, writing. In 2016 she won the Negociants Working With Wine writing award and has since contributed to Gourmet Traveller WINE, Halliday Wine Companion Magazine and Nourish Magazine.

Wine tasting