A truly delightful afternoon (where did the light go?!) with Mark Ravenscroft of Ravens Croft Wines chewing the cud over vintage, winemaking, gossiping about the industry and going through his barrel samples, all with the rather alien sound of rain pattering down on the winery roof. Sadly no picturesque vistas this time due to the rain and fading light!
Mark pulled out one of the last remaining bottles of this wine from his personal stash which filled me with delight and honour. This Bordeaux blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot and 15% Merlot was named after Mark’s father after he would exclaim “Waa…Gee that’s a good wine!”. He wasn’t wrong.
A deep crimson with purple edges as it’s poured in the glass with black fruits and cassis jumping out.
👃: Ripe black plums, cassis, black cherry, dried thyme and mint, bramble leaf, cocoa powder and forest floor on the nose.
👅: Well-structured and full body with firm powdery tannins, in tune with the juicy acidity and alcohol. Savoury and more fruits of the forest, black pepper and cinnamon on the palate. Good length on the finish with cacao and fresh leather coming in on the end. The warmth of the 14% ABV coming in only after a few sips. Definitely an age-worthy wine with lots of potential in front of it still.
Sadly a bit of a tease as this vintage is no longer sold (and hasn’t been a release since due to the drought), but Mark’s come out with the goods on a few other new wines which I’ll share soon!
Check it out:
Ravens Croft Wines: https://www.ravenscroftwines.com.au/
Phone: (07) 4683 3252 or 0414978783
274 Spring Creek Rd, Stanthorpe QLD 4380, Australia [Google Maps]
Open: Fri-Sun 10:30am-4:30pm
