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Accolades

New Releases

Recent Accolades

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Novello Rosso 2006
	SMH – Good Living, Nov 14, 2006 - Huon Hooke - Best Rosé "A delicious rosé style with a medium-full, hot-pink colour and subdued but appealing dark-fruit aromas, a fairly dry palate but with appropriate juiciness. Light, fresh and clean to finish. 91/100 Food - smoked eel" The Advertiser, November 2006 - Top 100 Wines "The colour of polished pink jewels, this wine remains forever young and delicate in a lighter version of this style. You have to search a bit for its true nature. It’s from sangiovese and grenache – which is a touch dry and reticent, and hence a tad alluring" Australian Women's Weekly, December 2006 "The rosé to drink this Christmas..."
Adelaide Hills Pinot Grigio 2005
	Australian Wine Selector, Spring 2006 "This Adelaide Hills wine is very old world style, offering quite a toasty and complex, with savoury, leesy layers entwined with honey, pear and apple fruit flavours. Richly textured and pleasingly long the developed nature of this wine and the fact that it is not overly acidic suggests it’s one to enjoy now rather than later" Sumptuous Magazine, Spring 2006 "This is a more savoury wine with less-derived woody aromas, a little nutty edge, some ripe pear and pear skin too. The palate is lightly candied and confected with some malted fruits, spun sugar candy, a sweet creamy texture and fairly bright fruit in the middle palate. Has a softer texture than the average Grigio and a more savoury, nutty finish"
Novello Bianco (Semillon/Pinot Grigio) 2005
	Adelaide Advertiser, Tony Love, 14 February 2007 93 points "The white sibling of this Gumeracha winery’s renowned rose, Novello Rosso, is a blend of Semillon, pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc, striking a terrific balance of citrus, new season pears and a faint sign of amaretto. It’s refreshing and delicious say no more..."
Novello Nero (Barbera / Sangiovese / Grenache) 2004
	Quaff 2006, Peter Forrestal “A blend of sangiovese, grenache and barbera, which makes a significantly different style; denser, heavier, still soft yet chewy, with earthy, gravelly flavours.” Australian Wine Companion 2007 – James Halliday 89 Points & 4 Glasses “Strongly spicy red fruit aromas; beguiling mouthfeel; gently sweet red fruits and a touch of sweetness on the finish; an alternative midpoint between rose and dry red.”
Sangiovese 2004
	The Age – Epicure, Nov 21, 2006 – Ralph Kyte-Powell "The Adelaide Hills take on Tuscany’s main red grape has typically savoury varietal aromas suggesting cherries, spices, leather and walnuts. The palate has subtle fruit, quite at odds with typical Australian reds. It’s light yet intense, with dry flavour tat gets better with each sip, finishing firm. Ageing? Drink over the next year or so. Food ideas: Italian salami and cured meats; simple pizzas. 4 Stars – a very good wine of real style and personality." The Courier, Jan 24, 2007, Ross Noble “…with a new distinctive purple and black label, makes a great accompaniment to a cheese and olive platter.”
Nebbiolo 2003
	The Courier Mail, March 10, 2007, Ken Gargett, 91/100 “Perfumed with spices, cherries and floral hints, this Adelaide Hills effort has excellent length and grip and is amazing value.” Adelaide Hills Regional Wine Show, Silver Medal The Courier, Jan 24, 2007, Ross Noble “The Chain of Ponds Adelaide Hills Nebbiola 2003 has pervasive aromas of violets and raspberry, while the palate reveals complex dark berry flavours with strong tannins in a persistent finish.” Winorama website, 24 Feb 2007, 88 points “The wine spent 21 months in 4 year old French barriques. A reddish brown in colour – looks older than 4 years. A pleasant nose, with nutmeg and stewed rhubarb, earth and old coffee beans. No tar, nor any roses either. The palate is very smooth and rounded, coffee and mocha, earth and olives, sweet red fruits and a dry finish. Probably not a textbook Nebbiolo, but an excellent accompaniment to homemade pizzas on a Friday night, or any night that pleases you really.”
Purple Patch 2006
	Winestate, “Varietal Tasting Riesling,” Special Edition 2006, 3 stars “Austere steely nose with hints of apples and cucumbers, and a tight, flinty, lemony palate.”
Retreat Valley Chardonnay 2004
	The Australian, February 18-19 2006 The Australian Dozen “Neville Falkenberg, former chief winemaker at Penfolds, created white Grange, the ultra-premium Yattarna Chardonnay. So it’s little wonder that when he moved to Chain of Ponds he would seek to once again make top-notch Chardonnay. Retreat Valley is the result.”
Black Thursday Sauvignon Blanc 2006
	The Courier, September 20, 2006 – Ross Noble “Black Thursday honors the day and the deed. It’s a cool dude of a wine, fresh and frisky, conjuring up visions of cool cucumber sandwiches taken on the verandah. There’s kiwi fruit and gooseberry and even a hint of asparagus”. Winestate, “Varietal Tasting Sauvignon Blanc,” Special Ed 2006 3 ½ stars “Nice asparagus and gooseberry intensity to the nose and a powerful but simple palate with good mouthful of flavours.”

New Releases (back to top)
	2003 THE AMADEUS Cabernet Sauvignon (100%) Adelaide Hills (100%), South Australia Nose Intense blackcurrant, dark chocolate and ripe plum aromas greet you, followed by some sensual sweet, nutty oak nuances. Liquorice and earthy overtones are mellowing with over 2 years bottle maturation, resulting in a complex and inviting bouquet. Palate The medium to heavy weighted rich flavours are attributable to the warmer site selection of the vineyard in the furthermost Northern section of the Adelaide Hills. Flavours of black olive, spice and liquorice give a wonderful mouth feel and lingering aftertaste. The tannins at the back of the palate will soften after further cellaring and reward you for many years to come.

	2003 THE LEDGE SHIRAZ Shiraz (100%) Adelaide Hills (54%) McLaren Vale (46%) South Australia Nose Outrageously complex with nuances of spice, ripe plums, mulberry, licorice and chocolate all combined together with obvious cedary oak and vanillin overtones. Some pleasant earthy and leathery characters are beginning to develop due to bottle age. Palate Warm and concentrated, rich and full bodied, this is a wine not for the light-hearted. Plenty of dark chocolate, stewed plum and blackberry flavours greet you initially followed by a silky velvet smoothness. The finish is lengthy with full tannins and astringency that will take several years to soften. Put it away for 10 years if you can.

	2007 NOVELLO DOLCE Barossa Valley (100%) White Frontignac (100%) Bouquet – Fresh, fruity and ALIVE! The young grapey aromas of muscat, perfume, rose petals and orange blossoms are abundant. It is as if you are crunching into a bunch of Frontignac grapes straight off the vine. After a few months, a spicy mint character will also develop and complement the bouquet. Palate – Fragrant and flavoursome, so fresh you can taste the bunches and with a touch of spritz left over from stopping the fermentation, the invitation is there to enjoy this youthful wine. The flavours of muscat, fruit salad and quince are enhanced by some natural sugars and a zippy citrus finish. Ideal paired with spicy Asian cuisine or stir-fried vegetables.