98+ points & Top 100 Wines of 2026! - "Missing in '22, this is the debut pair to the Sunrise, with these centenarian vines catching the afternoon sun. Two blocks, same material, same age, quite different wines, though kindred. While the Sunrise is a little coiled, a little within itself, this is expressive and lifted, yet no less a wine of future promise. Steve Pannell likes a nebbiolo comparison for grenache, and while that often feels akin to Langhe Nebbiolo or Barbaresco in McLaren Vale, here Barolo is a more apt touchstone. Warm terracotta, papery faded flowers, pomegranate, blood orange, cherry, rosehip, star anise, dried orange peel, dried black cherry, sun-drenched wild fennel seeds. So much going on. A truly stellar wine, resting on a foundation of vigorous but cohesive acidity and a classically ensnaring web of complex natural tannins with resounding length of flavour. A wine of place, and one that I had open for four days without it tiring, rather further revealing itself. Such beauty, such intrigue. A wine to sit back and admire; great by any measure." - Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

98 points - "The thing about this wine that strikes me most, is the quality of the tannin. Mouth-filling and suede-like, they just feel so good. Cherry, mint, roses, Earl Grey tea, exotic spice. It’s medium to full-bodied, acidity sits beautifully within the wine, hazelnut and chocolate box, cherry and roses, with a finish of insane length. Upper echelon here. Incredible." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

97 points - "Good depth of colour with a brightness and purple tints, and the highly aromatic bouquet has red fruit, cherry clafoutis and spice aromas, the palate full bodied and very firm, loaded with drying but not unbalanced tannins, but suggesting it needs food and will team well with hearty protein. This is just a baby, just emerging from its shell. Wonderful drinking now but will surely bring more to the table with more time." - Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

The fruit was sourced from Block 6 of the Little Branch
Vineyard in Blewitt Springs, from 104-year-old bush vines
planted on sandy loam with ironstone and quartz at 140
metres above sea level. The north–south rows are exposed
to the warmer westerly afternoon sun. The unirrigated
vineyard is managed organically, with all pruning and
harvesting completed by hand.
Harvest began on 21st March, marking the Sunset Block’s
100th vintage. Whole berries were gently shaken from the
rachis and transferred to a seasoned 5,000-litre French oak
fermenter for twice-daily pumpovers. The wine was gently
pressed on 1st April, settled in tank for 19 days, then
racked off gross lees into seasoned French oak puncheons
for malolactic conversion and maturation. It was racked
once before being bottled unfined and unfiltered on 4th
July 2023. Alcohol: 14.5%; pH 3.39; TA 6g/L; total sulphur
73ppm.
A concentrated dark-fruited profile of black cherry,
blackcurrant and plum is layered with hints of leather, red
earth and dark cocoa. The palate is super-intense and
glistening, with a rich, densely layered core and remarkable
depth of flavour. Long, fine, rustic tannins wrap around
flavours of blackberry, sour cherry and spicy panforte,
creating a powerful yet complex wine that continues to
evolve in the glass and reward attention. – Stephen Pannell