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Stella Bella
 
2 August 2018 | Stella Bella

Halliday 2019 + Best Sauvignon Blanc Blend

Every year, James Halliday and his tasting panel pinpoint the best Australian wines, winemakers and wineries from a pool of several thousand. Out of the 1216 Australian wineries profiled for the 2019 Halliday Wine Companion 232 wineries (8.2%) received a Five Red Star Rating.

We are thrilled to reveal that once again we sit amongst the best Margaret River wineries with our 12th consecutive Five Red Star Rating, confirming our consistent record for quality and excellence.

In looking at these points, remember these are some of the best of 9289 wines tasted for the 2019 edition.


2015 Suckfizzle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon | 97 Points

** Best Semillon Sauvignon Blanc Blend**

Always a regional tour de force, this has high quality Graves written all over it; not merely fermented in French oak (60% new), but aged as well (40% new) for 14 months, with incremental batonnage to amplify the compelling textural detail. A citrus choir with the focus on lemon: lemon grass, lemon curd and ripe Meyer, all soaring along a balancing beam of vanilla cream oak. This is world class, transcending the general malaise when it comes to these oft-abused varieties.

2016 Luminosa Chardonnay | 95 Points

A surprisingly subtle chardonnay for the region, with fermentation in oak followed by settling in tank. Stone fruit hints, wild yeast pungency and crisp mineral energy. A swather of vanillan oak, barley detectable. The beauty her is in the detail, venosity and compelling length.

2017 Stella Bella Sauvignon Blanc | 95 Points

Man alive, the bouquet is positively humming with a potent cocktail of all things tropical, led by passionfruit, guava, gooseberry and pineapple, and which translates to the opening stanza of the palate before a veil of lime, orange and mandarin citrus comes over the top to calm things down.

2017 Stella Bella Semillon Sauvignon Blanc | 95 Points

This has it all, the X-factor in high relief. The cradle of multifaceted tropical fruits and the bundle of herbs, grass and citrus are perfectly balanced and surge on the finish and aftertaste without any congestion. Lovely now, different - but still lovely - in 5+ years. Great value.

2015 Stella Bella Cabernet Sauvignon | 94 Points

This is benchmark proprietary cabernet. Mid to full weighted, it exudes regional pastille and olive DNA, melded effortlessly to currant, plum and bay leaf notes. The tannins are palpable, albeit massaged to the gentler side in the name of mid-tern ageability and savour.

2017 Skuttlebutt Sauvignon Blanc Semillon | 94 Points

Has it both ways: tropical fruits of all kinds headed by sauvignon blanc’s passionfruit on the bouquet, palate and finish, semillon’s firmer hand on the tiller throughout the journey providing shape and textur e. Great value, of course.

2015 Suckfizzle Cabernet Sauvignon | 93 Points

Ripe, plush and a bit bolshie of oak and assertive, edgy tannins around the seams, this is a premium cabernet in every sense aside from its position just outside of the top tier across an extensive range. The 18 months in French oak and patience should smooth its edginesss. Meanwhile, enjoy flavours of bitter chocolate, currant and bay leaf.

2016 Stella Bella Shiraz | 92 Points

While cabernet is the recognised postcode, some shiraz still stand out in the region. This is one of them. Violet, purple fruits and anise are scuttled across the mouth by pins of peppery acidity. The tannins are a meer waft, providing a platform across which the fruit flows effortlessly. There are no unwelcome hints of reduction that plague so many in the region.

2016 Stella Bella Cabernet Merlot | 92 Points

Exemplary proprietary wine, firmly stamped with regional DNA: a groomed piste of ripe currant, pastille, bay leaf and gentle tannins, oak and grape. Just enough grip for early to mid-term development. This is serious wine made to a friendly price-point.

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