A wine to celebrate the 80th birthday of Patricia McKenzie Anderson, OAM, mother of the winemaker, who notes that this wine also produced the most aromatic ferment of the ’24 vintage. It shows. Sage, wild thyme, rosemary, black cherry, plum and spice light up the aroma. There is a beautiful moment when dark fruits, herbs, spices and dusty cocoa awaken on the palate and meld harmoniously with gentle florals, vanillin oak, fine tannins and the silkiest of textures and just keep on going. Shows a side to malbec we so rarely see in Australia. Simply stunning!
Jeni Port – Halliday Wine Companion
Hand picked over three weeks, 12 micro ferments, all five clones, parcels fermented and matured individually, 12 months’ maturation in French barrique (25% new), basket pressed. Eleana Anderson is one freakishly fantastic winegrower and maker, showing the way with, and the exciting future of, tempranillo in Australia. Few come close. A scent alive in rose florals, red licorice, bay leaf, earth and black and red fruits, with a depth of dried herbs, lures you in. You stay for the complexity that unfolds slowly and lingeringly, combining deep layers of flavour with a liveliness of spiciness and cacao wrapped in a savoury edginess and warm vanillin oak An absolute cracker.
Jeni Port
Multiple small batches, whole-bunch pressed, indigenous yeast, fermented in French barriques (25% new), full solids, lees stirred, 12 months’ maturation. A real beauty of a chardonnay that combines cool-climate poise and a deep-set complexity. Aromas set the scene in white flowers, flinty grapefruit and citrus, stone fruits, almond meal and spice. With senses on alert, the palate – taut and well composed – beckons. Acidity is a feature, driving tangy citrus and stone fruit flavours long, paired with oak spice, sourdough bread and grilled nuts. Flavours intertwine, complexity rules and you know it’s still very much early days for this stunner.
Jeni Port
Multiple small batches and natural yeast ferments, matured separately; 22 months’ maturation in French oak barriques (30% new). Sourced from the 21-year-old, 400ml high Nicholson/Mayford vineyard with 10 shiraz clones in play. It’s all beauty, spice and sophistication. A peppery, spiced array of lively black, red and blue fruits, smart vanillin oak, earth and leather aromas. Crafted along ripe tannins, the spice, licorice and chocolate notes add that extra level of interest against a solid background of generous fruit and oak. Impressive now; it’s also got a long future ahead.
Jeni Port
Posted on 3rd November 2025.
Mayford Tempranillo always has flavour and composure but it’s the structure that always seduces me.
It wouldn’t be hard to call this release perfect. Certainly the integration of the various components is elite. It’s pure of fruit, polished, comes awash with dry, fine, sandy tannin and pushes long through the finish. The 2023 release is a belter; this is an excellent follow-up. It tastes of dark berries, minted vanilla, floral and herb notes, chicory and a bright berried note that I couldn’t quite nail. It’s joyously good, basically. It will age magnificently. And the tannin here checks out beautifully.
Rated : 95+ Points
Tasted : Oct25
Alcohol : 13.9%
Price : $50
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2027 – 2035+
Posted on 1st November 2025.
This was tasted at the winery as part of a vertical tasting of Mayford Tempranillo, hence the shorter note. The quality though is clearly right up there.
This is such an exuberant release. Brilliant fruit, florals, cocoa. Texture, freshness, oomph. Complete. This is the most balanced and impressive of tempranillos. It has an inherent juicy drinkability but it’s also structured, perfumed, powerful and long. I’d hazard to say that this is one of the best ever tempranillo releases from this estate – and, given that Mayford is an Australian leader of the variety, that’s no minor statement. It’s a beautiful combination of berries and spice, tannin and length.
Rated : 96 Points
Tasted : Oct25
Alcohol : 13.9%
Price : $50
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2027 – 2035+
Visit winery website
Posted on 31 October 2025.
This will be great with a few more years under its belt. Eleana Anderson considers this one of the best wines she’s made and it’s not hard to see why. It’s effusive, it’s deep, it’s plush and it lingers. It carries a wide spread of fine-grained tannin too, which complement the gently ferrous aspect of the fruit beautifully. Red roses, redcurrant, black cherry and mint notes run into sweet spice and iodine notes. It’s juicy, joyous and serious at once. It’s a wine of beauty.
Rated : 95 Points
Tasted : Oct25
Alcohol : 13.9%
Price : $50
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2026 – 2033+
Visit winery websiteMayford Patricia McKenzie Malbec 2024Mayford Patricia McKenzie Malbec 2024Mayford Patricia McKenzie Malbec 2024Mayford Patricia McKenzie Malbec 2024
Posted on 31 October 2025.
This is a wonderful chardonnay in the making. It’s tight, flavoursome, characterful and – in an elegant context – powerful. It tastes of pears, bacon, yellow peach, cedar and crunchy apples, with almond paste and tonic water as whispers. Texture; it has plenty. Length; to burn. There’s a lemonade note here too, which mingles with woodsmoke and cream to intoxicating effect. Set-and-forget this in the cellar for a few years and it will soar.
Rated : 95+ Points
Tasted : Oct25
Alcohol : 12.5%
Price : $50
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2028 – 2034+
Visit winery website
Posted on 30 October 2025.
This wine looks both very young and very good. It’s a wine of finesse, and flavour, and polish, and finish. It shows more cherries than plums, more spice than toast, more delicacy than oomph. And yet it comfortably fills the mouth with flavour, and comes with highlights of orange rind and Campari, and is slipped with such impressively fine tannin. It’s a new-fashioned – and arguably more elite – version of an old-fashioned Ovens Valley Burgundy. There are few higher compliments that can be bestowed.
Rated : 96 Points
Tasted : Oct25
Alcohol : 13.9%
Price : $50
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2029 – 2037+
Posted on 30 October 2025.
I visited Mayford recently and was fortunate enough to taste through a lot of back vintages and my all-over impression is that this estate – which I’ve always rated highly – operates at another level above my own previous estimations. These wines, across the range, age brilliantly.
This wine will become the perfect case in point. It’s a magnificent release of Mayford shiraz. Deeply fruited, intricately wrought, perfumed, spiced, and eventually then laced with seriously fine, uncompromised tannin. From every angle it’s beautiful. It tastes of plums and cherries, sweet spices, pink flowers, musk and smoked cream, and the way it comes together, swirls and expands, and then marches out through the finish is compelling and then some.
Rated : 96 Points
Tasted : Oct25
Alcohol : 13.9%
Price : $50
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2027 – 2037+
Mayford Wines – ★★★★★
An attention-grabbing blend highlighting all the strengths of two classic grapes: tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon. Ripe blue, red and black berries mesh beautifully with dried rosemary, earth, red licorice and vanillin oak. So smooth it glides across the tongue. Tannins are just so, spice is heady, the effect is stunningly memorable.
Jeni Port
Mayford Wines Chardonnay 2023 – Gold – Rating 96
Multiple small batches, whole-bunch pressed, fermented and matured in French oak (25% new). A stunning chardonnay by any measure. Upfront and peachy, lemony bright with white flowers, it’s a quiet assassin with a rich undertow of complex fruit waiting to be fully explored with time. Well-composed stone fruits, grapefruit, lime zest, nougat and mealy notes, grilled nuts and spiced pears mesh seamlessly, irresistibly on the palate. Alpine Valleys acidity sizzles, adding a touch of brilliant brightness.
Jeni Port
Mayford Wines Tempranillo 2023 – Gold – Rating 96
A stellar tempranillo that offers a deeper insight into the grape with each vintage. Eleana Anderson has a wonderful, intuitive understanding of the Spanish grape, one that mixes a ripe expression with a light, savoury touch. In a cooler vintage such as ’23, they meet with a level of high refinement in rose florals, mustard seed, cherry, bramble, mountain herbs and dusty cacao. Subtle and elegant, it is carried by fine tannins and creamy oak spice to a long finish. Will age a treat.
Jeni Port
Mayford Wines Shiraz 2022 – Gold – Rating 96
Is it time to take Alpine Valleys shiraz seriously? It is! Year after year this maker releases a quality shiraz of all class. This vintage, it is from the Nicholson vineyard. A cool-climate-style spiciness inhabits the wine in combo with a medium-bodied, supple palate that is a ready palette of colours – black, red and blue fruits – and mixed woodsy spices, earth and peppery intrigue. Fragrant, elegant and supple in tannins, it goes long and impresses mightily.
Jeni Port
Mayford Wines Rosewhite Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 – Gold – Rating 96
Sourced from the Rosewhite vineyard, one of the oldest vineyards in the Alpine Valleys. Time to take Alpine Valleys cabernet seriously when it is this good. And it most definitely is! A striking wine from the first lifted aromas of violet, dark rose, oregano, wild mountain herbs and a lingering scent of intense black berries and dark cherries. Gorgeous aromatics are central to the wine but, so too, a complexity and fineness that is beautifully and naturally poised. Silky, long tannins seduce.
Jeni Port
Anderson & Marsh Parell Albarino 2024 – Gold – Rating 95
The Spanish grape takes a major leap forward in the hands of these two winemakers. Flavours are pitch-perfect, elevating the grape’s rich trove of citrus and marrying it to a light savouriness. Grapefruit pith, lemon, lime zest, baked apple and light florals with no shortage of fruit intensity are delivered with a savoury layer à la almond skin and preserved lemon. Comes across heady and aromatic, creamy and long, aided and abetted by saline fresh acidity. Fabulous.
Jeni Port
Halliday Wine Companion – 2025
Ink black core into a deep ruby rim. Blackberry, black olive and graphite minerals on the nose. Rich and powerful on the palate, loaded with black fruits, anise, graphite and black olive tapenade notes. There’s a chorus of flavours that lifts in harmony along the back of finely grained, yet powerful tannins. Great length and precision to the drying end. Will be best suited to a serious roast of beef.
DRINK : 2024–2039
THE REAL REVIEW – 2024
This was grown on the Souter’s Vineyard, recently sold, which is/was in Rosewhite, in the beautifully named Happy Valley. It’s a stunning valley and a very good (and interesting) vineyard; it is home to the oldest cabernet vines in the Alpine Valleys region (planted in the 1980s I think).
There’s always been a fair hit of mint/eucalypt in the reds off this vineyard, and it’s here again, though I’d reckon that it’s been better managed here than I’ve seen it previous. Indeed here it’s a positive. Blackcurrant, choc-mint, a smattering of herbs, a graphite character. Cedarwood oak applies a light sauce; redcurrant notes add brightness and lift. It’s a truly lovely wine, elegant and well fruited, crafted expertly, cabernet to its back teeth. It will mature well.
Rated : 94 Points
Tasted : Jun24
Alcohol : 13.9%
Price : $45
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2026 – 2033+
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front, June 2024
The framework here is substantial. So too the flesh. This is a wine of meat, bones, stuffing and gravy. It tastes of scorched black cherries, chicory, woodsmoke and cedar, though sweet spice and kirsch notes get guernseys too. The flavour here may be bold, and polished, but folded within it are arms of muscular tannin, and these guide the wine to somewhere grander. It’s a wave, this wine. It lifts and it carries. It’s a release of note.
Rated : 95 Points
Tasted : Jun24
Alcohol : 13.9%
Price : $44
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2026 – 2033+
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front, June 2024
Essentially a blend of cabernet (sauvignon) and tempranillo though I believe that there’s some malbec included in this release.
If you’re into the cellaring of wine, and you enjoy traditional Australian red styles, then this wine is money in the bank. The tempranillo aspect may not be so traditional, granted, but the bold style of this wine, and the bold framework of tannin, and the polish, and indeed the freshness, all point to a red wine of power, purpose and poise. The fruit here is excellent. The oak, while fractionally assertive at present, ties it all together admirably. And the tannin has some real flex to it. Once the oak settles this will rate higher still.
Rated : 94+ Points
Tasted : Jun24
Alcohol : 13.9%
Price : $55
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2027 – 2035+
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front, June 2024
Albariño gets the deluxe treatment and that’s a ‘Wow!’ Each vintage sees these two makers excel themselves with the Spanish grape, reaching down deeper into its character to extract layer upon layer of complexity. Preserved lemon, grapefruit pith, lime zest, apple, beeswax and peach – a rich tapestry of scents, flavours and textures – are set against an assertive acid backbone. That saline, mineral kicker of a finish is gold.
Jeni Port – Halliday Wine Companion 2024
Mayford Wines – ★★★★★
A wine of pure class. Perfectly reflects the Alpine Valleys’ ability to compete when it comes to quality shiraz. Ready for the glass or a long run in the cellar, it arrives integrated and balanced with a budding complexity. Dark plum, black berries, a shopping list of spices including anise and just a touch of intriguing eucalyptus. The ground work for a big future is set against a nuanced display of smoky oak and fine tannins.
Mayford Wines Tempranillo 2021 – Gold – Rating 96
Wow! What a comeback! After losing her entire 2020 vintage to smoke taint, Eleana Anderson is back, big time. Tempranillo, always a Mayford highlight, shines in the fabulous ’21 vintage. Great vibrancy of colour in deep purple hues. Offers up a striking perfume of well-defined dark cherries, plum, earth, dried rosemary, dusty cocoa, red licorice. An effortless beauty unfolds across the palate. Medium bodied, supple, textural, too, and with so much life still to be explored. Give it time.
Mayford Wines Chardonnay 2021 – Gold – Rating 95
With no wine made in 2020, the return of chardonnay to the Mayford fold brings the winemakers’s usual touch of class and precision. It’s a fine-featured chardonnay with acidity taking charge at this early stage, slowly revealing a delicacy of citrus fruits (grapefruit, lemon zest) with pear skin, a gentle spiciness and some nutty influences. Coming together beautifully and deliciously now, give it more time if you can and you will be rewarded.
Jeni Port – Halliday Wine Companion 2024
Fermentation in stainless steel (50%) and older puncheons on lees (50%). The major white grape of Spain is making itself right at home in the Alpine Valleys. Brings both energy and warmth to the glass with a touch of savouriness. Layers of grapefruit, lemon peel, apple, preserved lemon and beeswax build and build in the mouth. The mix of tart bite and mealy softness talks to the grape’s noted natural acidity. Tasted six months before release, but easily on track for a big future.
Anderson & Marsh 2017 Catani Blanc de Blancs – Silver – 94 points
Alpine Valley winemaker friends, Jo Marsh and Eleana Anderson, come together to make wines they like to drink. Catani, with extended time on lees, presents a complex and powerful sparkling take on Alpine Valleys chardonnay with baked apple, grilled pineapple, honeyed fig aromas and flavours and an overriding warm nuttiness. Smooth across the mid-palate with a lovely spiciness to close. Worth the wait.
Jeni Port – Halliday Wine Companion 2023
Spain meets Alpine Valleys and it’s fireworks all around. The result is an impressive wine combining both power and elegance. Intense scents of wet earth, dark berries, alpine herbs and licorice spice with gentle savoury overtones. Looks and smells dark and brooding. But wait, the palate lifts, the aromatics rise and elegance and poise rule with tannins fine and nimble. A top year brings tempranillo into its own in this part of the world. Bravo!
Jeni Port – Halliday Wine Companion 2023
Some wines, from the first sip, just seem to say: I’ve got this. This is one of them. It has a brooding depth, lots of top notes and all the gaps filled in between. It tastes of black cherry and plum, blueberry and ground coffee, sweet spice, cream and fragrant herbs. It hits and it carries and it lingers. In fact the finish of this wine is quite something, not just because of the assertive-but-finessed tannin but because of the extra linger; the way it stays on until the job is completely done. No stone in this wine is unturned.
Drink: 2023–2035
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front October 2022
The Anderson & Marsh team is doing really good things with albarino.
It’s a fine wine from every angle. The chalkiness of the texture, the inlay of florals, the combination of intensity and length, not to mention the all-round style. It’s generally fruit-driven but then I’d also call it savoury, and complex. It’s driven by citrus, has a keen tonic/botanicals side, goes into grapefruit pulp and exits with a sure textural kick. The aftertaste introduces honeysuckle, perhaps even fennel, and steel. It’s a champion wine.
Drink: 2023- 2027
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front October 2022
Dark, inky and opaque in the glass. Lifted aromas of blackberry, cola, bramble, cedar, spice, ironstone and anise. Full, rich, firm and structured on the palate. Plenty of dark, inky berry fruits, briar, licorice, sarsaparilla, charcuterie and soy. Savoury, textured tannins and snappy acidity temper the powerful fruit nicely.
2022–2032
Aaron Brasher – The Real Review August 2022
Mayford Wines – ★★★★★
Anderson & Marsh Parell Albariño 2121 – Gold – Rating 95
With each release, these 2 talented winemakers work hard to unravel the Spanish grape’s great mystery, not to mention suitability to our soils. They come mighty close in 2021, delivering a complex and aromatic wine of some beauty. Honeysuckle, lemon, pithy grapefruit, honeydew melon and touch of preserved lemon savouriness join a fleshy, mealy texture and spiced palate. Utterly attention grabbing, not to mention, delicious.
Mayford Wines Shiraz 2018 – Gold – Rating 95
Another exciting journey into cool-climate shiraz territory, exuding both strength and intensity, but with a fine touch. Scent of blackberries, generous spice and earth. Starts with a bang flavour-wise, all ripe, a no-beg-your-pardon confidence, but then slides irresistibly into an embrace of violet, dark chocolate and warm, woodsy spice.
Mayford Wines Ovens Crossing 2018 – Gold – Rating 95
Do yourself a favour and make this a keeper. While everything is in its place and nicely so, it’s still got a way to go, which is the winemaker’s intention. It is made with longevity in mind, hence the firm tannin structure and the noted involvement of vanillan oak wrapped around some classy, generous black fruits, spice and wild herbs. The middle palate sings a mighty tantalising song.
Mayford Wines Tempranillo 2019 – Gold – Rating 95
Winemaker Eleana Anderson is among a handful of leading tempranillo producers in this country forging ahead with the grape. This is a smart tempranillo, delivering a fine-grained elegance. Ripe, dark fruits lead by black cherry envelope the senses. Red licorice, violets and herbs add a fragrant touch on the palate, nicely entwined by savoury tannins. This wine is definitely heading in the direction of super-complexity. Keep it ageing a little longer, if you can.
Mayford Wines “John Warwick” Chardonnay 2019 – Silver – Rating 93
Named in honour of a Mayford veteran who has worked with the owners for nearly every vintage. Winemaker Eleana Anderson strives for a savoury and mealy style, all almonds, nougat, peach and nectarine, casting a complex web of flavours. Before drawing to a crisp, savoury finish there is a tantalising flourish of apple, orange rind and grilled nuts.
Jeni Port – Halliday Wine Companion 2022
Mayford and Tempranillo have become synonymous.
There’s plenty of bold flavour here though there’s a firm undertow of tannin and it feels seamless throughout. In fact overall integration here, particularly of oak and fruit, is excellent. Coffee, cola, black cherry, sweet herbs and roasted meat notes. It feels up-front and generous at first but then the finish trails out beautifully.
Mayford “John Warwick” Chardonnay 2019
12.9% alcohol but wow does it have a lot to offer.
Intensity of flavour here is fantastic. The palate is buoyant with peach, lime, nectarine and custard apple-like flavours though sweet oak too applies an appropriate boost. You take a sip and think, Whoa, we’re onto something here. Length is excellent, so too power, and personality. There’s a fresh, citrussy sear to this and yet it feels bold and textural throughout. This is a stand-out chardonnay from Mayford.
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front
Mayford Wines – ★★★★★
Excellent spread of flavour and the balance to match. This is another tiptop release from Mayford. Trademark black cherry flavours almost move into plum; toast and chicory characters come thanks to oak; peppercorn is part of the wine’s story. Ultra-fine but assertive tannin exerts a certain confidence. All the right moves.
Mayford Wines Tempranillo 2018 – Gold – Rating 96
Mayford’s hidden valley just keeps turning out topflight tempranillo. This is as good as any release so far. It’s savoury as much as sweet, juicy with flavour as much as it is structured and controlled. Ample flavour without going overboard and a sustained finish; give it a couple of years in bottle and then start tucking in.
Mayford Wines Chardonnay 2018 – Silver – Rating 93
A fine chardonnay with lime, oatmeal, sweet peach and oak spice characters flowing harmoniously through the palate. There’s a subtle flintiness, just enough to give it some spark, but pure fruit and oak put the runs on the board.
Campbell Mattinson – Halliday Wine Companion 2021
Awarded: Top Rank
Mayford Porepunkah Shiraz 2017, Alpine Valleys, AUD $42
In a sea of recently tasted shiraz, this wine is a real stand out. I suspect it’s because it speaks as much of a place and time, as it does the variety. Undeniably ripe and bold of oak, it has an earthy undertone that adds charm and complexity.
Dark plum red with bright crimson edges. This feel wrapped in oak – quality hazelnut and caramel oak. A brooding core of black fruits, with a lovely seam of dried herbs. Something hauntingly compelling about it. Chalky tannins peel off dried blackberry fruit. Will likely score even higher in 12 months. (Screwcap)
Score: 95 ★★★★★
Drink : 2020 – 2030
Nick Butler – Cellar Talk Wines
There are only a handful of wineries around Porepunkah so no great surprise if you have never heard of it. The town is located high in the Alpine Valleys which helps to keep it relatively cool even during the baking Summer heat and gives the local wines both great power but also finesse. It is also a region making a name for itself with Tempranillo thanks to the work of Eleana and Bryan at Mayford.
This wine immediately gets the heart racing with its powerful, complex and intriguing character. It’s a little shy at first but over time peppery, nutmeg and boysenberry fruit emerges with an edge of bitumen and reserved oak. It is dry and quite tannic on the palate with well balanced fruit and a baked earth edge finishing long and firm suggesting good ageing potential but it is also delicious now. You can find all the Mayford wines here.
Drink : 2020 – 2030
Angus Hughson – Wine Pilot
Mayford is a small winemaker in the upper reaches of the Alpine Valleys near Mount Buffalo not far from Beechworth so no surprise if you have never heard of them before, as they can be hard to find. But these wines are so worth seeking out.
The Ovens Crossing is their top wine, only made in the best years. It is a fascinating blend of largely Tempranillo and Cabernet although it is the Cabernet that shines through with sweet cassis and cedar fruits plus an attractive edge of spice and gravel well balanced with sweet fruits. It is dry and firm with intense and complex fruit. But it is really the exceptional structure that stands out. Perfectly ripened tannins match the lovely fruit and with good acid too. This is a seriously cool wine from an unusual blend and I’d love to see how it evolves over the next decade or two. Fantastic value and you can find all the Mayford wines here.
Drink : 2025 – 2038
Angus Hughson – Wine Pilot
Porepunkah Shiraz from the Mayford vineyard.
Beautifully crafted wine. Filligreed tannin is the key to its quality but the spread of flavour is the source of the seduction. Black cherry into plum, toast and chicory, a suggestion of peppercorn and a subtle creaminess. Oak is certainly in play but overall the wine feels both balanced and confident. It’s another fantastic release from the gem that is Mayford.
Drink : 2021 – 2032+
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front
Mayford and Tempranillo have become synonymous.
Savoury, sweet, structured and sustained. The way this wine evolves in the glass is quite something. We get sweet cedar and coffee, cola and sars, earth and cloves. We get a solid push of flavour but there’s such reach to the tannin too. Quality is top notch. It’s going to cellar well too.
Drink : 2021 – 2028+
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front
Mayford 2018 Tempranillo (Alpine Valleys, Victoria) ★★★★★
Mayford is a leading contender for the title of Australia’s best Tempranillo. From Porepunkah, near Bright in Victoria, this tempranillo is lively and complex, showing a little whole-bunch complexity to complement the spicy red fruit. A touch of classy French oak completes this finely structured, savoury tempranillo.
Lester Jesberg – Winewise
This is the first release from two female winemakers in the Alpine Valleys – Jo Marsh (Billy Button) and Eleana Anderson (Mayford Wines). Those who have been to Bright in the region’s Ovens Valley would know that it is cold … very cold. This is a great example of a lively, dry and vibrant sparkling wine that showcases what this cool climate can do.
James Boden – In Daily: Adelaide Independent News
Mayford Wines – ★★★★★
The varieties were fermented separately, percentages unknown. Probably doesn’t matter as this is harmonious, pulsing with beautiful cool climate fruit. It’s a mix of flavours from cherries and plums to an array of alpine herbs, spices and cedar from the oak, 50% new French barriques aged 11 months. Fuller-bodied but not heavy, very detailed tannins and it’s a delicious drink that will reward more with ageing.
2016, Mayford Shiraz – Gold – Rating 95
Testament to the site and skill of the winemaker when a vintage doesn’t play fair – a hailstorm effectively reduced the crop load by half, but quality is up there. Excellent colour similar to Chanel rouge-noir nail polish; dark fruits, warm earth, woodsy spices plus oak flavour all meshing well. This has power and drive across the full-bodied palate, determined tannins, but it’s also balanced and detailed.
2017, Mayford Tempranillo – Gold – Rating 96
Deep purple-red; dark red fruits, licorice root with a hint of bitumen, earthy and menthol, this is savoury through and through, concentrated yet the tannins are detailed, the length goes on and on. There’s a feeling, and aromas, of substantial oak, all should settle in time. Convincingly impressive and built for the long haul.
2017, Mayford Chardonnay – Gold – Rating 96
Possibly Mayford’s most complete and complex chardonnay to date. Always a richer style, this is superbly balanced, citrus and white stone fruits mingling with wood spices, and the oak neatly integrated. The palate is complex with creamy-leesy flavours and some flinty sulphides resulting in a satisfying wine.
Jane Faulkner – Halliday Wine Companion 2020
Creamy, fluffy yeast lees aroma together with some buttery notes that suggest malolactic. It’s taut and reserved, nervy and crisp in the mouth. Quite high-acid and refined; long, long carry. A smart wine, and it could reward some cellar-time.
Best drinking 2019 to 2027
Huon Hook
Best Tasting Experience – Alpine Valleys
2017 Mayford Tempranillo
Another ripping Tempranillo from Mayford.
The Mayford reds always creep up on me. I start out liking them and end up loving them. This is bold, ripe and forward at first, a little bombastic even, which is all very well but it had me thinking 92-93 if you know what I mean. And then. As I sat with the wine its motor really started to purr, the undercarriage, the drifts of herbs, cloves and smoky oak, the rumble of licoricey tannin. It hits but then it spreads. The final impression is one of completeness and of command. You can drink it now, it has it all going on. But boy does this have a future.
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front
“This Porepunkah (Alpine Valleys, Vic) wine completely dominated the Tempranillo class. It impressed from the bright colour right through to the long finish. The aromas covered the entire berry range- blue, red and black- and the rich fruits fills the delightfully savoury palate. The Chairman declared that this was probably the top wine of the 2018 Winewise Small Vignerons Awards. Release is imminent and demand is strong so put your name on the waiting list.”
Lester Jesberg – Winewise
2018 Winewise Small Vigneron Awards
BEST TEMPRANILLO 2017 Mayford Tempranillo (Alpine Valleys, Victoria)
Wine Wise – August 2018
Mayford Wines – ★★★★★
Dramatically different from the ’16, as it should be. 13 clones of shiraz made in small batches, variously spending 3-8 weeks on skins, matured for 22 months in French barriques (36% new). It’s luscious, filling the mouth and then some with its multifaceted purple and black fruits, rounded tannins and high quality oak judged to perfection. One of those wines tempting you to have a mouthful or so.
Best drinking 2018 to 2035
James Halliday – Australian Wine Companion 2019
Deep colour and an earthy, toasty barrel and nutty bouquet, the palate spicy and deep, full-bodied and lush, with very attractive spicy shiraz flavour and a long, quite firm carry. Excellent. A serious, full-bodied red wine with structure, power and length – but also balance.
Best drinking 2018 to 2038
Huon Hook
Only 70 dozen were made, but it is a cracking wine, the top wine from Mayford winemaker Eleana Anderson. Smoky, earthy savoury aromas, blackberry and cassis and a faint herbal note, the palate compact, dense and endowed with ample fine tannins. A super wine with a big future. (Screwcap)
Best drinking 2020 to 2038
Cellar Talk, Wine of the Week – Huon Hook
If there is a heavier Burgundy-shaped bottle, I haven’t encountered it, and have no wish to do so. Happily for those who have lugged a 6-bottle case into their cellar, the wine is full of character. If they’ve picked up 12 bottles they are either Olympic weightlifters or in hospital after cardiac arrest. The wine has a ramrod-straight link through the length of the palate, and will only soften slowly as it ages. It will be worth the weight and wait.
James Halliday – Wine companion Magazine Aug/Sept 2018
Porepunkah Shiraz, re-defined.
Mayford shiraz has been a beautiful thing on many occasions but this release arguably takes the cake. It shifts the conversation slightly. It feels finer, longer, more confident, more Burgundian. Cherries, chocolate, coffee and sweet spices, and ample quantities of each, all come as a seamless whole; there’s no jostling here, the flavours come as a team. There’s a raspberried brightness; a meatiness too. The flavours then all ripple through the tannin like a creek through rapids. We have ourselves something special here.
Drink : 2020 – 2030+
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front
If there is a heavier Burgundy-shaped bottle, I haven’t encountered it, and have no wish to do so. Happily for those who have lugged a 6-bottle case into their cellar, the wine is full of character. If they’ve picked up 12 bottles they are either Olympic weightlifters or in hospital after cardiac arrest. The wine has a ramrod-straight link through the length of the palate, and will only soften slowly as it ages. It will be worth the weight and wait.
James Halliday – Wine companion Magazine Aug/Sept 2018
2016 was a difficult season at Mayford so this wine was made to tide things over. That’s the background though the quality is higher than those words might imply. It’s made mostly with shiraz from the Wanted Man vineyard at Heathcote though there’s input also from Beechworth- and Alpine Valleys-grown shiraz.
The word impeccable almost always springs to mind when tasting/drinking a Mayford wine and it does again here. This is ripe and (sweetly) berried but it’s manicured and neat too; its flavours feel as though they’ve been carefully placed, one by one. Blackberry, clove, plum, graphite, gum leaf and a bright redcurrant-like character. Smoky oak has been judged to perfection. Spice and floral notes hover. Not a big wine in any way but perfectly presented and a pleasure to drink as a result.
Drink : 2019 – 2027+
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front
Sure it was a difficult season but Eleana Anderson doesn’t accept excuses; she never puts out a bad wine.
There’s a glossy, polished aspect to this wine, often part of the Mayford appeal, though this release comes with rugged tannin too. A wine of rugged good looks, you could say. It’s raspberried, meaty, floral and laced with sweet, cedary oak. I thought it was fractionally hollow at first, the effect of the tannin, but as it breathed it was plain to see that there’s more than enough fruit and flavour here. I could drink this wine without any problem but I suspect it will be a much better wine with a few years under its belt.
Drink : 2018 – 2025+
Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front
2015 Mayford Tempranillo
95 points, 5 Stars
This is a youthful wine with a purple tinged colour and a slightly reticent aroma, developing spice and violets and a hint of black pepper with airing. A bold medium-bodied red with good balance and elegance, which is sure to richly reward some cellar time. (Cellar 2-13 years)
2016 Mayford Tempranillo
96 points
It was by no means an easy vintage – a ferocious hail storm meant owner-winemaker Eleana Anderson lost half her crop. Being meticulous in the vineyard, she has crafted an outstanding tempranillo that’s utterly delicious. There’s a lightness of touch here yet it still displays concentrated fruit flavours of dark cherries, plus drops of kirsch, red liquorice and sarsaparilla, with well-handled oak adding structure, spice and more. Medium-bodied with surprisingly fine tannins and supple too. Great attention to detail and it shows.
Drink: 2028
Jane Faulkner – Halliday Weekend Reading
Chardonnay 2015
The grapes were picked at exactly the right time, maximising their freshness and vibrancy, and also their varietal character. It is an outstanding achievement given its region, the actual vilification also high class. Rating 95
Shiraz 2014
Handsomely packaged, and delivers a beautifully made medium-bodied wine presenting varietal fruit without fuss, just effortless class. Red and black cherry and juicy satsuma plum flow through the mouth sustained by ripe tannins. Rating 95
Tempranillo 2015
Tempranillo was the wine that gained fame for Mayford, and this is a worthy member of the following vintages. It is bright, juicy and fresh, with red cherry fruit to the fore, and a long, convincing finish. Rating 95
James Halliday – Australian Wine Companion
