Mayford Tempranillo 2012 – 93 Points

Mayford Tempranillo has fast become a sought-after wine. It’s made by Eleana Anderson in tiny volume to meticulous standards. It’s a leader of the Australian tempranillo pack. It’s from a few years ago now but if you haven’t read of the Mayford story, you can do so here. Mayford Tempranillo is of course from a small hand-tended ampitheatre-like estate at Porepunkah in the Alpine Valleys region of north-east Victoria. This 2012 version will be released in October 2013. The 2012 season wasn’t the easiest for red wine in these parts but it has produced some excellent results. This is one of them. Balance and texture are its calling cards. So too is a deceptive firmness of tannin. Polished, cedary, smoky oak, sweet-sour cherry, fistfuls of assorted dry, woody spice and a whisper of eucalypt. Oak has been beautifully managed and applied. It’s the most seamless tempranillo from Mayford yet. It’s infantile; it will be much better in 3-4 years. But it’s definitely a goodun’. Rated : 93 Points, Alcohol : 14%, Price : $35, Closure : Screwcap, Drink : 2015 – 2020

Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front