Halliday Results 2020

Halliday Results 2020

We submitted 5 wines for James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2020 Edition and all of them received 90 or above.

Tasting Notes Rating
Stonefish Nero Shiraz 2013 2015 Stonefish Nero Old Vines Barossa Valley Shiraz – 95 Points
“50yo vines, hand-picked, open-fermented, 6 days on skins, matured in French oak (30% new) for 18 months. Rich and luscious, with soft tannins and very good balance. Ready to enjoy now, but will live for 10+ years.”
✪ 2017 Stonefish Reserve Barossa Valley Shiraz – 94 Points
Machine-harvested and sorted, crushed to tank, 5-7 days fermentation, matured in French oak (50% new) for 12 months. Deep colour, rice blackberry and blood plum fruit, attractive spicy tannin structure.”
   
✪ 2015 Stonefish Concerto Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon – 94 Points
“Crushed and destemmed, 14 days on skins plus post-ferment maceration, matured in French barriques (45% new). Medium-bodied, clear blackcurrant and bay leaf flavours, gently, fine tannins.
Stonefish Wines Limited Release Semillon 2014 Stonefish Limited Release Hunter Valley Semillon – 90 Points
“Has moved incredibly slowly towards maturity, even the colour still quartz-white, lemon zest flavours sitting quietly in the background. Ideal restaurant by the glass wine.”
Stonefish Wines Reserve Chardonnay 2017 Stonefish Reserve Margaret River Chardonnay – 91 Points
Machine-harvested, fermented in French oak (40% new), matured for 6 months. Despite its modest alcohol, its mouthfeel and taste are at the big end of Margaret River, a sure hit for those who say they want chardonnay like it used to be.”

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Halliday 2018 Results

Halliday 2018 Results

Halliday Wine Companion 2018 Results

We submitted four wines in this years Halliday Wine Companion and are pleased to announce that all four wines once again received a rating of over 90 points.

Product Review Rating
Stonefish NERO Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon ✪ 2014 Stonefish Nero Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
Sways with energy, concentrated cassis, currants and boysenberries doused in Middle Eastern spices and cedary oak. Full-bodied and structured with substantial tannins yet maintains a vibrancy and freshness throughout.
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2018
2015 Stonefish Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ✪ 2015 Stonefish Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
It’s vibrant and tangy with an abundance of blackberries and mulberries, choc-mint and screams Margaret River. Somewhat sinewy with puckering acidity and needs more time to gel.”
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 92 rating
Stonefish Reserve Shiraz 2015

2015 Stonefish Reserve Barossa Valley Shiraz
Atypical with a deep dark garnet, glossy sheen to the palate with plenty of ripe to overripe fruit with apricot kernel and spicy too. Somewhat ballsy with the oak but all balanced.”

James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 92 rating
Stonefish Nero Shiraz 2013

2013 Stonefish Nero Barossa Valley Shiraz
This is so concentrated and pitch-black, just a rim of garnet; apparently old vines are the source – the only mention is some up to 70 years old, so that’s not really helpful. Big fruit, big palate, big tannins and lashings of oak. The style has its fans and won’t disappoint.

James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 91 Rating

Halliday Wine Companion 2018

Keenly anticipated each year by winemakers, collectors and wine lovers, the Halliday Wine Companion is recognised as the industry benchmark for Australian wine.

In his inimitable style, Halliday shares his extensive knowledge of wine through detailed tasting notes, each with vintage-specific ratings and advice on optimal drinking as well as each wine’s closure, alcohol content and price. He provides information about the wineries, winemakers and other important details such as vineyard sizes, opening times, contact details and website addresses.

The Wine Companion is an indispensable reference from the country’s leading wine authority and a must-have guide for anyone visiting a winegrowing region, or wanting to replenish their cellar or wine rack.

You can purchase the Halliday Wine Companion 2018 guide here.

About the Author

James Halliday is Australia’s most respected wine critic, wine writer and vigneron. He regularly judges at wine shows both in Australia and overseas, and is a leading authority on all aspects of the wine industry. James has written or contributed to no fewer than 70 books on wine and has been widely published around the world. As a founder of Brokenwood in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, and then Coldstream Hills in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, James provides perspective on the wine world from the planting and pruning of vines through to the creation and marketing of the finished product. His winemaking has led him to annual sojourns to Bordeaux and Burgundy where he owns a property. In 1995 James was awarded the wine industry’s ultimate accolade, the Maurice O’Shea Award and in 2010 James was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to the wine industry.

Halliday 2017 Results

Halliday 2017 Results

Halliday 2017 Results

Product Review Rating
✪ 2014 Stonefish Reserve Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
Margaret River is the go-to region par excellence if you are prepared to pay for quality at a win-win price, and to do so over time. This has it all: bell-clear blackcurrant fruit, black olive and dried herbs the tannins round and ripe.
✪ 2013 Stonefish ICON Barossa Valley Shiraz
“An ultra full-bodied shiraz, hand-picked, open-fermented and matured in new and used French oak. The masses of savoury extract is so intense it approaches (although ultimately falls short of) outright bitterness.”

2013 Stonefish Reserve Barossa Valley Shiraz
“This is full-bodied, with plenty of fruit, but sandblasted by the amount of oak. Those who love oak should try it out ? they may love it.”

2012 Stonefish ‘Raffaele’ Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
The first signs of moving out of primary into secondary mode look as if they may soon gather pace; there are some earthy/briary notes (and violets) joining the fruit.”

Halliday 2016 Results

Halliday 2016 Results

Halliday 2016 Results

Product Review Rating
Award-BottleShots_2012-Icon ✪ 2012 Icon Barossa Valley Shiraz
“Hand-picked, open-fermented, matured in new and used French oak. In a bottle weighing several kgs. Vivid crimson-purple colour heralds a high quality wine and expensive package, the cork the best money can buy; there is a perfect symbiosis between the blackberry fruits and exactly judged and integrated French oak. This is a giant leap forward for the Stonefish brand.”
Medals_Halliday-2016-97
Award-BottleShots_Reserve-Shiraz-2012 ✪ 2012 Reserve Barossa Shiraz
“This is a very smart Barossa shiraz, immediately ticking all the boxes; there is an energy to the purple fruits that lifts the finish into a fresh, juicy mouthfeel; soft, ripe tannins and integrated oak add a dimension to the well balanced plummy finish.”
Award-BottleShots_2013-Margaret-River-Shiraz 2013 Margaret River Shiraz
“Light, clear crimson; a light to medium-bodied fresh and juicy wine with red fruits dominant and some black cherry nuances; no obvious oak. Drink tonight and be happy stuff. Well priced.”
Award-BottleShots_2012-Blackwood-Valley-Merlot 2012 Blackwood Valley Merlot
“Another carefully sourced and well made wine under the Stonefish umbrella; notes of cassis and sweet plum fruit will meet the target market.”

CWSA 2015 Results

CWSA 2015 Results

CWSA 2015 Results

Stonefish Wines has solidified it’s standing on an international stage, with an impressive hoard of medals in the 2015 China Wine & Spirits Awards.

The prestigious biannual wine competition is the biggest and most revered in Hong Kong and China, with entrants from across the globe. This is just the third time in history Stonefish Wines has entered an international competition of this calibre and the results speak for themselves.

The results are also highly important for the new ‘Series 8’ wines released by the label specifically for international export. Every one of the wines in this line; Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, receiving recognition in the competition.

Product Vintage Rating Download
Stonefish-Series8-Chardonnay Stonefish Series 8 Chardonnay 2014 CWSA Double Gold Medal Download
Stonefish_350x115_Series-8-Merlot Stonefish Series 8 Merlot 2014 CWSA 2015 Gold Medal Download
Stonefish_350x115_2013-Reserve-Shiraz Stonefish Reserve Shiraz 2013 CWSA 2015 Gold Medal Download
Stonefish_350x115_2014-Margaret-River-Shiraz Stonefish Margaret River Shiraz 2014 CWSA 2015 Gold Medal Download
Stonefish_350x115_2012 Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon Stonefish Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 CWSA 2015 Gold Medal Download
Stonefish_350x115_Series-8-Cabernet-Sauvignon Stonefish Series 8 Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 CWSA 2015 Silver Medal Download
Stonefish_350x115_Sauvignon-Blanc Stonefish Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc 2015 CWSA Medal Bronze Download

Halliday 2015 Results

Halliday 2015 Results

Halliday 2016 Results

Product Review Rating
✪ 2012 Clare Valley Riesling
A generously flavoured Riesling, already with sufficient depth to provide immediate enjoyment; a mix of lime, apple and white peach provides a tapestry of flavours on the long, even palate; there is enough minerally acidity to keep the wine in shape over the next 5 years.”
2010 Limited Release Hunter Valley Semillon
Gently developed in a most attractive fashion. Tastes of brine, lemon and wax and has excellent extension through the finish. Medium in terms of intensity but regional/varietal expression are clearly stencilled.
✪ 2013 Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc
Well composed. Pale colour. Gravel, citrus, cut grass and tropical fruit. Compact cranks of flavour but with good intensity and momentum through the mouth.
✪ 2013 Margaret River Chardonnay
“Attractive mix of grapefruit and pear-like fruit with just-enough spicy oak to give it a completeness. Crisp and clean. Slightly bitter on the finish but not necessarily lesser for it. Clear sense of regional/varietal identity. Great value.”

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