97 Point Rated & 5 Stars Winestate Magazine

"Closed restrained nose that smells of "rain on asphalt!" thought one judge. Warm and powerful in the mouth with some "grippiness". "The tannins are lovely", said another."

96 Points - Huon Hooke The Real Review

"Very deep, dense red/purple colour with a powerful, oak-driven but complex bouquet of blackberry, blackcurrant and cassis, the concentrated palate following on faithfully from this with firm tannins and plenty of oak. There's a subtle thread of peppermint and the wine is deliciously clean and vibrant, fresh and loaded with energy. It should be long lived and will richly reward cellaring. ('Created by Neil McGuigan'. You have to search for the region, but the website says it's Clare Valley) the empty bottle weighed 1.1kg!"

95 Points - James Halliday Wine Companion

"SA is the only region mentioned on the label. In any case the weight of the bottle and the weight of the wine itself will shout down the minor details. This is an explosive red, all blood-rich berries and thunderous tannin, the sizeable hit of chocolate and toast entirely appropriate given the concentration of the fruit, and the extractive claw of the tannin. If you've already started planning for New Year's Eve 2050, this should just about have settled down by then, Diam permitting."

94 Points - Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front 

"Described by McGuigan as its “hero product” and so accordingly it comes with a hero price. No region is named on either the front or back label of the (extremely heavy) bottle, other than simply South Australia. The website mentions the Clare Valley in passing. No other details available but an earlier release was said to have been matured in both French and American oak. It’s wine as an ASIO officer, its identity and upbringing kept deliberately obscured.

The wine. It’s a beast. Substantial, grunty, grainy and persistent. Heroic style, loaded with fruit and oak, pounded with tannin. It’s like an extract from an airport novel, emphasis on the word extract. Everything’s explosive and obvious, the doors aren’t closed they’re slammed, every point is made with a beating of the fist. Chocolate, toast, asphalt, gum leaves, and a roar of tannin. It has the beef, the muscle, the sinew and the bone to live a very, very long life."

Christina Pickard - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

"Housed within an extremely heavy bottle, this blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Shiraz offers heaps of richness and power despite some bottle age. It oozes plump red and black berries, chocolate, vanilla and vague herbal and earth nuances. It's just starting to hint at maturity by showing a little volatility. The palate is all about power although time is beginning to soften things. While the berry fruit is there, it's fading and is wrestling with chunky, drying tannins. Oak influence shows on the finish. This may cellar for another few years, but it's questionable whether the fruit will hold up."