A best-selling annual, the Halliday Wine Companion 2025 has been completely revised to bring readers the latest wine ratings, regions, best varietals, winery reviews and a curated selection of the best wines in Australia. The Halliday Tasting Team, led for the second year by Campbell Mattinson in the role of chief editor, share their extensive knowledge of wine through detailed tasting notes, awarded scores, price and value, along with recommended drink-by dates and advice on cellaring.
THE GARDEN SERIES
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22 Bella’s Garden – 95 Points
Dave Brookes
Published 07 August 2024
“A barrel selection from Two Hands Barossa Valley shiraz vineyards. The Bella’s Garden has always been about fruit density for me. Thick-shouldered plum and blackberry fruits dabbed with baking spice, roasting meats, citrus blossom, olive tapenade, dark-chocolate-dipped cherries and earth. Plush and pure with fine, sandy tannins and a crème de cassis-like unctuousness to the finale. It’s consistently a cracking wine.”
22 Lily’s Garden – 94 Points
Marcus Ellis
Published 07 August 2024
“This is a pan-regional blend, knitting together the characteristics of varying geologies and macroclimates. There’s violet and lilac, ground coffee and tar, boysenberry, blueberry and plum, dried seaweed, iodine, soft licorice and morcilla. The cool year has put a cap on sweetness of fruit, which is no bad thing, though it is still mouth-filling and intense, tannins chewy and layered, calling for food.”
22 Max’s Garden – 94 points
Jeni Port
Published 08 July 2024
“Not backward in coming forward. Heathcote shiraz goes big and bold but achieves a balance of alcohol, fruit and oak with gymnastic flair. Hard to fault really, from the deep, dark colour to the regional signature aromas of black fruits, high spice, Aussie bush and mineral earthiness. Tannins are lithe and supple. Oak is nicely placed. Ripe fruit shines. What’s not to like?”
22 Charlie’s Garden – 94 points
Dave Brookes
Published 08 July 2024
“Shiraz sourced from a vineyard on Mengler Hill that shows deep plum, boysenberry and black cherry fruits infused with baking spice, violet top notes, roasting meats, sage, olive tapenade, dark chocolate and vanillin oak. Full bodied and plushly fruited, tannins ultrafine and powdery and a chocolatey, bright finish with the emphasis on fruit purity and spice.”
THE PICTURE SERIES
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22 Gnarly Dudes – 92 points
Dave Brookes
Published 20 April 2024
“Magenta-edged crimson with oodles of unctuous macerated plum, blueberry, dark cherry and boysenberry fruits. Hints of baking spices, olive tapenade, dark chocolate, roasting meats, panforte and turned earth. Full bodied yet fresh in the mouth with sleek fruit, bright acidity and gentle pillowy tannins; fades slowly from view with ripe plummy fruit and an array of spice.”
22 Fields of Joy – 92 points
Mike Bennie
Published 20 April 2024
“A soft and supple rendering of Clare Valley shiraz that feels fruit forward first and sensitively seasoned second. Dark cherry, plum, black olive, garam masala and an overall sense of generosity to the wine. Texture is plush, faintly succulent in tannin and finishes fresh and with some ricochets of that spice and sweeter fruit. It’s an open-weave, inviting and mellow.”
