Wine Companion 2025 | Dave Brookes

“An established wine journalist, Dave contributes to a range of publications in Australia and overseas. Originally from New Zealand, Dave lived in South Australia’s Barossa for many years and has almost 30 years’ experience working in the wine industry across a range of sectors; including retail, wholesale, wineries, the secondary market and brand management.” Wine Companion

SINGLE VINEYARD SERIES

2022 Secret Block – 96 points – GOLD
Wildlife Road, Moppa Hills, Barossa Valley Shiraz
“With shiraz sourced from the Kalleske East Block in the western subregion of Moppa Hills, the “Secret Block” is a stunning wine of great concentration and elegance. Perfectly ripe blackberry, Doris plum and blueberry fruits, cut with hints of spice, tobacco leaf, blueberry pie, licorice, dark chocolate, Christmas cake, roasting meats and earth. Packed with fine tannins and pure black fruits, nicely balanced oak spice and a graceful, quite finely poised finish that sails on for a good time. Terrific wine.” – DB

2022 Yacca Block – 96 points – GOLD
Mengler Hill Road, Menglers Hill, Eden Valley
“You might have driven up the road to Mengler Hill before – it’s kind of the gateway to the Eden Valley from the Barossa Valley floor. This vineyard is the Mattschoss Block 14 up at 483m. There’s a real singularity of dark-fruited flavour in this wine. Everything compact and pure and tuned nicely. All in check. All the notes fit in nicely with each other like a major scale. Aside from the stunning plum and dark cherry fruit purity, the tannins are lovely, like powdered quartz, and they melt in the mouth. It’s elegant and long and I do like that.” – DB

2022 Holy Grail – 95 points – GOLD
Seppeltsfield Road, Seppeltsfield, Barossa Valley
“Shiraz from the Colin Morey block over on Seppeltsfield Road in the valley’s west, planted on a massal selection from old Grange vineyards. In aroma and flavour, this is a big, rich, concentrated wine. Black cherry and berry fruits, clove, sap, vanillin oak, licorice, dark chocolate, cold tea, pan juices, violets, tobacco and olive tapenade. For all its muscular swagger, there’s no heaviness. It’s got powdery tannins and travels truly across the palate with great length of flavour.” – DB

2022 Coach House Block – 95 points – GOLD
Seppeltsfield Road, Greenock, Barossa Valley Shiraz
“I’ve driven past this wee block of vines in Greenock many times, tried the wine a good number of times, too, and it always strikes me as an excellent representation of the western Barossa Valley. Deep magenta/crimson in colour with uber-ripe Doris plum and juicy blueberry fruits with licorice, violets, pan juices, vanillin oak, dark chocolate and some light choc-mint. The tannins are powdery, with a light ferrous edge, and melt back into the deep fruit profile beautifully, finishing long and moreish.” – DB

THE PICTURE SERIES

2023 Gnarly Dudes – 93 points ★ (a wine considered to offer special value for money within the context of their rating)
Barossa Valley Shiraz
“A ripe, juicy, contemporary Barossa shiraz with plush plum, blueberry and boysenberry fruit tones along with an array of dark spice, fruitcake, dark chocolate, panforte, olive tapenade, vanilla pod, violets and earth. I love the fruit this year, there’s an opulence to it but it tends towards savoury at the back end, fading off slowly with oodles of spice, roasting meats and fine, sandy tannin.” DB

2023 Brave Faces – 92 points
Barossa Valley Grenache Mourvèdre Shiraz
“Two Hands Brave Faces consistently roll out a strong GMS/GSM blend each year and this year is no different. It’s always a fragrant wine; notes of orange blossom and violets fluttering above the ripe, plummy fruit. Spicy, too, with hints of soy, gingerbread, cola, roasting meats, licorice, tobacco and earth. There’s oak but it’s way back in that lush fruit. The tannins are powdery and fine and the wine travels on for a good while.” – DB

2024 The Boy – 92 points
Eden Valley Riesling
“Punchy and fragrant with aromas of freshly squeezed lime, grapefruit and green apple fruits with hints of crushed quartz, Christmas lily, lemongrass, lime zest, citrus blossom and baked apple. Plenty of drive and velocity and slick porcelain-like fruit purity finishing with boundless energy and a real thirst-slaking drinkability.” – DB