Reviews
We love all of our wines, but don’t take our word for it! If you are looking for inspiration, here are a few reviews from a range of well respected industry experts.
2021 Spring Hill Shiraz – 91 Points – It's nicely lifted on the nose, showing dark plum, tar, elegant floral and hazelnut aromas, followed by a beautifully rounded palate offering ripe fruit intensity with silky flow and fine-grained tannins. Supple and flavoursome with a lengthy silky finish. At its best: 2030. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
2021 Estate Eden Valley Shiraz – 93 Points – Stylish and elegantly expressed, showing blackberry, sweet cherry, violet, game and nutmeg aromas, leading to a juicy palate that's plump and supple. Brightly fruited with refined texture and beautifully infused tannins, making it velvety and lingering. At its best: now to 2033. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
2020 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – 92 Points – A lovely expression of the variety, the fragrant bouquet shows dark berry, dried herb, cured meat and toasted almond notes, followed by a succulent palate displaying medium-full body and silky texture, well framed by polished tannins. Beautifully harmonious and elegantly structured with a finely dry finish. At its best: now to 2030. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
2021 Altitude Barossa Valley Shiraz – 94 Points – This is splendidly ripe and enticing on the nose with black and purple fruit richness, vanilla, rich floral and cedary oak characters. The palate delivers excellent weight and plump mouthfeel, wonderfully supported by silky texture and beautifully pitched tannins, finishing persistent and delicious. At its best: now to 2033. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
2023 Spring Hill Pinot Gris – Top Gold – 95 points – Pretty and perfumed. Balanced. Nice length and delicate depth. Needs air to open in the glass. Good integrity. Barossa Wine Show 2023
2021 Altitude Cab Franc – Gold Medal – 95 points – Pretty, powdery blue fruit. Lovely structure and phenolics. Terrific balance and texture. Powdery, soft tannins. Refined and long. Barossa Wine Show 2023
2021 Altitude Barossa Valley Shiraz – Silver Medal – 93 points – Blue fruited. Poised fruit, oak and tannin. Lovely line, length and density. Balanced and refreshing. Barossa Wine Show 2023
2021 Spring Hill Shiraz - Bronze Medal – 85 points – Expressive nose with some reduction, powerful fruit core with lots of spice. A degree of elegance and freshness and fine savoury tannins. Barossa Wine Show 2023
2020 Altitude Primitivo – Bronze Medal – 88 points. Barossa Wine Show 2023
2021 Estate Eden Valley Shiraz – Bronze Medal – 85 points. Barossa Wine Show 2023
2020 Spring Hill Riesling – 92 points – Endowed with amiable flesh and spice while upholding impressive tension and zest, this is an impeccably assembled Riesling at a fantastic price. Picked at precisely the right instant, shot with exact lime and granny smith apple fruit. Tyson Stelzer
2020 Spring Hill Pinot Gris – 92 points – Pristine and elegantly fragrant, the bouquet shows nectarine, green rockmelon, fresh pear and lemon zest aromas, leading to a finely expressed palate that's juicy and persistent. The wine offers lovely fruit purity and poise, finishing sleek and charming. At its best: now to 2024. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
2018 Spring Hill Merlot – 92 points – Youthfully attractive and beautifully lifted, the bouquet shows sweet plum, clove, floral and subtle dried herb notes, leading to a succulent palate that's supple and smooth. It's beautifully rounded and lingering with bright fruit flavours, making it delightfully drinkable. At its best: now to 2026. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
2019 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – 94 points – Offering gorgeous fruit purity and fragrance, the wine shows blackcurrant, sweet cherry, vanilla, hazelnut and subtle dried herb notes on the nose, followed by a beautifully flavoursome palate that's plump and lingering. It's brightly fruited with elegant complexity, offering terrific drinking. At its best: now to 2029. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
2019 Estate Barossa Valley Shiraz – 94 points – This is instantly appealing on the nose showing dark fruit richness together with cocoa, cedar, olive and warm spice aromas, followed by a concentrated palate that's plush and flavoursome. It's generously textured and opulent, finishing wonderfully long and delicious. At its best: now to 2034. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
2018 Estate Eden Valley Shiraz – 92 points – Another reason that you don't have to drop a bomb to drink well. You can slide into your chair and get very comfortable with this Eden Valley Shiraz. Swirl the glass and the aromas and mouth presence are etched with vibrancy. There's a brightness that shines yet, the longer it sits in the glass, you can sense it wants to reach out and get deep. Blue fruits bound through the mouth and fine peppery spices are scattered evenly. A long and lingering finish with chewy tannins give an excuse to come back for more. This will only improve as it did over two days of tasting. It will be in purple patch in five years - if you can hold out. Drink to eight years+ Steve Leszczcynski, Qwine Reviews
2018 Estate Eden Valley Merlot – 94 points – Gorgeously ripe and lifted, the bouquet shows blackberry, sweet plum, olive and vanillin oak characters with a hint of gamey complexity. It’s concentrated and wonderfully flavoured on the palate, offering plush mouthfeel and a lingering velvety finish. At its best: now to 2030. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
2018 Estate Eden Valley Shiraz – 93 Points – It’s sweetly fruited and brightly expressed on the nose showing dark plum, raspberry, anise and cedar characters. The palate delivers lovely weight and fruit intensity together with fleshy texture and rounded tannins, making it supple and immediately appealing. At its best: now to 2028. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
2019 Spring Hill Eden Valley Riesling – 94 Points – A pure Riesling with splendid elegance and restraint, the wine shows Gala apple, lemon/lime peel and white floral aromas on the nose, leading to a delicate yet concentrate and persistent palate that’s wonderfully focused and lingering. It’s brilliantly structured by racy acidity, finishing superbly long and mouth-watering. At its best: 2022 to 2034. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
2018 Estate Eden Valley Merlot – 92 points – Irvine produce some great Merlots from their Eden Valley blocks. Here's another to add to the list. Soft and silky smooth, it's an enjoyable drop indeed. Well balanced, dark berry fruit plus a lashing of raspberries early get your attention. Some boot polish like aromas stepped forward on the second day of tasting. Dark chocolate, cassis and some cigar box characters add further appeal. A soft earthiness and fine rattle of spice close things out. I'd happily recommend this to a Merlot fan. Drink to eight years. Steve Leszczcynski, Qwine Reviews
2016 Icon Series Zinfandel – 95 Gold – 30yo vines, cool-fermented, matured in second-use French barrels. Works very well, there is abundant cherry/berry fruit, fine tannins and balanced oak. Just when you think that's it, the juicy aftertaste adds yet another dimension. James Halliday 2020 Wine Companion
2017 Estate Barossa Valley Shiraz – 91 Silver – 25yo vines, open-fermented, 12 months in French oak (20% new). Full-bodied, luscious, layered black fruits, given all-important texture on the finish by savoury tannins ex fruit and oak. James Halliday 2020 Wine Companion
2017 Estate Eden Valley Shiraz – 93 Silver – As ever, the Irvine bottles and labels stand taller than all others in the tasting line-up. Estate-grown from a single block of clone 1654, earlier picked than hitherto, cool-fermented, matured for 9 months in French oak (20% new). An unqualified success, the cool vintage also part of the style, and the question whether the style will prosper or not in warmer vintages. As it is, bright, intense flavours drive the long palate. James Halliday 2020 Wine Companion
2014 Icon Series Grand Merlot – 95 Gold – 30+ year old estate vines. Irvine and merlot are names that have been, are now, and will surely remain, linked in love and war. James Halliday 2020 Wine Companion
2018 Spring Hill Riesling – 93 Silver – Just pure lime and lemon juice flavours given shape and length by soft acidity, customised for its role with the fruit. No winemaking tricks other than low juice extraction through the press. James Halliday 2020 Wine Companion
2017 Primitivo Noir – 92 Silver – A decidedly curious name for a Primitivo that is more rose than table wine with its bright, light, clear crimson-purple. The flavours are all red: strawberry, raspberry and red cherry, tannins banished to the sidelines. Drink ASAP. James Halliday 2020 Wine Companion
2016 Icon Series Zinfandel – 94 points – It shows big in perfume, lavished with booze-soaked cherries, dark chocolate, faint mint and sweet spice character, yet the wine hits the palate at just over medium weight, though you'll find an abundance of flavour and flesh here. Tastes like the bouquet suggests too. It's a really good expression here. Mike Bennie
2017 Estate Shiraz – 93 points – An impressive wine with that rare mix of concentration and brightness. The colour is beautifully dark and intense with a boysenberry hue. I enjoy the mulberry and cherry fruit on the mid-palate, as well as the gentle spice. There are some faint roasted meat nuances that add interest. Gorgeous energy and intensity. Toni Paterson MW, The Real Review
2017 Estate Barossa Valley Shiraz – 90 points – Barossa Valley shiraz from the Ebenezer subregion. Quite a supple shiraz with a spring in its step. Ripe berry and plum with a minty and herbal note. Oak nicely integrated - complements rather than competes. Bob Campbell, The Real Review
2017 Spring Hill Merlot – 90 points – Deliciously fruity merlot, with ripe plum and berry flavours supported by fresh, fruity acidity. A simple, fruit-driven wine for current drinking. Bob Campbell, The Real Review
2018 Spring Hill Riesling – 90 points – Dry and delicate with an almost ethereal texture and showing lime, citrus, apple and wild flower flavours. A taut wine with energy and a suggestion of chalky mineral character. Bob Campbell, The Real Review
2017 Spring Hill Merlot – 90 points – A bright, focused merlot with redcurrant and cranberry aromatics. The palate is deliciously supple, pure and elegant, with bright acidity and fine tannin. Toni Paterson MW, The Real Review
2016 Icon Series Zinfandel – 92 points – Zinfandel from Irvine's Icon Series. This is made from zinfandel planted in the Eden Valley in the mid 1990s. It's clean and relatively fresh though it still manages to have a rustic appeal. It's leathery and rusty, herbal strewn and floral, with cherry-berry flavours washing throughout. It tackles things from a few different sides, so to speak. It's an interesting drink as a result. WineFront
2017 Estate Eden Valley Shiraz – 93 points – Estate-grown from a single block of clone 1654, earlier picked than hitherto, cool-fermented, matured for 9 months in French oak (20% new). An unqualified success, the cool vintage also part of the style, and the question whether the style will prosper or not in warmer vintages. As it is, bright, intense flavours drive the long palate. James Halliday
2017 Estate Eden Valley Merlot – 93 points – Open-fermented at moderate temperatures and matured in French oak (15% new) for 12 months. It has gentle cassis and plum fruit, with soft tannins refreshed by the modest alcohol of the vintage. James Halliday
2017 Estate Merlot – 91 points – Deep red/purple colour with a dusty, leafy, raspberry bouquet, which shows some earthy complexity. The palate is soft and meaty with fine, rounded tannins and easy-going accessibility. The meaty sulphide traces and leafy blackcurrant flavours are charming and individual in a remarkably Bordelais style. Huon Hooke, The Real Review
2016 Icon Series Zinfandel – 92 points – Distinctive dried cherry aromas and flavours with a touch of spice and lemony acidity, which gives the palate a mouth-watering quality. The palate has an energy that is not always seen with zinfandel. It is a beautifully composed, well-made wine. Toni Paterson, The Real Review
2017 Spring Hill Eden Valley Pinot Gris – 92 points – You'll notice the palest of pink hues, which is acceptable for this variety, and gentle poached pear and light floral aromatics. The palate is elegant, long and dry with delicate white peach and pear and light minerality, which enhances the structure. Glorious drinking right now. Serve with baked salmon. Rod Properjohn, Subiaco Post
2017 Primitivo Noir – 4 stars – Never heard of Primitivo Noir? That's because this is probably the first. Here the black-skinned beauty Primitivo (you may know it as Zinfandel) has been given a makeover so grandiose it's almost unrecognisable. Bright crimson in colour, with buckets of fresh raspberries on the palate and a delicious, vibrant kick. Herald Sun, Melbourne
2016 Estate Barossa Valley Shiraz – 90+ Points – Shiraz from the Ebenezer sub-region of the Barossa. Rich-enough and smooth-enough. Plum-shot, creamy, traces of gum leaf, violets, Pez and cedarwood. There’s plenty of flavour here but it doesn’t over-reach; it keeps an eye on elegance. It feels very young, as if it’s yet to properly hit its stride. In all honesty I struggled to form a definite opinion on this one. Acidity jumped at me a bit and yet the more I looked at it the more it grew on me. Campbell Mattinson, Winefront
2016 Spring Hill Merlot – 93 points – Beetle-shell black and just shy of opaque, this wine’s nose evolves enticingly. Its initial scents are blackberry and black plum, while thirty to ninety minutes of air coaxes out additional aromas of cola, liquorice, and menthol. In an impressive acrobatic move, the full-bodied palate feels impressively buoyant thanks to the lifting acidity. Slightly gravelly tannins nicely counter the lightly gummy texture. There’s a compelling umami meatiness and sanguine hint on the medium-plus finish that seems to demand dry-aged rib-eye, though with this lovely balance and excellent depth of character, it will pleasantly partner any cut of steak. Drink now–2022. Wine Enthusiast
2016 Estate Barossa Valley Shiraz – 92 points – This wine is so impressively black and opaque, with a Bonne Maman’s Blackberry Preserves aroma. However, on the first sip it was actually rather fresh, delightfully nuanced and not at all approaching overripe. The first whiff offers a pine needle scent before the blackberry, black currant and tar pour in. It’s an in-your-face wine that divulges highly nuanced layers once you taste past the bluster. The feathered, grippy feeling at the end of the long finish is a testament to its well-structured tannins. Drink now–2022. Wine Enthusiast
2016 Estate Eden Valley Shiraz – 93 points – This wine’s dark-black colour, subtly nuanced by magenta-purple streaks, promises to stain glasses and teeth. Its aromas are just as attention grabbing: full-throttle power comes through in one whiff. From nose to palate, it shows a cohesive array of lush, peak-of-summer fruits, with cassis and black plum dominating. Liquorice, cracked black pepper and a waft of evergreen freshen up the back-palate along with well-measured, medium- plus acidity. The prolonged finish that coats the tongue offers a slightly grainy textural balance. This is so well- structured that you’ll likely get to the bottom of the bottle before you expect. Drink now–2024. Wine Enthusiast
2017 Irvine Spring Hill Rosé – The Irvine Spring Hill Rose 2017 was delicate, subtle, clean and refreshing with a good flavour profile National Liquor News – August 2017 – Rose Review
2017 Spring Hill Rosé – 90 Points – Good concentration of flavour & great length. Freshness helps make this lively (AG) & Roses, savoury orange rind aromas. Good fruit up front, with some character. (MQ) National Liquor News – August 2017 Rose Tasting Panel
2017 Spring Hill Eden Valley Primitivo Rosé – Lifted aromas of fresh summer strawberries, watermelon and musk the palate is reminiscent of delicate red fruit, leading into a soft and creamy finish. National Liquor News – New releases – September 2017
2017 Spring Hill Eden Valley Riesling – Intense lime and white grapefruit zest on the nose, with hints of honeysuckle. A soft palate follows with great mineral texture and citrus length. National Liquor News – New Releases – September 2017
2017 Spring Hill Primitivo Rosé – From Eden Valley, South Australia, this rose has a distinct and pretty perfume of sweet strawberries with a faint dusting of pepper spice. The palate is almost dry, showing just a lick of red berry fruitiness. It’s thirst-slaking stuff. Sunday Stellar Magazine – September 2017
2017 Spring Hill Primitivo Rosé – Eden Valley. Gorgeous and every-so-pale. The aroma is deliciously savoury and lemony. Textured and full on the palate with appealing breadth and depth. Lemons and melons. Quiet and delicious. Take care not to over-chill. Drink as young as possible. 90 ****. The Real Review, Toni Paterson, 14 October 2017
2015 Estate Eden Valley Merlot – Some of the oldest Merlot in Australia, planted 1983. Mid garnet. A little minty, lots of spice, chewy, juicy and dense but not heavy. Full and peppery in the mouth. A big wine but the tannins keep it in shape. Jancisrobinson.com, 23rd November, 2017
2017 Spring Hill Rosé – Barely pink, and glossy good looks from the unusual Primitivo variety, pithy, refreshing. Tony Love, Adelaide Advertiser, 1st December 2017
2017 Spring Hill Rosé – 4 stars – This rose if from an unusual varietal source in the Primitivo grape, aka zinfandel, which you’d have to say is more known for its fully flavoured big red expressions. So, to get this so zingy, the Irvine team has really pushed the envelope to pick fruit very early in order to temper the colour and the variety’s wilder red flavours. It’s a complete success with pithy, refreshing palate tendrils to finish. Tony Love, Herald Sun, 28th November
