James Halliday 2023 Wine Companion
The results are in!
At Hayes Family Wines, we are once again excited to announce our results published in the 2023 James Halliday Wine Companion. This year, all the Barossa Wines were tasted by Dave Brookes (previously James Halliday tasted all our wines until 2022 when Tyson Stelzer tasted our samples). Dave is very familiar with the Barossa Wines, so it’s great to have him involved.
So to the Results. Hayes Family Wines was awarded a 5 Red Star Rating once again. We were awarded 5 Stars in the James Halliday Wine Companion in our first year with our first set of wines. This was upgraded to 5 Red Stars with our 4th vintage (you needed to have 3 successive 5 Star rating to obtain 5 Red stars). It’s very exciting to have been recognised once again for the consistency across our range.
This year we chose to focus on our Grenache based wines and did not submit any of our 2020 Shiraz or Mataro’s. Although tasted very early after bottling, they scored really consistently well across the range. We think they are looking even better now just in time for release. Excellent wines and probably our best range to date. Some highlights were:
97 Points - 2019 Redman Vineyard Coonawarra Shiraz
95 Points - 2021 Fromm Vineyard Grenache
94 Points - 2019 Reserve Shiraz, 2019 Reserve Cabernet
94 Points - 2019 Blanc de Noirs
94 Points - 2021 Koonunga Grenache
93 Points - 2021 Smart Vineyard Grenache
93 Points - 2021 Prayer Garden Grenache
93 Points - 2021 Sam’s Grenache
You can read the Wine Companion reviews for each of these wines and so many others by purchasing a copy of the book via the Wine Companion website or by clicking on the each of the wines above or the View Wines button below.
2019 Redman Vineyard Shiraz
The Redmans are one of the most important families in the history of Coonawarra. Great people that grow great grapes.
Our 2019 Redman Vineyard Shiraz was sourced from one of the oldest shiraz blocks in Coonawarra, planted more than 85 years ago. Great people, great grapes and a truly exceptional wine.
2019 Hayes Family Wines Redman Vineyard Shiraz, $60
From an outstanding vintage that has produced wines with a superb texture and structure to the medium- to full-bodied palate. While the tannins are plentiful, they are ripe and bend to the array of blackberry and blueberry flavours.
97 Points
James Halliday, 2023 Wine Companion
2021 Fromm Vineyard Grenache
The Fromms, like the Redmans in Coonawarra, have been a pioneering family of their district. In the case of the Fromms, they are in the southern Barossa Valley, in and around Williamstown. The wines tend to be fresher, brighter, and more red fruited then their northern cousins. Just wonderful grenache!
2021 Hayes Family Wines Fromm Vineyard Grenache, $45
Grenache sourced from the Fromm family vineyard in Williamstown at the southern extremity of the Barossa Valley. Bright red-purple hue. Pure and endearing, with gorgeous red cherry, satsuma plum and cranberry fruit notes, Asian five-spice, red licorice, gingerbread and purple floral high tones. Savoury and moreish with a lovely fruit weight and flow, tannins just right, acidity providing the cadence and a spicy, plummy finish of some length.
95 Points
James Halliday, 2023 Wine Companion
A comment on Winery Ratings and Scores
Wine Writers, Wine Shows and both domestic and international publications are an important part of our industry. But like you and I, tastes vary not just between individuals, but on different days for the same reviewer. Wines also change over time.
We are confident that our wines look better are 12 months in bottle, typically when we look to release them. Often, our wines are tasted immediately on bottling give the lead time for publishing (Halliday wines are tasted in January and December for publication in August).
I would encourage you to trust your pallet, buy the wines you enjoy and share them with your friends and family. We will keep doing our best to make the best possible wines that we know you all love.
James Halliday & Tyson Stelzer