Jane and Peter Thompson purchased the Thompson Estate property in 1994, and the first plantings of chardonnay and pinot were in 1997, followed by the cabernet plantings in 1998. From the outset at Thompson Estate, the focus has been on high quality wine production and this has been recognized in a large number of wine show medals and accolades from the wine press. The most treasured has been the recognition by James Halliday, Australia’s premier wine critic, that Thompson Estate is a Five Red Star winery, placing it in the top echelon of Australian wineries.

Drink now or cellar? Either way, both are worthy choices. Today it has an abundance of varietal flavour, tantalisingly so, and a structured framework of firm but lovely tannins, lots of cedary oak adding flavour and wood tannins. A lot to consider, so pour another glass and do just that. Date: Mar 2023; Alcohol: 14.3%; Price: $90.00; Drink by: 2040; Rating: 96 Points; Jane Faulkner; James Halliday Wine Companion