96 Point Rated - Campbell Mattinson Halliday Wine Companion 

"It's hard to imagine that Seppelt was making sparkling shiraz at its famous cellar near the town of Great Western, in the Grampians region, as far back as the 1890s, but indeed it was. Heritage doesn't come much richer, deeper, or more individual. This release is wildly complex, rich in its base fruit, satisfying and intriguing. It tastes of licorice and leather, game and citrus, sweet raspberry/plum and earth. It's bold, savoury and mellow at once; it's melancholy and joy in one."

97 Point Rated & Number 1 Ranked Sparkling Shiraz - Huon Hooke The Real Review

"Deep, youthful colour, dark blood-red with a faint trace of purple still hanging in after 11 years. A glorious bouquet of dried plum and cranberry, pepper/spice touches too, mellow and not 100% primary but also not showing much in the way of bottle-aged character. A glorious sparkling red, still in its early middle-age. Finishes long and satisfying without too-obvious sweetness but with velvet-smooth tannins. A classic of its genre, drinking beautifully now but there is no hurry at all. Drink: to 2037; Price: $100.00; Alcohol: 13%"

97 Point Rated & Sparkling Shiraz Of Year - Tyson Stelzer

"Sparkling shiraz was first produced in Australia in the 1890s by Champenois winemaker Charles Pierlot. In 2012, Seppelt fermented whole berries in small open fermenters, followed by 14 months maturation in seasoned French oak barriques (225 L). Traditional method. Aged on lees in bottle for 9 years. 17.5g/L residual sugar.

The 2012 vintage confidently continues the legacy of what has long been the finest sparkling shiraz in Australia and, indeed, the world. The satsuma plum, blackberry, dark raspberry and liquorice density that defines Great Western upholds resonating depth and purity even at 12 years of age, but, as always, it is the super fine texture of its mineral structure and phenomenal tannins that elevate this fabled label to a league all of its own. For all of its depth it upholds a wonderful brightness and elegance. Nine years on lees and 17.5g/L dosage unite every detail in seamless harmony, but it will not be for another two decades that it shows its full promise. 2012 is one of the greats for this legendary sparkling shiraz and a worthy winner of my Sparkling Red of the Year."

Gold Medal 

James Halliday Wine Companion 2024