Finished with a hangman’s hood and packing twine, the Nicole is a dark but mischievous beauty. Gently sparkling, the cabernet is rich and varietal with the promise of some loved fortified to finish it all off. Dark crimson red, the palate is powerful upfront with generous acidity mixed with concentrated blackberry and cocoa. True to form there are also the long and dry Cabernet tannins that stay with you well after the wine has gone. With such love in production there is little doubt that this wine is now in the ranks of the greatest Australian sparkling reds. - SG

Eden Riesling is sometimes linear and one dimensional. Dave Franz has created a wine here that defies any Eden 2008 Riesling that I have seen. There are layers and layers of fruit mixing lime rind, melon and guava as well as concentrated minerality and sherbet. The palate has generous, even acidity and every sip is a new exploration into Eden and its capacity for fruit flavours, testified too by the slightly savoury snow pea and fresh artichoke that seldom appear in the king of white varieties. -SG

I’m told David Franz is very serious about his work. We have never met, but it is very easy to see that this is far from an ordinary Eden Valley Riesling, and serious or not, he certainly knows how to make wine. Eden Valley Riesling sometimes offers little more than some kerosene, lime and minerality. This wine is far more than that, it has texture and such long minerality that I will look forward to seeing it in another 10 years. Cheers. - SG

It is easy to fall into the trap of just drinking Cabernet from Coonawarra and Margaret River, and why not, they are the regions that achieve the most attention. Let me tell you that there is a new force coming out of the Barossa and his name is David Franz Lehmann. 04 Georgie’s walk shows us everything that we could possibly want from great cabernet. There is the unmistakable varietal cabernet character of bramble, black olive and mulberry as well as the subtle but tamed influence of some excellent oak. Drink it now, wait if you must, but don’t miss this release. - SG

When you pull the cork on a great bottle of wine, there is a tension that consumes you as you anticipate that first sniff and the aromas that it will offer you when you put your nose in the glass. Georgie’s Walk from 2001 hides her intensity at first, but with careful decanting shows up her sweet luscious fruit and cedary oak. The palate is so smooth and so well balanced with tannins, oak and fruit weight that there is everything in every glass. Barossa Cabernet has never looked this good, drink it now and on its own. - SG

It is wonderful to be surprised by wines. Surprised by the colour, deep and dark as the night, surprised by the aromas, concentrated and evocative and surprised by the palate, restrained and promising. Like a developing storm in the distance, this wine gives you the impression that there is more to come, more flavours, more texture and just more and more of everything. I love the Shiraz as it takes its place perfectly in the blend and I love the brooding fruit characters, perfect for Christmas and perfect as that bottle of wine shared with family under the stars after Christmas pudding. - SG

So what’s in this wine? This blend has bright lifted fruit that hints Barossa Shiraz as well as a lifted perfume, talc character that reminds me of the old world. Mal is a champion of the vineyards and this is a wine that appeals to all of us who have done a hard day in the cold. It offers everything you need when you’re tired and when all you want to do is eat your dinner and have a glass of wine, from pleasant sweet fruit characters on the nose to slightly mature dusted aromas and a smooth even palate. I don’t see age ability, but I do see great drinking wine and lots of flavour. As an added quirk, Mal's etched photo appears through the bottle as you drink the wine! - SG

I don’t really know what is in this wine, other than red grapes and I don’t really care. From the label it seems as though we should just drink the bloody thing, "larrikins" as we are. David Franz offers up yet another unique wine in the range, that shows us again that Dave has his own way of operating. At first, Shiraz is dominant and in time all the other varieties show themselves. American oak plays its part and the net result is an appealing wine that offers way more than most red wines ever could. - SG