James Halliday's Top 100 wines of 2022
by James Halliday
Top reds over $40
by James Halliday
19 Nov, 2022
Pinot noir, shiraz and syrah, grenache, and cabernet sauvignon – here are James Halliday's top reds over $40.
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"The widest possible spread of wineries (20), vintages (4) and varieties (4)."
The following wines were chosen from a total of 304 submitted.
2021 Oakridge Vineyard Series Willowlake Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
Whole berry/bunch open fermentation for 3 weeks; matured for 10 months in French oak. A beautiful, balanced pinot, the red cherry/berry fragrance is mirrored by the palate, where delicate but clear savoury notes of spice are woven through the red fruit palate and aftertaste.97 points | $45 | Screwcap | 13.2% alc. | Drink to 2035 | Halliday profile | Oakridge Wines
2020 TarraWarra Estate Reserve Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
Bright and clear colour. Exotic Eastern spices make for a striking and appealing bouquet, the voluminous palate every it as attractive as the bouquet. Red berries, spice, cold tea, complex cinnamon and pomegranate all contribute, as do super-fine tannins.96 points | $65 | Screwcap | 13.5% alc. | Drink to 2030 | Halliday profile | TarraWarra Estate
2019 Bream Creek Reserve Pinot Noir
This has a typical Tasmanian extra level of everything: colour, aroma and varietal fruit flavour. Perfumed purple fruits lead into an immaculately balanced and proportioned wine opening majestically (the Peacock's Tail) on the finish and aftertaste. Something quite special.97 points | $70 | Screwcap | 14% alc. | Drink to 2034 | Halliday profile | Bream Creek
2021 Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
The colour isn't deep, but is crystal clear. The perfumed bouquet is filled with violets and scents of the forest floor, the palate utterly extraordinary in its intensity. It is primarily driven by its fruits of cherry and plum, but also the sheen of mouth-watering tannins.98 points | $70 | Screwcap | 13.5% alc. | Drink to 2041 | Halliday profile | Giant Steps
2019 Tapanappa Definitus Foggy Hill Pinot Noir
Bramble, briar and black tea aromatics set the scene for a very complex pinot that needs encouragement to release its perfume. Len Evans might well have used his expression of 'an old ladies hand bag' with this silky pinot, joining the ’17 as the best of the Foggy Hill pinots to date.97 points | $90 | Cork | 13% alc. | Drink to 2039 | Halliday profile | Tapanappa
2021 Paralian Springs Hill Vineyard Blewitt Springs McLaren Vale Shiraz
22 per cent whole bunch foot trod, the remainder destemmed whole berry, chilled five-day cold soak, 11 days on skins, 10 per cent juice run off, 11 months maturation in French oak. A resplendent palate, pulsating with essence of blackberries, dark chocolate, licorice, ripe tannins and sweet earth.97 points | $42 | Screwcap | 14% alc. | Drink to 2041 | Halliday profile | Paralian Wines
2021 Bondar Rayner Vineyard McLaren Vale Shiraz
Deep, brooding crimson-purple. This is a faithful reproduction of variety and place of the highest quality. It's velvet in the mouth, and mines all the black fruits, dark chocolate, licorice and spice hoped for. The tannins are polished, the oak absorbed by the fruit.97 points | $48 | Screwcap | 14% alc. | Drink to 2051 | Halliday profile | Bondar Wines
2020 Hentley Farm The Beauty Barossa Valley Shiraz
Co-fermented with a small portion of viognier which has added vinous speed to a yearling racehorse. It is light, lively and refreshing with its red fruits standing up to the black. Its tannins are also remarkable in their taste and structure, producing this elegant wine. Whoopee.96 points | $70 | Screwcap | 14.5% alc. | Drink to 2040 | Halliday profile | Hentley Farm Wines
2019 Purple Hands Planta Circa Ancestor Vine Barossa Valley Shiraz
Planted circa 1880 by PF Zimmermann. Deliberately minimal winemaking input, except the all-important decision to pick while the baume was sub 14. It's medium-bodied, with gently spicy nuances woven through the black cherry/blackberry fruit in liaison with silken tannins.97 points | $80 | Diam | 14% alc. | Drink to 2044 | Halliday profile | Purple Hands Wines
2019 Bekkers McLaren Vale Syrah
The colour is deep and still youthful, three-plus years along its journey. The complex bouquet is so multifaceted it's a challenge to describe. Game, Eastern spices, black cherry and licorice move backwards and forwards across the palate and bouquet. Aboriginal dot painting stuff.98 points | $120 | Screwcap | 14% alc. | Drink to 2050 | Halliday profile | Bekkers
2019 Flaxman Estate Eden Valley Shiraz
Vines over 80yo; 50 dozen made. This is superb fruit handled with appropriate respect and care. The vintage was very good, fruit ripeness where you would wish it to be. The only problem is that demand has far outpaced supply, the price QED.95 points | $120 | Screwcap | 13.5% alc. | Drink to 2040 | Halliday profile | Flaxman Wines
2020 Maverick Ahrens' Creek Ancestor Vine Barossa Valley Shiraz
The vines were planted by then newly arrived migrant Mick Ahrens, and, as old vines can do, sailed through the at times challenging vintage. This is a beautiful shiraz, medium-bodied with its deep river of dark chocolate, blackberry fruit, filagreed tannins and positive oak.97 points | $320 | Diam | 14% alc. | Drink to 2050 | Halliday profile | Maverick Wines
2021 Yangarra Estate Vineyard Old Vine Blewitt Springs Grenache
Wild yeast, open fermented and basket pressed. Bright clear though deep crimson hue; scented/perfumed, and I'm gone for all money without even tasting it. Its red fruit sundae glistens with dew drops on a spider's web, yet also has a savoury echo towards the finish.97 points | $45 | Screwcap | 14.5% alc. | Drink to 2041 | Halliday profile | Yangarra Estate Vineyard
2020 Swinney Farvie Frankland River Grenache
Grenache’s reach grows from Victoria to Western Australia. A wine of utmost clarity and purity, its perfumed red flower and violet bouquet extremely good, the precision and clarity of the juicy red berries/cherries even better, mouth-watering and lingering, but never sweet.97 points | $150 | Screwcap | 14% alc. | Drink to 2030 | Halliday profile | Swinney
2018 DogRock El Rojo
A perfumed glass of sheer delight, singing from the rooftops, demanding to be opened and consumed now. It's only light-bodied, but the blend of grenache, shiraz and graciano, supported by an airy breeze of gently savoury spices, gives the wine remarkable intensity and length.96 points | $65 | Screwcap | 13.5% alc. | Drink to 2030 | Halliday profile | DogRock Winery
2019 Hay Shed Hill Block 2 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
Block 2 was planted in 1973. Glorious colour, elegance and finesse to burn. Open fermented, 10-day post ferment maceration, 18 months in French barriques (40 per cent new). A beautifully crafted wine, capturing all that the great fruit had to offer. Treads oh-so-lightly, but with infinite power.98 points | $60 | Screwcap | 12% alc. | Drink to 2049 | Halliday profile | Hay Shed Hill Wines
2020 Cherubino Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
It's not common to describe a 2yo cabernet as charming, indeed sensual, but this is what you get here. There's juicy cassis fruit, quality cedary French oak, and perfectly pitched tannins. Moreover, it will gain in richness and complexity over the next 10–15 years.97 points | $75 | Screwcap | 14.5% alc. | Drink to 2040 | Halliday profile | Cherubino
2019 Thompson Estate The Specialist Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
The love affair between Margaret River and cabernet sauvignon is seemingly indissoluble. The bouquet is fragrant and flowery, the medium-bodied palate supple and juicy, cassis to the fore, but backed by finely balanced, ripe tannins. There's oak present, but you don't notice it.97 points | $90 | Screwcap | 14% alc. | Drink to 2040 | Halliday profile | Thompson Estate
2019 Wynns Coonawarra Estate John Riddoch Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon
It spent 16 months in French oak (31 per cent new). This is a wine of extraordinary quality. Small wonder Sue Hodder says 'This is certainly amongst the best wines we have made.' It is medium-bodied, and so agile in the mouth, no one flavour dominates at any stage of its consumption.98 points | $150 | Screwcap | 13.5% alc. | Drink to 2054 | Halliday profile | Wynns Coonawarra Estate
2020 Cullen Diana Madeline
A perfumed bouquet, the purity of the fruit in a cassis/redcurrant/blueberry spectrum. The small berries of a quasi-drought summer might have imposed awkward tannins, but the medium-bodied palate is so perfectly balanced it has a drinking span of 30 years and counting.98 points | $150 | Screwcap | 13% alc. | Drink to 2055 | Halliday profile | Cullen Wines
See the complete list of Top 100 wines.
Shop wines from the 2022 Top 100 at Sense of Taste.
Join us at Sydney's Campbell's Stores on November 29 to celebrate James Halliday's Top 100. Taste some of the wines crowned in the Top 100, along with other standout offerings from the wineries. Speak to the winemakers, and purchase directly from the producers. Tickets are $149 (+ booking fee) and are available from Eventbrite.
James Halliday’s Top 100 features in The Weekend Australian Magazine on November 19.
Some wines in this year's selection also feature on this site with notes by other Tasting Team members – as reviewed for Halliday Wine Companion.
Image credit: Ewen Bell/Wine Australia.
