Black Market wines not to be missed
Our Black Market - deals the give you exceptional value, only made possible if we don’t reveal the maker’s brand.
Wines that are bona-fide, 100% the genuine article. You just don't know what they'll be until they turn up.
But we can tell you a few things. Important stuff like what they taste like, when they were made and what from. And also what they've been scored by critics too.
Here's five deals we think you can't afford to sleep on, because they've all been scored 95pts or higher(!) by Halliday, and they won't stick around for long.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 – Black Market Deal #50615
This is a seriously good deal on a seriously smart wine. With 96 points from both the Halliday Wine Companion and West Australian aficionado Ray Jordan, it has certainly earned its stripes. There is spice and richness and tomato leaf and earth and tobacco and cocoa and... well there's lots going on. Mesmerising and imposing, it's medium bodied but generous, richly fruited but finessed. 18 months in 50% new French oak has given the wine real grunt and another layer of complexity, but it's the presence of still-fresh red and black fruit that's bewitched our buyer Pete. Halliday set the 'Drink by' window at 2035, but we reckon that's under.
Shiraz 2018 – Black Market Deal #49143
Welcome to this producer’s colossal flagship wine. All parents say they don’t have a favourite child, but we’re pretty sure this would be the one for our star McLaren Vale producer. Picking the premium, low-yielding fruit from their vineyards, they’ve succeeded in creating a magnificently concentrated wine. There’s some parcels of fruit that go into American oak, and some in French. Some new and some old. It hits all the notes and comes together in a symphony of black and blue fruits. C’mon, those scores from the experts (including a 95 from Halliday) really speak for themselves on this one. But if we were to give you a short review from our team, it’d be this: don’t pass on the opportunity to get this in your glass.
Shiraz 2021 – Black Market Deal #48680
95pts from Halliday - and according to our buyer Tully "top of my list of the most exciting Barossa shiraz that I have drunk in my career. It's complex, it's intriguing, and it's just bloody delicious". A richly dark and complex wine. Chocolate and dark, ripe fruit, a little Christmas cakey in parts. The tannin profile is broad and ripe, grappling with the gums but not leaving them dry and wanting. The dense fruit core drives up the centre of the palate and lingers on through the length of the finish. Blackberry, tobacco, earth, fruit leather, orange peel. This is a prime example of how premium wine can look so good in relative youth - there's still a tightness to the palate, but its focused and direct. Should you wish to cellar it, it'll reward patience. A drink some now, drink some later wine if we've ever seen one. Every critic under the sun gave this wine a rave review, and we can see why.
Shiraz 2020 – Black Market Deal #48914
Warning: if you’re currently wearing your favourite socks, you better hold onto them bloody tight ‘cause this brooding, dark beast of a wine is bound to knock them right off. Be prepared for power, intensity and concentration. Luscious black fruit, earth, dark chocolate, spice and wave upon wave of flavour. This is a stunning single vineyard shiraz - one that has received 95+ from Halliday nearly every vintage its been released. This flagship single vineyard Shiraz is capable of great heights, sure to stay in its prime for over a decade yet to come.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 – Black Market Deal #45566
95pt Halliday rated aged Coonawarra cabernet - the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It's quite a joyful moment when we get our hands on aged cabernet, from a top producer in the world famous cabernet region of Coonawarra. What better wine to show with some age than a cabernet, after all? Halliday would certainly agree, awarding this wine 95pts in a recent tasting. Vibrant blackcurrant and oak have come together, tannins mellowed and earthy, secondary elements emerged. Unless you have a cellar full of aged wine, this is possibly the best chance to pick up some absolutely stunning aged cab for a stupidly good price.
That was five with the Halliday points to back them, but there's plenty more hidden gems to discover in the full Black Market range.
Got more questions on what makes the Black Market so great? No worries - over here for the full explainer.