During Erin Larkin’s most recent visit to the Barossa, Jason was fortunate to spend a few hours tasting through a selection of Camino wines with her. It was a pleasure sharing our Camino favourites and chatting about the seasons, the vineyards, and the stories behind each wine. We’re really grateful to Erin for her time and insight.
We’re thrilled to share Erin’s full reviews:
2024 Adelaide Hills Grüner Veltliner — 91 Points
“The fruit for the 2024 Gruner Veltliner was handpicked (the original Hahndorf Hill clones from Adelaide Hills), left on the skins a few hours and pressed to stainless steel for fermentation and partial malolactic fermentation. In the mouth, the wine is rich and textural, with a saline seam of acidity that courses through the clothy textural palate. There are notes of dried/pressed flowers, citrus zest and wet limestone. This is a pretty wine, and it's substantial too, in its way. 12% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. 2025-2034. 91 Pts.”
2024 Barossa Valley Grenache Rosé — 92 Points
“The 2024 Grenache Rosé pours a soft blush in the glass. The wine is restrained aromatically, and on the palate, the texture pushes through the fruit and florals, with a pink grapefruit acid line. The fruit was fermented and matured in stainless steel. When the dry Grenache red wine (same vineyard) is made, saignee is pulled off and added to this cuvée, giving it is color. In 2024, the wine saw two hours on the skins. 13.8% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2025-2029. 92 Pts.”
2024 Adelaide Hills Chardonnay — 92 Points
“The 2024 Chardonnay is from the Hill Smith family vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. The fruit here is silky and intensely flavored, and the white peach and crushed nuts ride high in the wine. Sapid, floral and intense, it is very good. The wine was matured in older French hogsheads, with some bâtonnage, and half of the cuvée went through malolactic fermentation. 12.6% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2025-2034. 92 Pts.”
2023 Barossa Valley Centenary Vines Grenache — 94 Points
“The 2023 Centenary Vines Grenache hails from a cool and wet vintage, and so far the wines I have tasted from Barossa in this vintage have been very good. 2017 was a similar year in conditions (although much of the rain in 2017 fell during the harvest, while for 2023, rain was heavier during the spring of 2022 leading into the growing season; harvest was dry), but the years have produced very different wines. Despite the cool year, the decision was made to include 25% whole bunches in the ferment, with twice daily pump-overs. The wine matured in seasoned French oak casks for nine months, and it was bottled (as all the reds are) unfined and unfiltered. The wine is tight and fresh, with graphite and rose petals, very finely ground black pepper (in that fine, citrusy way), scratched blood orange peel and even Campari. It's a beautiful wine, fine and elegantly sinewy (with none of the negative connotations that that comment may induce). It is lean, fine and fresh. 14.4% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2025-2038. 94 Pts.”
2024 Barossa Valley Centenary Vines Grenache — 95 Points (Not Yet Released)
“The 2024 Centenary Vines Grenache hails from a warmer, drier vintage than the previous 2023 season. By all accounts, the quality was sensational, and this aligns with the wines that I have tasted from the year so far. Here, the wine leads with pomegranate and roses, that same mineral graphite note and tapenade. The whole-bunch component, at 20%, is slightly less this season despite the conditions. In the mouth, the wine is plush and silky, and the tannins are finely wrought and linger through the finish. This is a super, plusher-styled Grenache from a warmer year. It is a beautiful expression, and while it's quite different from the 2023 vintage iteration, it shows the resilience and stability of the old vines, planted in 1912. 14.4% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2025-2039. 95 Pts.”
2021 Marananga Paradigm Vineyard Shiraz — 95 Points
“The 2021 Paradigm Vineyard Shiraz is made in a way familiar to many Australians, with submerged cap fermentation, ferment finished in barrel, including two American oak hogsheads and matured for 19 months. Aromatically, the wine leads with its élevage, however the fruit is reassuringly hot on the heels, with notes of licorice, dark chocolate, biltong and inky black fruit. In the mouth, the wine is mouth filling and intense. Blood plum and sweet roasted bone marrow align here. This is superb—massive but superb. The vines are between 80 and 100 years old, in a beautiful pocket of Marananga in Barossa Valley. 14.3% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. 95 Pts.”
2024 Barossa Valley Grenache Blanc de Noir — 93 Points
“The 2024 Grenache Blanc de Noir fruit was handpicked from Grenache vines planted in 1912. Crushed and destemmed to a basket press, it was treated as a Chardonnay from there on out, with malolactic fermentation, bâtonnage and six month in stainless steel barrels. Aromatically, the wine is restrained and delicate, while the wine in the mouth has real intensity and thickness. Rich without being heavy, it is textural and loaded with berry flavor. It has notes of white pepper and pressed flowers, saline acidity and a creamy texture. Grenache might just be the answer for the Barossa. Really engaging and great, it speaks to the rich history of the place without being beholden to its traditions. 12.7% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2025-2034. 93 Pts.”
2024 Barossa Valley Tempranillo — 92 Points
“The 2024 Tempranillo leads with cranberry and green peppercorn, red apple and mandarin. In the mouth, the acidity sits above the red fruits, and the tannins are silky. This is structurally clearly Tempranillo, but it doesn't overdo the tannin aspect. It has nice length of flavor and balance. This is very pretty. It matured in older American oak hogsheads for nine months. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2025-2024. 92 Pts.”
