A.Retief ‘The Alias’ Mataro 2010 (Hilltops, NSW)
14%, Screwcap,  $45
Source: Sample
www.aretief.com.au

From the ever-smiling Alex Retief, this is one of very few straight NSW sourced Mataro/Mourevdre and presents as a quite interesting foil to the dark, richer Mataro styles we see out of South Australia.

In fact, you’d probably align this more with a cool year Southern Rhone red, with rustic and quite ferrous notes on both nose and palate. Savoury, dry, meaty and just a little tinny, this has rustic intrigue if not quite the polish to really convince.

Drink: 2013-2018
Score: 16.8/20, 89/100
Would I buy it? Not quite.