97 Points - Jeni Port
Ansted & Osicka is an impressive new venture by experienced Heathcote winemakers and friends; Tobias Ansted and Simon Osicka. Ansted spent a time as winemaker at Balgownie Estate and now makes wine at Tellurian. Simon Osicka also has strong association with the region; taking over at the Heathcote winery his father Paul Osicka started in 1955.
Accessing grapes from Balgownie’s famed 1970 Block of Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Ansted & Osicka Balgownie 1970 Block Cabernet Sauvignon is stunning example of Bendigo Cabernet that's already receiving high acclaim (97 Points - Jeni Port, 96 Points - Campbell Mattinson)
"97 Points. A collaboration between two talented Heathcote winemakers and one special parcel of old-vine cabernet yields super-impressive results. Complexity-plus meets one luxuriously textured, elegant and beautifully crafted cabernet sauvignon. Mulberry, cassis and loganberry lie warmly in the embrace of dried herbs, spice and aniseed - pristine and in balance all the way - against a gentle background of earth and woodsy oak. Fine, dense tannins run long and complete; a faultless piece of fruit sourcing and winemaking. Bravo! 13.8% alc. Drink: 2024 - 2038. Screwcap. $60."- Jeni Port, Halliday Wine Companion 2025.
"96 Points. I love how cabernet this wine is. It has that I’ve got this feel about it, bold and poised at once. It’s a curranty, minty, gravelly wine with a sheer veneer and a masterful roll of tannin. The palate promises a lot but the finish delivers more. There’s a good amount of fruit power here, in an elegant context, though it’s arguably most defined by the cool stare of its finish, which has its eyes fixed on the long distant future. Tasted: Aug24 13.7% alc. $60 Screwcap Drink: 2028 - 2045+"- Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front.
