2023 Nick O'Leary Seven Gates Tempranillo

Nick O’Leary has built his name on precision - his Rieslings are clean-cut, his Shiraz dialled-in - but here, with Tempranillo, he’s letting things loosen up just a little. The 2023 Seven Gates comes from two Murrumbateman parcels, including fruit from Nick’s own estate vineyard. The winemaking is hands-on but not heavy-handed: whole berries, small fermenters, and old French oak to keep the fruit front and centre.

This isn’t a chunky Rioja throwback. It’s more restrained, with a leaner, savoury edge that feels very much of the Canberra District. There’s fruit - dark cherry, maybe some cola—but also that earthy, herbal undertone that Tempranillo throws up when grown in cooler sites. The structure’s there too, with firm, compact tannin holding everything in check.

It’s a confident, clever take on the variety. No gloss, no gimmicks - just a wine with real shape and intent, and a strong sense of where it’s from.

95 points
"Cherries, raspberries, cola and warm spice with a wet cement twist. Savoury, compact and bright with raspberry-sorbet acidity and precise tannins."
- Jane Faulkner (Halliday Wine Companion)