Sarah Ahmed tastes the latest releases from luxury estate Levantine Hill, an ambitious fine wine project in Australia's Yarra Valley.
I was glad that a low-key tasting in London with down-to-earth winemaker, Paul Bridgeman, provided my introduction to Levantine Hill Estate, as I could be sure it was just the wines that dazzled.
Only afterwards did I see a figure in excess of AUS$100m put on Lebanon-born property magnate, Elias Jreissati’s Yarra Valley investment – reputedly the wine region’s biggest in living memory.
Scroll down to see Sarah’s tasting notes & scores
{"content":"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"}
Levantine Hill – Latest releases:
{}
{"wineId":"23311","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"23312","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"23313","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"23314","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"23315","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"23316","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"23317","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"23318","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
You might also like:
