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Barossa

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Barossa

Australia’s oldest, most famous and internationally renowned wine growing region located a short distance from Adelaide, South Australia, the Barossa Valley contains the sub district of the Eden Valley, and is home to some of Australia’s, and the world’s oldest Shiraz vines. The Barossa Valley’s viticultural history extends back to the early 1800’s when English and Prussian immigrants founded vineyards, enterprises and wineries still family owned to this day. The British gentry was led by George Fife Angas (Angaston), Joseph Gilbert (Pewsey Vale), Samuel Smith (Founder of Yalumba in 1847) and William Salter (Saltram 1859). On the other hand a significantly more numerous population of Lutheran’s migrated fleeing the reformation in Prussia, pioneering viticulture and agriculture, numbering among them were names synonymous with the most established wineries in Australia including Johann Gramp (1847), Joseph Seppelt (Seppelt, 1851) and William Jacob (1854). Many of these original families continue in the wine business and own vineyards. The growers of the Barossa have weathered two world wars, drought, flood, bushfire, erratic swings in market preferences from red wine to white (1970’s), the Vine Pull Scheme of the 1980s whereby 130 year old, priceless, low yielding vines were removed due to lack of demand, to emerge stronger than ever, the one constant it’s ancient weathered vineyards and stoic population.

Principally a red wine growing region, historically the varieties planted were Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro (Mourvedre) alongside Pedro Ximenez and Frontignac for the production of fortified wine. The climate is warm and dry, with cool nights and warm to hot days. The Barossa Valley contains a complex typography of valleys, hills slopes and soils. The soils vary widely though the dominate composition is a clay loam and in areas low fertility sandy soils. Although red grapes are more pervasively planted, there are small quantities of white varieties including Semillon, which is often unwooded, with bright lemon zest notes and moderate acidity. Barossa Chardonnay tends to be richer and more generous with Melon and ripe peach notes and is quick to develop and best consumed young. Riesling which are also of a more broad and generous style, though many Barossa based wineries produce more zesty examples from Clare Valley and Eden Valley fruit. Small quantities of Viognier are cultivated, used primarily for blending with Shiraz, though some outstanding mono varietal bottling’s are available, Yalumba Virgilius in particular.

Of the Red varieties Shiraz is king with considerably more planted than Grenache or Mourvedre. Significantly, many of these vines are older than Shiraz or Syrah vines planted in Europe, the Barossa being fortunate enough not to encounter the devastations of phylloxera. Typically Barossa Shiraz is full bodied, lush with notes of blackberry, plum, medium acidity and high, but soft ripe tannins. They are traditionally aged in new oak imparting flavours of graphite and cigar box (new French oak) and coconut and vanilla (new American oak), the wines are renowned for their depth and longevity. The shift in the mid-1990s towards producing blockbuster wines that were high in alcohol fuelled by high Parker scores that then pushed the prices of the wines in America and Asia to new levels encouraged some winemakers to follow suit. The pendulum has now begun to swing in the other direction, led by a new generation of producers committed to making elegant, full to medium bodied Barossa red articulating individual vineyard character.

Many of Australia’s most famous wines are made in the Barossa and some of the most recognised producers include Penfolds, Peter Lehman, Yalumba, Wolf Blass and Henschke. The quintet of Penfolds Grange (mainly old vine Barossa shiraz aged in new American oak), Penfolds RWT Shiraz , Penfolds Magill Estate Shiraz (100% single vineyard), Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon and Penfolds St Henri Shiraz) are all highly sought after wines. And Henschke’s iconic single vineyard ancient vine Hill of Grace is considered by many to be the equal of Penfolds Grange in terms of both quality and as wine investment. A recent resurgence has seen many smaller artisanal wineries producing outstanding wines on small scale, including Spinifex, Teusner, Ruggabellus, Standish, Kalleske and Head Wines to name a few.

Less pervasively planted are Grenache, Mourvedre and Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon prefers a slightly cooler climate and tends to be better in cooler years and the use of French Oak is more common than American. Grenache and Mourvedre are often blended with Shiraz in a traditional Rhone Blend, though also bottles as mono varietal wines. Grenache from the Barossa tends toward sweet fruits, raspberry, with hints of spice and soft tannins. Outstanding producers include Spinifex, Kalleske, Charles Melton and Rusden.

Sources:
The Oxford Companion to Wine, (ed) Jancis Robinson
James Halliday's Wine Atlas of Australia, James Halliday
Australia & New Zealand Complete Book of Wine, Compiled by Len Evans
 


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  1. Agathist Alchemy Second Wine Grenache 2016
    Agathist Alchemy Second Wine Grenache 2016

    100% Grenache, Seppeltsfield, Barossa 

    Agathist Alchemy is a label from Barossa Valley guru, Craig Isbel who is also one of the people behind Izway Wines. Here he produces two wines from a single vineyard located across the road from his family home. It is owned & farmed organically by vigneron Nick Radford. The wines are produced in small batches of no larger than 500 kilo - wild ferments. The use of sulphur is minimal with tiny amounts used just after malo and at bottling. Other than this no other additions are used whatsoever. These are compact, elegant and character driven wines from a Barossa valley expert.

    This is a cracker… A wild perfume of red berries, briar, fennel, undergrowth, old campfire. Really quite compelling. Just on medium weight, serious ‘pinosity’, if that’s a thing, light, fine, silken flow, slender grip of tannin dips into savouriness and yet the wine finds succulence in pure, red berry and rose water fruit character. Sheesh, this is fine grenache.’ MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front

    2016
    Grenache
    Australia
    349
  2. Rock of Wisdom Superfly Red 2021
    Rock of Wisdom Superfly Red 2021
    We love the Superfly range from Rock of Wisdom. These are meant to be no mess, no fuss, easy drinking juicy wines and they have well and truly nailed the brief! Minimal intervention is the name of the game here but done thoughtfully and with panache.

    This is a MGS blend and the little extra of dollop mataro brings a nice earthy hit the otherwise bight and bubby fruit. This just leaps out of the glass with gleaming red fruits and plenty of sweet spice goodness. So much energy and lift, everything feels so fresh with lots of crunchy fruit framed by the gentlest kiss of oak. So sluggable!
    2021
    Blend
    Australia
    349
  3. Tomfoolery Burla Negra Tempranillo 2022
    Tomfoolery Burla Negra Tempranillo 2022

    The fruit from selected vineyards is hand picked and fermented in small open fermenters, which are pumped over by hand twice daily to maximize oxygenation and purity of fermentation. Once the wine is dry it is then gently basket pressed minimizing the extraction of harsh extractive tannins. Matured for 12 months in seasoned French oak barriques.

    Characteristic cherry aromas with dried herbs. This seafarin’ wine fires cannonballs of red cherry fruit across the bow with a herby oak lift before walking the plank of fine acid balanced with rich texture, scuttled with a ballast of grainy tannins.

    2022
    tempranillo
    Australia
    349
  4. John Duval Entity Shiraz 2021
    John Duval Entity Shiraz 2021
    Intense purple-red colour and a spicy/meaty and dried-herb bouquet, very fragrant for such a big, powerful shiraz, with dried thyme, oregano and mace notes. The palate is powerful, concentrated and the intensity driving and long. There is delicious fruit sweetness and a warming heart to this lovely wine. Great to drink now and for at least 20 years more. (96)  HUON HOOKE The Real Review
    2021
    shiraz
    Australia
    349
  5. John Duval Annexus Shiraz 2021
    John Duval Annexus Shiraz 2021
    The John Duval wines really are modern classics. This is the first release of Annexus shiraz. This comes from a single vineyard of Eden Valley shiraz that often finds its way into blending for the general shiraz wines from John Duval. It sees 25% new French oak. It’s got tension and precision written all over it. Heavily perfumed in forest berries, dark chocolate, alpine herbs and new leather/mahogany Chesterfield chair kinda thing. It’s succulent in texture, fine and firm in the palate and stretches luxuriously long. All of that perfume translates to flavours, a bit of extra cedar oak seasoning and a touch of sweet-earthiness too. It’s beautifully balance and all up classy. (95) MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front
    2021
    shiraz
    Australia
    349
  6. Izway Rob and Les Shiraz 2022
    Izway Rob and Les Shiraz 2022

    Aged in seasoned French oak and with a minimal intervention approach to winemaking, the vibrant, fresh and pure varietal characteristics of Shiraz are allowed to shine in this classic Barossan wine.
    The Rob & Les is sourced primarily from two vineyards; the Kalleske Hillside Vineyard and the Hoffmann Mickans Vineyard, both located in the north of the Barossa Valley. These sites are on the famed red clays of the North, giving the wine a structure and elegance that is a hallmark of this special locale. These two vineyards complement each other perfectly and combine to produce a wine that has personality and drinkability

    2022
    shiraz
    Australia
    349
  7. Hentley Farm Villain & Vixen Mataro 2022
    Hentley Farm Villain & Vixen Mataro 2022
    A mostly dry Summer and Autumn, the favoured conditons during growing season, have been ideal with mild daytime temperatures and cool nights promoting long, even ripening and extended flavour development. The reds from the Barossa region during this vintage possess incredible flavour concentration, natural high acidity and superb structure and balance.

    Sourced from a single vineyard in Krondorf, the fruit was hand picked with 50% remaining as whole bunch. Cultured fermentation lasted for 10 days. The wine was gently pressed off skins into seasoned French oak casks for 15 months.
    2022
    shiraz
    Australia
    349
  8. Geyer Wine Co. Barossa Noir Blanc 2022
    Geyer Wine Co. Barossa Noir Blanc 2022

    The 2022 growing season was one that started looking like somewhat of a throwback vintage, with a return to a 'wetter' winter,  with milder days leading into spring and summer. We did however suffer a catastrophic hail event early in the growing season, with some of these vineyards sustaining some severe damage. The majority bounced back with the cooler summer days ripening  everything nice and gently. The Barossa vineyards were picked anywhere from Januray 30th to Feb 15th,
    while Eden Valley was mid Feb to mid March.

    100% hand picked grenache, immediately whole bunch pressed to stainless steel to undergo natural primary fermentation before being roughly racked into one single puncheon and aged with minimal sulphur. At bottling this puncheon was racked as lightly as possible and bottled with no additional sulphur, unfined and unfiltered.

    2022
    Australia
    349
  9. Head Wines Old Vine Grenache 2022
    Head Wines Old Vine Grenache 2022
    Raspberry, cherry, almond, a little spice, dried rose perfume, incense and aniseed. It’s medium-bodied, fresh and red fruited, distinctly nutty with hazelnut and almond, lovely fine crunch to acidity, dense but silky emery board tannin, and a finish of impeccable length. It’s a superb expression of old vine Grenache, and so beautifully made. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
    2022
    Grenache
    Australia
    349
    Special Price $34.00 Regular Price $40.00
  10. Head Wines The Brunette Moppa Shiraz 2020
    Head Wines The Brunette Moppa Shiraz 2020
    100% shiraz from the deep red, ironstone-rich clays of the Barossa, the Brunette immediately impresses with its rich, dark and black-fruit aromatics. There are notes of baking spice, dark chocolate and earth along with liminal wafts of jasmine and kirsch. Deep dark-fruit profile with feathery tannins making their presence felt, softly spoken oak and impressive fruit density. DAVE BROOKES, The Wine Front
    2020
    shiraz
    Australia
    349
  11. Torbreck Hillside Shiraz Roussanne 2022
    Torbreck Hillside Shiraz Roussanne 2022

    The Hillside vineyard was established near the town of Lyndoch in the south western corner of the Barossa Valley in 1849 by the Springbett family with vines were planted in 1850 to Shiraz and Grenache. Torbreck acquired the property in 2002 and set about resurrecting the old vines, planting new vineyards and restoring the charming historic ironstone buildings. \

    Due to the success in co-fermenting Shiraz and Viognier, they thought it would be interesting to co-ferment the skins from Roussanne with Shiraz. Once the juice was gently whole bunch pressed from the Roussanne grapes, the skins were added to the Shiraz and co-fermented.

    2022
    shiraz
    Australia
    349
  12. Langmeil Jackaman's Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
    Langmeil Jackaman's Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
     Certified Barossa Old Vine Charter – in the 'older than 35 years' category. Vines planted in the 1960s. Destemming, open fermentation, basket-pressed and two years in French oak. Screwcap.
    Heavy bottle. Rich, ripe but slightly wild mulberry and blackcurrant fruit. Strong, herbal leafiness pressed through the luscious fruit but the wine comes with a core of bitter dark chocolate and vanilla-pod sweetness. Balsamic extraction and density with interesting szechuan lift through the end. Powerful and velvety and very big. JR
     
    2020
    Cabernet Sauvignon
    Australia
    349
    Special Price $69.00 Regular Price $81.00
  13. Langmeil Legendary Cabernet Shiraz 2019
    Langmeil Legendary Cabernet Shiraz 2019
    Rich and juicy fruit flows through the palate which is medium to full-bodied. The Cabernet Sauvignon shines through with its blackcurrant, blueberries and brambly spice, while the Shiraz fills the palate and softens the tannins on the finish.
    GRAPE COMPOSITION 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Shiraz OAK TREATMENT 13% new French oak, 5% new American oak and 82% seasoned oak TIME IN OAK Twenty-four months VINE AGE 15 to 80 year-old vines. LANGMEIL.
    2019
    Cab/Shiraz
    Australia
    349
    Special Price $32.00 Regular Price $37.00
  14. Quin Wines Barossa Valley Rose 2022
    Quin Wines Barossa Valley Rose 2022
    Mataro sourced from Aldo's vineyard in the southern Barossa parish of Williamstown. Pale salmon in the glass with notes of redcurrant, raspberry, red cherry and citrus fruits along with hints of white flowers, marzipan, stone, raspberry cream and a whiff of freshly cut fennel. Super-sapid porcelain acidity drives this along nicely, and there's a wee slink of texture to boot, finishing dry, red-fruited and clanging for some food. DAVE BROOKES, James Halliday

    Andrew Quin  and his wife Sky are a dynamic couple behind Quin Wines. Both born and raised in Melbourne they purchased a 7 hectare vineyard in Seppeltfield in the heart of the Barossa Valley with the goal of making exceptional wines. As head winemaker for both Hentley Farm and Ricca Terra, Andrew knows how to make wine, and works closely with the viticulturalists to ensure he always has the best fruit to work with.
    2022
    Mourvedre
    Australia
    349
  15. Turkey Flat Marsanne Roussanne 2022
    Turkey Flat Marsanne Roussanne 2022

    It’s grippy, it’s richly flavoured, and just when you think it’s going to stop – the flavours continue on. This saw a proportion of new oak and it shows, but the overall profile remains elegant and then there’s that length. Citrus, stonefruit, cracked wheat and smoky bacon characters do a delicious job here, so too the honeysuckle notes. Give it another 12 months in bottle and it will be better again. CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

    It’s a funky, struck match affair, honey and smoky stuff, pear and lemon zest, a juicy apricot sort of flavour, plenty of grip and texture, wheaty (yes it is), with a chalky lemon zest finish of good length. Rugged. Full of personality. It’s excellent. GARY WALSH

    SPECIAL VALUE - A Rhône-inspired white blend of marsanne and roussanne from the Turkey Flat vineyards in Bethany and Stone Well; whole-bunch pressed with some skin contact and a portion aged in new oak. Pale straw with some intriguing struck flint and cordite notes layered above the juicy white peach, lemon and apple fruit base. Hints of nougat, toasted almonds, crème fraîche, white flowers and ginger complete the picture. Dry with a lovely textural component, a minerally acid line and excellent clarity on the finish. Great complex, zesty drinking. JAMES HALLIDAY’S WINE COMPANION

    With a light yellow hue, it has a very smoky bouquet combining barrel and reductive aromas with spices and a hint of smoked chicken, the palate multi-layered and entertaining, medium bodied and soft-but-dry in its balance. A lovely wine with a really engaging set of flavours, and a long and satisfying follow-through HUON HOOKE

    The bold and the beautiful, plenty to love here with lots going on and it delivers on it all in this beautiful package with punchy fruit, great length, plenty of nuance and detail, a long, fruit laden and citrus cut finish that serves to engage those old taste buds and stir them to life. Stimulating! It’s one of those wines that leaves you feeling refreshed, it isn’t thirst slacking, or quenching, as bright, clear and upbeat as it is, because you immediately go back for a second glass and then the bottle is gone and it’s a work day tomorrow and you have to talk to people about wine… you know what I mean? Very hard to stop drinking, which makes it dangerous mid week. Fortunately Danger is my middle name, Roscoe Anthony Danger Halligan-Rose… not sure why my mum thought that was appropriate.

    This is so damn good it’s hard to keep a straight face while writing this review. It’s not a wine to take too seriously, but its seriously banging. ROSCOE  

    2022
    Marsanne, Roussane
    Australia
    349
  16. Bulman Wines Rose 2023
    Bulman Wines Rose 2023

    Fresh strawberry and Bosc pear, a little musk and perfume. Fresh and lively, clean acidity, a pear skin grip, pomegranate/watermelon and peach iced tea, nice bit of chew to it, yet so finely balanced. Finish is refreshing too. Combines complexity with ease of drinking to wonderful effect. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

    It’s a more mouth-filling and juicy number than last year. I love those soft, caressing, slightly phenolic aspects. Alright, and I hope this is ok, I am going to steal Gary Walsh’s comment from above, because it’s perfect for this wine “peach iced tea” is just right, it has that peach juice and tea like, faint grip. Refreshing, oozing class, brimming with lively acidity and an overall upbeat feel to it. Finishes clean and bright as it started. This is world class Rose and  I recommend it whole heartedly. ROSCOE

    2023
    Rose
    Australia
    349
  17. Turkey Flat Rose 2023
    Turkey Flat Rose 2023

    James Adams is the new winemaker at Turkey Flat, this being the first vintage under his regime.

    Red fruit and tangerine, a little perfume and spice – maybe a subtle sort of a curry leaf or lemongrass thing happening. Soft but with nice grip and crunch to texture, a fine chalkiness, subdued but kind of juicy red fruit with a fresh finish of good length, a dash of savoury complexity as it goes. Lovely. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

    2023
    Rose
    Australia
    349
  18. Chaffey Bros Dufte Punkt 2023
    Chaffey Bros Dufte Punkt 2023
    A funky field blend of co-fermented riesling, gewürztraminer and kerner from the Fechner vineyard.
    Light straw in the glass with heady aromas of citrus, peach skin and poached pear along with hints of Turkish delight, mineral salts, pressed wildflowers, clotted cream and almond paste. Über-slinky and textural on the palate with citrus and yellow plum fruits expanding then contracting with a tight flex of nervy acidity propelling long, perfumed and savoury on the exit. DAVE BROOKS, winecompanion.com
    2015
    Gewurztraminer, Riesling
    Australia
    349
  19. Chaffey Bros Wine Co Pax Aeterna Old Vine Grenache 2023
    Chaffey Bros Wine Co Pax Aeterna Old Vine Grenache 2023
    Old-vine grenache off Kevin Schild's vineyard in Vine Vale; 30% whole bunches.
    A light ruby colour and fragrant aromas of raspberry, red plum and cranberry fruits dabbed with exotic ginger spice, light amaro tones, dried citrus rind and pressed flowers. Airy and spacious with a meaty, savoury flow across the tongue, light chalky tannins tugging at the roof of the mouth and a lively, lacy line of acidity. DAVE BROOKS, winecompanion.com
    2021
    Grenache
    Australia
    349
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