Product Line
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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Turkey Flat Pedro Ximenez NV 375mlRenowned for producing fine wines in Jerez, Pedro Ximènez (or PX) can really excel in another part of the world. Intense marmalade aromas with some sweet spice and dried figs. The palate is lusciously rich with some pure marmalade and dried figs characters, very long, sweet and rich finish but with a good freshnes. DECANTER TOP 10 Australian Wines
“The other wine to look out for in the TF range is the unhinged NV Pedro Ximènez. This wine is a 100 Best Alumni and I often forget to mention but it really is a wickedly decadent pudding wine with all of the drunken raisin and fig notes you crave from this style of sweetie. MATTHEW JUKES, 100 Best Australian Wines
Luscious and sumptuous, the inviting bouquet shows dried fruit, toffee and potpourri aromas with a good seasoning of cake spice. The palate delivers creamy mouthfeel with seductive sweetness, well framed by juicy acidity, finishing delicious and immensely satisfying. Aged using a Solera system with an average age of 7 years. (95) SAM KIM, Wine Orbit
Christmas in a glass! Rich and intense with apricot and marmalade characters. This fortified Pedro Ximénez was made from grapes grown in one of the last remaining Pedro plantings in the Barossa Valley. Amazing!
This is a bit of a staff favourite too. A few of us sweet tooths are big fans of this bad boy and this is a very cool interpretation that isn't quite as intense concentrated as its orginators in Spain but is all the better for it. A little lighter on its feet and that's the way we like it.
NVSherryAustralia349$38.00 As low as $34.20 -
Penfolds Grange 1994Dense red-purple; the typically rich and powerful bouquet has layers of dark berry fruit and integrated and balanced oak. What makes it unusual is the distinct hint of chocolate, which appears again on the silkily powerful palate. Here there is an array of all of the fruit flavours one could possibly expect, but once again that touch of dark Swiss chocolate adding an intriguing note. The oak balance and integration is better than any five-year-old Grange I can remember, the tannins perfectly balanced into the bargain. (97) BURGHOUND1994shirazAustralia349$1,300.00 As low as $1,170.00 -
Head Wines Old Vine Grenache 2022Raspberry, 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 Front2022GrenacheAustralia349$40.00 As low as $36.00 -
John Duval Annexus Grenache 2022From Stonegarden vineyard, planted in 1858. 300 cases made. Raspberry, red cherry, mint nougat, floral too, with something a little more stony in play. It’s medium-bodied, almond and red fruit, fine pumice stone tannin, mint and sage, succulent but controlled, with a slightly warm raspberried finish of excellent length. Very good. MIKE BENNIE2021GrenacheAustralia349$63.00 As low as $56.70 -
Michael Hall Mount Torrens Adelaide Hills Syrah 2021 1500ml1 AVAIALABLE
A 480m site in Mount Torrens. Loam and clay over quartz and ironstone substrata. Hand picked, 100% whole bunches, fermented spontaneously before maturation in French oak (31% new) for 20 months. While I can sense the dill pickle of the stems, there is such depth of fruit and long-limbed grape tannins that I have no doubt the verdancy will be absorbed in time. Cornas-like. Wild and woolly. Ferrous, bloody, olive pasted and laden with smoky, spiced meats. A very good wine in an embryonic phase. Put this away for five to eight years. (95) NED GOODWIN, Halliday Wine Companion
Ink black core with a deep purple rim. Mulberry, dried woody herbs and black pepper aromatics. Medium to full, dark fruits on entry but this is built as a savoury wine. Curing meat, ironstone, iodine and dark spices with dried woody herbs all meld across the palate, grainy tannins accentuate the depth and it rolls long and dark to the finish. STUART KNOX, The Real Review2021shirazAustralia349$140.00 As low as $126.00 -
Alkina Old Quarter GSM 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021Mourvedre, shirazAustralia349$110.00 As low as $99.00 -
Paisley Wines Boombox Shiraz 2021If you’re old enough, you’d remember making mix tapes to give to friends or slip into the cassette player in your car, or whatever. My tape of choice, if I was feeling flush was a TDK SA-X (chrome), or even an MA-X (metal setting), and if poor, maybe a TDK AD or a lowly D. All very nice. But thank heavens for Spotify.
A big juicy dark hit of flavour here, along with raspberry juice, mint, a bit of earthy coal-like stuff, some chewy chalk-like grip, and a warm and generous finish of good length. Doesn’t seem to have much oak influence, just a riot of bouncy earthy Barossa fruit. Good fun. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
2020shirazAustralia349$23.00 As low as $20.70 -
Bulman Wines Gary's Vineyard Grenache 2023More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2023Australia349$80.00 As low as $72.00 -
Izway 'Angelo' Aglianico 2022The wine is named after Craig’s great mate, and our concreter to the stars, Angelo. After Ang and his team did such an outstanding job on our winery and cellar door construction, we thought it only fitting to name a wine after him made from an Italian grape variety!
Pure and perfumed, the aromatics are classically Aglianico. Savoury spice and leather flow into red cherry and orange rind, with hints of clove and cinnamon. The hallmark tannin and acid profile of Aglianico is present, but with a depth and richness of texture which is coating and powerful, yet elegant, satiating, and moreish. IZWAY
2022AglianicoAustralia349$51.00 As low as $45.90 -
Paisley Wines Turntable GSM 2021A purple-hued blend of grenache, shiraz and mataro that's super perfumed and packed with ripe plum, blueberry and cranberry fruit notes. Hints of jasmine and frangipani along with abundant spice, licorice, gingerbread, mocha, panforte and earth. Gentle, billowy tannins and bright acidity guide the plush, spicy blue and dark fruits to a medium-length finish. Vegan friendly. DAVE BROOKES, Halliday Wine Companion2021GSMAustralia349$22.00 As low as $19.80 -
Hentley Farm The Beauty Shiraz 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022shirazAustralia349$74.00 As low as $66.60 -
Spinifex Grenache Gris 2023It’s a new plot of vineyard (on the estate) and this is the first year where there was enough crop to make/release a wine. It was fermented wild in old oak and then matured in a (not new) 1000l foudre.
Time in old oak was important here because it’s added texture to what is, at heart, a structural white wine. It’s a wine of skin and bones, stones and spices, its dryness a key part of its appeal. We’re almost into brine territory here, or stones sitting in a saline solution, perhaps. It knows what it wants, and it wants for food. This is a good, interesting wine, worth buying and drinking, and future releases will be worth following. CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front
2021Carignan, GrenacheAustralia349$35.00 As low as $31.50 -
Schwarz Meta Grenache Blanc 2022Chenin blanc from Light Pass; wild fermented (a portion in seasoned French oak) before maturation in seasoned French oak with lees stirring. Pale straw in the glass, this is a vivid and delicious wine showing characters of citrus and stone fruit with hints of marzipan, clotted cream, crushed quartz, white flowers and light scattered herbs. Textural, crisp and dry with a scintillating acid line. Super. DAVE BROOKES, Halliday Wine Companion2022Australia349$35.00 As low as $31.50 -
Teusner Big Jim Shiraz 2021Shiraz sourced from the Wark Family vineyard, aged in 50/50% seasoned and new French oak and featuring a lovely label featuring 'Big Jim' by local Barossa artist Marnie Wark. Deep crimson and packed with plump, ripe satsuma plum and macerated summer berry fruits. Hints of baking spices, dark chocolate, earth, chocolate bullets, violets, olive tapenade, softly spoken cedar tones and vanilla. Plush and pure with bright acid drive and a fan of spicy dark and black berry fruits on the exit. (95) DAVE BROOKES, Halliday Wine Companion
It’s now packaged in a Burgundy bottle and while the front label is more or less the same, it’s been tweaked. Anyway, you get the gist.Wow this is impressive. Pure, rich and commanding. Blackberry and sweet plum flavours cruise into malt, cedar, earth and orange rind. Tannin comes in long chains, both majestic and seamlessly well integrated. There’s a deal of oak here but the fruit is mighty and in any case, it’s hand-in-glove. It’s absolutely in the fuller, richer, sweeter style, but it’s also an absolute beauty. (95) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front
Incredibly dark and inky in the glass, almost black. Opulent aromas of liqueur chocolate, mulberry, stewed plums, mocha and sweet spice. So much going on here. The palate takes no prisoners, it's decadently rich and mouth-filling with lashings of dark fruit flavours, sweet oak, anise, graphite and pudding spice. There is a decent lick of tannin and acid doing its best to control the slurpy and viscous fruit, and it does a pretty smart job. Power, poise and plushness (95) AARON BRASHER, The Real Review2017shirazAustralia349$66.00 As low as $59.40 -
Tomfoolery Young Blood Shiraz 2023Inspired by the new wave ‘Vino Joven’ wines of the old world, Young Blood Shiraz is released as a cheeky youngster with just a brief barrel maturation to showcase structure and varietal character, while retaining freshness and finesse. The fruit is open fermented utilising native yeasts, with 30% whole bunch in the mix. After 7 days maceration post-ferment, the wine is gently basket pressed and racked to stainless vats (50%) and old French oak hogsheads (50%) for 6 months maturation. Young Blood Shiraz is pure, uncomplicated enjoyment.
Deep ruby colour with the vibrant pink rim of a fresh young wine. Spicy bramble and black cherry nose with fresh raspberry top notes. Soft damson plum palate with red berry fruit flavours, bright and juicy on a medium bodied elegant palate. Fine tannins and refreshing balancing acidity finish off this easy drinking wine. TOMFOOLERY
2022shirazAustralia349Special Price $26.00 Regular Price $31.00 -
Spinifex Bete Noir 2021It’s flush with fruit but there’s a meatiness to this and its churned with tannin too, grainy tannin. Charred meats, blackberries and blueberries, a floral element and fist loads of roasted spice. It’s bold but neat, tannic but not at the expense of the overall flow. Excellent gear, this. (94) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front
Deep, bold purple-red colour; aromas of sweet ripe black fruits, blackberry and mulberry, vanilla/chocolate too, the palate full bodied and fruit-sweet at the core, then some astringency comes in thanks to acidity and tannin—but it's all in balance. Plenty happening here. A promising shiraz that will reward patient cellaring. (95) HUON HOOKE, The Real Review
Pete Schell's Bête Noir is a shiraz blended across a selection of Barossan grounds including a portion from the cooler Eden Valley. Typically sporting a super-saturated, magenta-splashed hue with aromas of bright plum, black cherry and blueberry fruits cut with hints of violets, brown spice, ironstone, dark chocolate, smoked meats, cherry confit and earth. Glossy and impressively pure, there's ferrous edge to the tight tannins and an acid line that propels the pure fruit briskly across the palate, finishing elegant yet opulent. (95) DAVE BROOKS, winecompanion.com.au2020shirazAustralia349$41.00 As low as $36.90 -
Shobbrook Wines Ottantotto 2020More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2020shirazAustralia349$150.00 As low as $135.00 -
Head Wines Old Vine Grenache 2023More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022GrenacheAustralia349$40.00 As low as $36.00 -
Head Wines The Contrarian Viognier 2023More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021ViognierAustralia349$40.00 As low as $36.00 -
Frederick Stevenson Grenache 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022BlendAustralia349$41.00 As low as $36.90 -
Frederick Stevenson Cabernet Sauvignon 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022BlendAustralia349$48.00 As low as $43.20 -
Bondar Chardonnay 2023More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2023BlendAustralia349$42.00 As low as $37.80 -
Orbis Grenaches Rose 2024Off-dry rosé is made from 100% Grenache and is made full of generous texture. This pale copper hued rose has plenty of mouth filling characters of ginger and baking spice aromatics, earl grey tea tannins and a long fruitful finish. Handpicked estate grown fruit, wild fermented and unfined.
2023RoseAustralia349$32.00 As low as $28.80 -
Torbreck Steading GSM 2021 375mlA meld of 51/28/21% grenache/shiraz/mataro from 40 to 150-year-old vines; 20 months maturation in large 4500L French oak foudre. Perfumed and fragrant with lifted blueberry, dark plum and punchy cranberry fruit characters with hints of frangipani, teacake, gingerbread, cherry clafoutis, Chinese barbecue shop, earth and blueberry pie. Bright with vivid acidity and powdery tannin, it cuts a super-spicy savoury line across the palate and represents the Torbreck style with much aplomb. (94) DAVE BROOKES, Halliday Wine Companion - SPECIAL VALUE
I like the tannin tension to this with berry, dried meat and spice aromas and flavors. It’s medium-bodied with a firmness and brightness. Juicy finish. Nice texture at the end. Vivid. Grenache, shiraz and mataro. Drink or hold. (94) JAMES SUCKLING2019GSMAustralia349$26.00 As low as $23.40 -
Spinifex Papillon 2023Pete Schell's Papillon and I have had a thing going for a while. If I spy it on a wine list it's often what I'll go for as it consistently delivers a great drinking experience and matches a range of foods. This year it's 66/31/3% grenache/cinsault/counoise 3%. Spacious, sapid and energetic, it's all raspberries and cranberries daubed with exotic spice, rose petals, sour cherry, dried herbs and stone. That whoosh of sour red plum at the end gets me every time. So good! (95) DAVE BROOKS, thewinecompanion
This is 66% grenache, 31% cinsault and 3% counoise. Always the shapeshifter is Papillon.
Cool and fresh. Lively and bright. A chillable, slurpy, crunchy red emerges. Red cherry, raspberry, cranberry, alpine herbs, some menthol-like lift, aniseed and pepper, a touch of white chocolate. Good energy here. Some real get up and go. Freshness implicit. Cool. MIKE BENNIE, The Wine FrontLight cherry red hue. Raspberry, blueberry and anise aromas. Bright on the palate: juicy raspberry fruits with hints of rosemary and dusty earth adding complexity. The freshness of the acidity makes for a deliciousness that really appeals, and tannins kick through at the back end to dry the finish. STUART KNOX, The Real Review
2023Cinsault, GrenacheAustralia349$32.00 As low as $28.80 -
Michael Hall Barossa Valley Roussanne 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021RoussaneAustralia349$42.00 As low as $37.80 -
Chaffey Bros Pax Aeterna Old Vine Grenache 2023Old-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
2023GrenacheAustralia349$30.00 As low as $27.00 -
Chaffey Bros Wine Co Salvis Gratia Semillon 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022SemillonAustralia349$32.00 As low as $28.80 -
Langmeil Jackaman's Cabernet Sauvignon 2020Certified 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
2020Cabernet SauvignonAustralia349Special Price $69.00 Regular Price $81.00 -
Alkina Night Sky GSM 2022A great rendition of this wonderful blend. Dark Cherries and plums with spice notes. The fruit is ripe, but very bright and the tightly wound structure opens up beautifully with air. SARA TORRES, PWS SYDNEY2021Mourvedre, shirazAustralia349$55.00