Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Cuttings taken form the 1853 Old Garden plantings, hence the name. This is an alluringly youthful rendition with blue and red fruits intermingled with wild herbs; dark, stony notes; earth and subtly brooding spices. The palate has a tarry, dark-cherry flavor with some peppery moments. The tannins are nutty and ripe. Smooth-textured. Finishes with innate balance. Drink in 2016.
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Decanter
Cuttings for this are taken from the 1853 Old Garden bush-vines (hence the name). An alluringly youthful wine with blue and red fruits intermingled with wild herbs, dark stony notes, earth and brooding spice. The palate has a tarry dark cherry flavour and peppery hints, and the tannins are nutty and ripe – all smoothly textured and finishing with innate balance.
Full of ripe fruit, and robust, earthy goodness, Mourvèdre is actually of Spanish provenance, where it still goes by the name Monastrell or Mataro. It is better associated however, with the Red Blends of the Rhône, namely Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Mourvèdre shines on its own in Bandol and is popular both as a single varietal wine in blends in the New World regions of Australia, California and Washington. Somm Secret—While Mourvèdre has been in California for many years, it didn’t gain momentum until the 1980s when a group of California winemakers inspired by the wines of the Rhône Valley finally began to renew a focus on it.
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.