Winemaker Notes
Deep dark red to black with an amazing purple hue. Aromas of blackberry and white pepper with hints of spice, as you would expect from good use of oak. From the first mouthful it’s a flavour bomb, with its sweet black fruit in the front through to the seductive French oak on the very back of the palate. This, along with its silky tannins, should leave one very satisfied indeed.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
It’s hard to resist the silky plum fruit that floats from the glass. There are more savory spice and green peppercorn notes, a hint of violet, black olive and a lick of well-integrated, slightly charred oak characters, too. But this is really all about that plush fruit. The palate is beautifully balanced, silky in texture with spicy tannins and supportive oak. There’s a touch of alcohol heat, but overall it’s a far classier Barossa Shiraz than the “Bogan” (the Aussie equivalent of “redneck”) name implies. Drink now
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
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.