Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
This is super impressive stuff, the elegant and persistent 2013 Langmeil The Freedom 1843 will definitely set you free. No worries, here, just a whiff, a swirl and a taste and you and this wine will be bound by all eternity. Very deep ruby, black in color; intoxicating aroma of red the black fruit, some fragrant flowers, bold but not too overpowering; full bodied, packed on the palate, with supple sweet tannins; medium acidity, well balanced; beautifully ripened fruit on the palate; long, lacy and textured finish. Drinks pretty good already, will certainly age nicely. (Tasted: February 29, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
Sourced from one of the world's oldest surviving vineyards (planted in 1843), this is a full-bodied, velvety-textured rendering of Barossa Shiraz. An ample dusting of licorice and baking spices add zest to ripe blackberry and plum fruit flavors, and the wine finishes long and lush, with a flash of vanilla. Drink now–2025+.
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.