Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Abel Gibson, whose father worked in winemaking at Penfolds, got his start working several vintages at Rockford, then Spinifex, before launching his own label. He sought out old-vine sites, bringing some Eden Valley fruit into Archaeus, his blend focused on syrah (77 percent), with equal amounts of mataro and grenache making up the balance. If you have no patience for natural wine, you probably won’t like this, but if you are open to a little decomposition in your wine, this recalls rose petals and cherry mostarda, its fruit structured by mineral-inflected tannins. One taster described it as “bloody blood orange,” another, simply, as beautiful.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
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.