Winemaker Notes
Deep, dark red with a black core. Deeply pitched aromas of blackberry, sage, cacao beans, lavender and Christmas spice. Crashes across the palate with authority. Lots of density of flavour, rich and vibrant fruits and deeply embedded yet complexing notes of dried lavender, star anise, coffee grounds, and cacao beans add depth and intrigue.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The flagship Shiraz is the 2015 Shiraz Ares, a 100% Barossa Valley Shiraz that spent just over two years in 20% new French oak, with the balance in 1- to 4-year-old barrels. It puts its foot firmly on the ripeness pedal and sports a monster bouquet of blackberries, plums, toasted spice, chocolate, and toasted bread. This gives way to a huge, massive Shiraz that, despite its depth of fruit and richness, stays balanced, complex, and nuanced. Nevertheless, this isn’t for those looking for lightweight aromas and flavors. Drink this bombastic beauty any time over the coming 10-15 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of fruit from three historic vineyards in three separate parts of Barossa, the 2015 Ares Shiraz is a top-flight effort. Loaded with vanilla and red currants on the nose, it's a full-bodied, rich, velvety wine, perhaps a bit open-knit for truly long-term cellaring but flashy and attractive now and over the next decade or so. Fine notes of baking spices bring complexity to the red fruits on the long, crisp finish.
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Wine Spectator
Bold and expressive, featuring a powerful mix of black walnut liqueur, dark chocolate, Earl Grey tea and kirsch flavors, set on a dense but polished frame, with spice and tobacco notes that sail through the long, complex finish.
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.