Winemaker Notes
Color: Deep and impenetrable, red to black.
Aroma: Lifted aromas of deep red fruits, plums, cinnamon, licorice and earthy spice. Underneath subtle notes of chocolate, tar and moss complete the bouquet.
Palate: The wine is robust and rich with a balance that exemplifies the hallmarks of the finest Barossa vineyards. Red fruits and plums dominate a tight palate with earthy char and chocolate that then finishes long with fine tannins and bright acidity. Will drink well now and will improve with medium term cellaring.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Dark and dense, but emerges with vivid color and bright flavors of raspberry, black cherry and a hint of peach, beautifully tinged with cocoa, licorice and mineral notes as the finish sails on impressively. Drink now through 2018.
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Wine & Spirits
Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz run this négociant operation based in Barossa. Bella's Garden is their top selection of the region's fruit, presented in a supple, rich style. While not shy (as its stated as 16 percent abv) the wine is red fruited, with plum flavors cooled by a eucalyptus spice. The finish gains distiction from earthy, mineral-inflected tannin, balanced and long. For short ribs.
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.