Winemaker Notes
Deep, dark red with a black core. Tending a purple hue towards the meniscus. Deep set aromas of red currant to blackberry with notes of incense, Christmas spice, and warm lavender oil. This bold Shiraz hits the palate with power and presence. Lashings of dark fruit with notes of incense and aromatic spices, floral hints add layers and complexity. The wine rolls across the palate coating every corner of your mouth. Dense and chewy tannins compliment the fruit nicely, which tighten through the finish adding a savoury graphite note. Incredibly long and complex through the finish, this is quintessential Barossa Valley.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Dark and dense, with blackberry and licorice-scented plum flavors, accented by details of espresso, cacao, sage and clay. A distinctive juicy thread runs through the core. Firm finish. Drink now through 2030.
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Decanter
Sweet berry and green pepper aromas lead into a nicely controlled palate of red liquorice, black pastilles, loganberries, liquid cherry and a firm spine of crisp acidity. It's all encased in an as yet impenetrable layer of grippy tannins, but these are likely to soften and evolve with time.
Drinking Window 2018 - 2025
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James Suckling
Aromas of orange peel and hints of walnuts and blackberries follow through to a medium body, firm tannins, and a tangy, lemony acidity on the finish. A little one dimensional but still delicious. 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.