Winemaker Notes
Deep, dark red with a black core and purple hue. Deep set aromas of blackberry, bramble, black pepper, dried flower, Indian ink, and baking spices. Straight away this wine hits you with a wall of flavour. Crashing and caressing the breadth of the palate, it ratchets up a gear as it runs the length of the palate. Just as the wine seems to start losing control, a beautiful line of acidity harnesses the power, tightens up and commands authority. A veil of sheer elegance creeps though the palate. The tannins start early and build momentum drawing the wine through to an extremely long and detailed finish.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
A wine that always seems to deliver, the 2016 Shiraz Bella's Garden comes from the Barossa Valley and saw a touch of whole clusters and 18 months in roughly 20% new French oak. Blueberries, black raspberries, vanilla bean, spice, and toasted bread notes all flow to a full-bodied, ripe, opulent Shiraz that has sweet tannin, a balanced, clean profile, and a great finish. It’s a knockout bottle of wine to enjoy over the coming 5-7 years.
-
Wine Spectator
Complex, opening with a distinctive floral note of dried lavender that adds an aromatic lift to the polished blackberry, cherry and black pepper flavors. Dark, dense and concentrated at the core. Details of spice, vanilla and clove mingle on the finish. Drink now through 2028. 5,500 cases made.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Shiraz Bella's Garden, from the winery's "home turf" in the Barossa Valley, features luscious aromas of mixed berries, vanilla and just enough meaty notes to keep the wine from being overly fruit-driven. Instead, it's savory and complex, with cedar framing the ample fruit, and it has fine-grained, silky tannins and a long, crisp finish. Nicely done.
-
James Suckling
A very essence-like and ripe nose, showing notes of blackberry compote, ink, iodine, dark licorice, dark chocolate and violet and conifer. Full body, lots of juicy dark fruit, some structured tannins and a chewy finish. Drink in 2023.
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.