Winemaker Notes
Mid to deep crimson red color, the 2015 vintage reveals notes of salted plums, lavender, fresh blackberry, fresh jamón, wet earth and balsam.
The wine hits the palate with classic western Barossa generosity. Sweet and savoury notes intertwine and provide plenty of light and shade. Spicy plums, blue fruits and lavender dominate. Interesting notes of balsam and baking spices along with milk chocolate add depth and layers. Tannins are chewy in nature and run long on a very detailed and complex palate.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2014 Shiraz Coach House Block offers a lovely perfume of crushed wild blueberries, black cherries and violets with touches of menthol, pepper, anise and cloves. Full-bodied with great freshness and finesse of tannins yielding a wine of great elegance, it has layers of youthful black fruits and earthy characters, finishing with excellent persistence.
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Wine Spectator
Plush, with juicy, chocolate-covered cherry, plum compote and cumin accents set on a thick frame. Earl Grey tea and sarsaparilla notes crescendo on the finish, leaving a spicy detail lingering. Drink now through 2030.
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.