PRODUCT : Barossa Valley Estate, Shiraz
Barossa Valley is a renowned wine-producing region northeast of Adelaide, in South Australia. It’s one of the oldest and finest wine producing regions in the world.
Barossa Valley Estate approached me for a brand collaboration, to sample some of their wines.
I chose the Shiraz and the Cabernet Sauvignon, which I review here.
The Barossa has over 150 wineries including Wolf Blass and Jacob’s Creek; and it has the longest unbroken lineage of winemaking and grape growing families in the country. So they really do know their wines.
The Shiraz grape is the most popular grape used in this region, nearly 8000ha are dedicated to this grape and reason being, is that the Shiraz grape flourishes here. The Shiraz grape is big, fat and juicy and Australian Shiraz grapes are very distinctive, you’ll not find the same flavour profiles anywhere else in the world. The wonderfully dry, hot climate of Australia makes wines that are bold, dark red, loads of tannins with a ripe, black and red-fruit aromas and chocolate and pepper flavours.
Shiraz wines are quite distinctive with black fruits, spice, brambles, black pepper, plums and leather all coming to the fore either in aroma or taste.
Barossa Valley Estate have been making wine since 1985 and they only make three red wines - the Shiraz, the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre.
The soil here is a rich mineral red clay and provides a unique environment for viticulture. Their mineral rich content and moderate fertility restricts vine vigour and contributes to the growing of concentrated fruit; combine this will hours of glorious sunshine and you have the perfect grape growing conditions.
BAROSSA VALLEY SHIRAZ REVIEW
On the nose : it’s very aromatic and I could smell lots of dark fruits coming through. I picked up cherries, plums, raspberries as well as leather and a smokiness in there.
On the palate : lots of silky vanilla comes through, as well as pepper notes and I want to say some earthiness like mushrooms, but its very slight.
This is a big, full bodied red wine that gives a dark fruit explosion when you hold it in your mouth. I think it is well balanced with medium tannins and acidity, so its quite dry. It’s elegant though and you’ll want to have this with a big juicy steak or Scottish venison.
My Spoon Award : Silver Spoon 8/10