When it comes to the quality and price ($320 a bottle!) of this outstanding Shiraz, the term Super Premium is an understatement. The story of this winery began in, you guessed it, 1847. After the proclamation of a land grant by the Governor for the historic Rowland Flat property, Bavarian immigrant Johann Gramp planted what was the first commercial vineyard in the Barossa Valley. 1847 winery now encompasses some 200 acres of premium estate vineyards. “There's a bright, spicy crunch to the best of '17 Barossa shiraz. This is a refreshingly medium-bodied style laced with red cherries, greengage plums and a hint of black pepper. Tangy acid line and a fine tannin grid carry a finish of impressive persistence... 95pts” (Halliday Wine Companion, Tyson Stelzer).

https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/orchestracms/eosportal/pdf/tasting-notes/yalumba-the-octavius-shiraz-2018.pdf

Dark fruit aromas of baked plum, blackberry and dark cherry compote. Cocoa dust, red licquorice and butterscotch also add a layer of complexity and sweetness to the nose. Mouth coating dark fruit fills the palate, with hints of leather and black pepper, tannins are soft, round and roll throughout the finish.

Senior winemaker Jamie Saint, pursues his passion for the wines of the Barossa through the Barossa Valley Wine Company. He crafts wines of sophistication, each with the perfect balance of elegance, power and grace. Gravel Track pays tribute to the long gravel and limestone track that winds its way through our historic 60-year-old Farms vineyard. Lifted aromas of red cherry and raspberry complemented by clove and lavender on the nose, with a rich, earthy and vibrant palate. Soft velvety tannins provide a silky yet persistent finish, punctuated with bright redcurrant and blueberry characters and a subtle background of spice from twelve months French oak maturation.

Lifted aromas of blackberry and blueberry accompanied by vibrant dark berry fruits on the palate . The finish is long and with fine grain tannins from 18 months maturation in French Oak. Neville Rowe, Chief Winemaker, first discovered the wonder of wines as a teenager, when he stole a bottle of aged Riesling from his father’s cellar to enjoy with his girlfriend – he hasn’t looked back since! Neville is a firm believer that the most important piece to the puzzle (in terms of winemaking) is starting with the best quality fruit.

Bright, deep garnet. Spice laced, smoky, savory notes dominate when the bottle is first opened. With air aromas transit through black tea, charred meat, green pepper corn, wood smoke and suede, to roasted nuts, red and black cherry and high transient notes of citrus oils and jasmine. Restrained and relatively closed on the palate initially. Mid-weight, with a keen balance of both flesh and bones fruit and structure - tangy dried herb edged fruit opens up to polished, fresh black fruits. Focused and pure, has great line.

Medium depth crimson with purple hues. Ripe red fruits and black cherry on the nose with mocha, subtle savoury and herbal notes adding complexity. The bright and juicy fruits coat the palate and are balanced by pepper and sweet spices. Medium-bodied in structure with great complexity and lovely silky tannins which flow through the fruity, peppery and spicy finish. Despite a later than anticipated start and an earlier than usual finish, the 2018 compressed harvest produced wines of deep colour, flavour and balance across the board. 35% Grenache, 34% Shiraz, 31% Mourvedre. Matured for 12 months in seasoned oak. The site where the Langmeil winery now sits was originally settled by Blacksmith Christian Auricht way back in 1842. Christian went on to establish a bakery, smithy, a butcher's shop and a cobbler as well as planting a 1 hectare vineyard on the estate. This vineyard, still in use today, has been called the Freedom 1843 block and is believed to be one of the oldest Shiraz vineyards in the world. Flash forward 160+ years and the Langmeil winery and vineyard is back in family hands, with Carl Lindner, Richard Lindner and Chris Bitter now owning this historic Barossan estate. Like many Barossan estates with a bent for traditional full bodied reds, Langmeil prefers open fermenters and basket presses, utilising these fabulously archaic methods for over half its grape intake of approximately 1000 tonnes. In a similar vein, the wines are only minimally handled and minimally filtered before bottling in an attempt to preserve natural flavour and complexity.

Deep garnet with intense hue.A complex and elegant nose with black cherry, satsuma plum, hints of fennel seed and exotic spices. Complex and alluring, this wine shows black cherry fruits, satsuma plums and lashes of cardamom, savoury spice and cedary oak. A richly concentrated, well- structured palate with plenty of mid- palate flesh and lovely textural tannins. Impeccably balanced this wine will age gracefully for many years to come.

Chris Ringland's Barossa Ranges Shiraz is steeped in the Barossas post-colonial story and the high art and science of winemaking. Typically deep in colour with intense dark berry, paneforte, espresso roasted chestnut aromas, it displays a plush and concentrated palate with blackberry, mocha, paneforte spicy flavours and dense fine chocolaty tannins. Despite the opulence, flamboyance, richness and concentration, the wine has superb percussion and freshness. The wine is a small vinification of around four to five hogsheads or 1500 litres. The "unusually thick skinned" Shiraz is entirely sourced from Chris Ringland's dry-grown vineyard on the edge of the Barossa Valley, but technically in Eden Valley, along Flaxman's Valley near Randall's Hill. The wine is "painstakingly hand-made" in open fermenters and regularly pumped-over to extract colour, flavour and tannins. After draining and pressing through a traditional basket press, fermentation is completed in 100% new French oak hogsheads. A period of up to 50 months oak maturation follows to achieve optimum complexity and balance between oak and fruit. The extraordinarily high release prices (higher than Penfolds Grange), limited production and reputation make Chris Ringland Barossa Ranges Shiraz the stuff of legend.

Grant Burge reds are always distinctively Barossa and this one is no exception. Vibrant colour earthy nose with blackberries and a touch of pepper and a richly flavoured palate with robust tannins.