Henschke Mount Edelstone is one of the most important single vineyard sites in Australia. The 90 year old vines has been producing a single vineyard Shiraz since 1952 and is one of Australia's truly great wines. The nose has sweet ripe plum and blueberry aromas and the palate is intense and deeply flavoured. While enjoyable upon release, this is a wine that will enjoy a decade or more in the cellar.
Proudly, a wine style that hasn’t succumbed to the dictates of fashion or commerce. St Henri is rich and plush when young, gaining soft, earthy, mocha-like characters as it ages. It is matured in old, 1,460 litre vats that allow the wine to develop, imparting minimal, if any oak character. Although a small proportion of Cabernet is sometimes used to improve structure, the focal point for St Henri remains Shiraz.
Penfolds Bin 389 is the classic South Australian red! Often referred to as 'Baby Grange' or 'Poor Man's Grange', Bin 389 was the wine that helped to build Penfolds' solid reputation with wine drinkers around the world. A magnificent blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz from the very best regions and vineyards available to Peter Gago and his team, the robust nature of the Cabernet grape give structure and body to the wine while the opulent Shiraz fruit provides suppleness and intensity. A true icon of Australian wine first created by the legend himself, Max Schubert, Peter Gago is quoted as saying 'Through thick and thin, across all vintages, Bin 389 always delivers - benefitting from over half a century of practice!
There are always captivating florals and spices in the perfume of Mount Edelstone, and in this more toned vintage, sage, pepper, bay leaf, and bark cavort atop the fruit notes. ... When you peek behind the curtain, the fruit is sleek and polished, and the tannins are superfine. The finish is as neat and ordered as any I have tasted, and given its youth and grandeur, this alone offers a fascinating insight into the extraordinary balance across the entire landscape of the palate.
Bold and impressively styled, the wine shows black blueberry, violet, cured meat and toasty oak characters. The palate delivers excellent depth and persistency, wonderfully framed by layers of fine tannins. Flavoursome and delectably appealing.
Graveyard Vineyard is the jewel in the Brokenwood crown, responsible for the company's flagship wines. The vineyard was planted with Shiraz vines in 1970 - extremely heavy clay soils, yields are low, but fruit flavour is intense through employment of meticulous vinification techniques. Strong lifted aromas of sweet earth and dark cherry greet the olfactory senses. Oak features, but will soften and integrate given some patience. Initial flavours of dark chocolate and ripe plums are beautifully lashed to ripe tannins lending an edge of cedar.
High Sands Grenache is the flagship of the Yangarra winery. Its made with 100% Grenache and sourced from gnarly old bush vines that were planted in 1946 and situated at the highest altitude in their vineyard. The wine is intense, complex and expressive of type and place.
Wendouree has achieved cult status with its tiny production from ancient vines. Luscious dark berry Shiraz fruits and some meaty characters run through the full-bodied palate with ripe tannins.
Powell & Son Brennecke Seppeltsfield Barossa Valley Grenache Powell & Son (first vintage 2014) is the venture of Barossa Valley legend Dave Powell and his son Callum. This Grenache comes from organically-grown vines that date back to the early 1900s on a site in the north-western corner of the Seppeltsfield sub-district of the Barossa Valley. The Brennecke vineyards dry-grown, untrellised bush vines are anchored in heavy red clay over limestone subsoils. These factors translate to excellent palate structure and a firm tannin backbone in the finished wine. The wine is multi-layered with complex flavours red fruits, cedar, spices, hints of vanilla and cinnamon. The palate typically shows a sleek tannin profile supporting a red-fruited core of cherry and cranberry. Maturation in 100% new French oak barriques also makes a contribution. This is a powerful Grenache style with an opulent feel, ripe, fruit-sweet spice and a long finish. It is concentrated but typically has an appealing underlying freshness.