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| Best of Barossa |
| By Kamal Malik |
| I would describe my recent trip to the famous wine region of Barossa in Australia as a "rewarding" trip. I won a Sommelier competition in Jakarta, in which I went through the grind of blind tastings, service styles and wine and food pairings with my fellow sommeliers. |
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Barossa valley |
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| Touchdown in Adelaide, and I was driven to Barossa – one of the oldest wine regions of the world. "Oldest" because phylloxera, the wine louse that ate almost the entire worlds' vineyards at the end of the 19th century, never reached Barossa. This gives the region a unique edge, in that they have really old vines that still produce wine capable fruit – the kinds that the hands of a talented winemaker can turn into a treat – and plenty of them. |
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Basket press |
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| vino india readers may find this oft-repeated, but my objective for this trip was to identify great wines from the region for my hotel's wine list – I was going to look for wines that represented this region and were emphatic enough to be remembered. The Editors' brief was for my Top 10. Many more wines qualified under the same parameters, and I did manage to get some concessions. My Top Barossa List – 12 in chronological and alphabetical order. |
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1. Seppeltsfield Liqueur Tawny 1915
Seppeltsfield is famous for old port styled wines which are released after 100 years ageing – this is their newest release. Opaque black colour with a brown rim, darker than a black suit. Nose of caramel, vanilla, toffee, butter, herbs, raisins and the palate was thick and syrupy with voluptuous mouthfeel. Concentrated and with an amazingly bittersweet finish. A rare wine. |
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2. Hutton Vale Farms Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
We strolled through the iconic Hill of Grace vineyard to reach this old farm at Hutton Vale, where they have only recently started to make their own wines after supplying fruit to many great wines of the Barossa. This concentrated Cabernet had all the classic notes of currants, plums, dark chocolate, mint, herbs, tar and leather. A power packed persistent finish. The wine is still developing and has just started to show potential. |
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3. Peter Lehmann Wigan Eden Valley Riesling 2010
Released after 5 years of ageing, this wine had crisp lime-lemon and citrus notes so famously found in Aussie Rieslings. These traits were complemented by a fantastic mix of ripe fruit flavours of peaches, apples, flowers, complex forest floor and earthy notes. The wine was rich and concentrated yet amazingly dry. Competition from the world could watch out for this one! |
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4. Torbreck The Laird 2010
Torbreck represents the big, concentrated and powerful style of old Barossa vines. The Laird is the flagship made only in exceptional vintages. Aromas of dark chocolate, ripe dark cherries, coffee, cocoa and slight mouth puckering tannins (due to thicker barrel staves) suggested good ageing potential. The wine's long harmonious finish reminds of its pedigree. |
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5. Rockford Basket Press 2011 Shiraz
It is impossible to draw a list of great Barossa and not to feature basket press. This concentrated, complex Shiraz is as alluring as it is hard to get. Great balance and elegance with powerful dark fruits, dark chocolate, complex savoury sweetness, juicy yet tight grippy tannins showing great ageing potential and a long lasting finish. Elements of greatness in copious volumes. |
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6. Rockford Moppa Springs GMS 2011
Rockford was created about 30 years ago, and was highlighted as the "Brand new 100 year old winery". The winery looks ancient and uses century old practices to make wines in marked contrast to a technologically advanced Australia. I thought this Grenache blend can give lessons to a good Gigondas on how to get it right. The wine had rich ripe dark cherries, blackberries, leather and pleasant meaty notes with licorice and pepper and a complex finish. |
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7. Dutschke Lyndoch Cabernet Sauvignon St Jakobi Vineyard 2012
We had this wine during dinner and I was hugely distracted as the main course was served. But the wine made me sit up and take note of its quality. A plush Aussie Cab with ripe juicy jammy fruit and silky yet powerful tannins. A structured full bodied wine showing dark chocolate and eucalyptus notes, developing leathery complexity and a long finish that left satin like taste on the palate. |
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8. Langmeil Orphan Bank Shiraz 2012
Langmeil own the oldest vineyard planted in 1843, which yields the amazing "Freedom" Shiraz. Orphan Bank originates in a very old vineyard which was rescued from the suburban sprawl – they pulled out the 120 year old vines by their roots and replanted them. The results were amazing! Powerful dark berries, chocolate ganache, smoke and spice on the nose with a rich and voluptuous mouthfeel were the highlights of this wine that had complexity keeping pace with the fruit. |
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9. Two Hands Adrestia Adelaide Hills Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2012
The first vintage for this flagship white wine of the Two Hands Winery. Deep golden colour with creamy vanilla and apricot nose accompanied by lime, citrus, ripe pineapple and grapefruit flavours and a very long finish. Needs a couple of years more to settle down. |
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10. Peter Lehmann Very Special Vineyard Series “Hearnden” Eden Valley Shiraz 2013
The VSV series is made from the better performing vineyards of the year at Peter Lehmann wines. This was my favourite from the series of five, all of which I must admit were lovely. Crushed berries and flowers with pepper and sweet spices on the nose, a perfumed and lingering finish. An amazing length with an expression of juicy fruits and flowers. An amazing potential and great balance between fruit and acid structure, set this wine apart. |
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11. Teusner Avatar SGM 2013
Teusner's philosophy is to save old vines across Barossa from being pulled out because they turn uneconomical in terms of production quantities with one plant yielding less than a bottle at times. The Avatar is a transformation of the wine over the years from these plants to exciting complexity levels. Dark sour cherries, spice and leather notes with a burst of blackberries, currants and a smoky flavour. Accompanied by savoury sweetness – a hallmark of Barossa wines. |
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12. Teusner Righteous FG Shiraz 2013
The finest Shiraz that I encountered. Coming from 120 year old roots re-grafted some 60 years ago, the name on the label appears to be justified. I learnt that in a formal setting, FG can be "first growth", though some winemakers may interpret it differently. Juicy yet complex, powerful yet balanced, this multifaceted Shiraz showed what Barossa can achieve. A great length showing flowers, dried herbs, cloves, pepper and chocolate and at the same time those heady dark berries through to the long finish. |
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| Kamal Malik is the Head Sommelier at The Conrad, Maldives. He was hosted by Teusner wines, who surprised him by taking him around the region - even to competition! Please share any feedback with vino india info@vinoindia.in |
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