The key to understanding the wines of the Adelaidean Mount Lofty Range since the flavours of the other regions relate back to this benchmark. Famed for Shiraz, Cabernet, Grenache and Mataro. Full bodied and intensely favoured reds that stand alone. There are no global comparisons.
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Goat Square Barossa Valley Shiraz 2022
$15.80This style of wine is what we wished to make when coming to the Barossa. This is achieved by using simple wine making methods, summed up as pick, ferment in small open fermenters, settle and age in old, oak puncheons.
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Crayford Barossa Valley Shiraz 2021
$14.80We enjoy wines like this Crayford when younger though the wine will hold up well for many years.
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Karrawirra Barossa Valley Shiraz 2021
$16.50The great vintages are associated with a normal, steady ripening, plus an extended period for picking without being rushed to harvest. The wine maker when asked to comment replies that the wines made themselves. Such was the 2021 vintage, the 14th for Karrawirra.
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Bengalee Barossa Valley Shiraz 2018
$16.50Being an enthusiast for this Bengalee I reason that if you do have suitable storage the maturing changes with time will provide interesting drinking.
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‘The Regions’ Barossa Valley Shiraz 2021
$14.50We all have palate memories being the odd bottles which were ‘stand outs’. Many will coincide with an abnormally favourable vintage. The great Barossa red moment is with the 1996s. Still youthful even today. Just maybe the 2021 vintage will duplicate this. Even if it does not this vintage is the best for you now.
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Barbarossa Barossa Valley Shiraz Cabernet Durif Mataro 2021
$15.80This is the last Barossa red from 2021 of which we have reasonable stocks. Barbarossa was created as a customer guessing game. The idea being to make a small bottling with three or four varieties, different vintages that have customers thinking about what is in the glass. Alas a mistake was made when labelling as it reveals the mix and vintage. A disaster to a triumph as my views of the greatness of the vintage grows and grows. Best that the vintage can be seen by all.
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Karrawirra Barossa Valley Shiraz Cabernet 2021
$16.50What a beautiful wine, the result of perfect vintage, the 14th for Karrawirra. Karrawirra is a traditional Glug brand so expect a traditional interpretation of a Barossa red.
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Mount Eagle Eden Valley Pinot Gris 2022
$13.30Pinot Gris is like an albino version of Pinot Noir with an appealing aroma, delicate palate and good length. It needs no barrel fermentation or barrel ageing or all the other wonderful winemaking tricks and seems best when treated just like a Riesling. Take the free run juice, ferment and bottle and when this is done correctly you will have in your hand a most appealing drink.
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Glug ‘Alpha’ Barossa Valley Shiraz 2022
$14.50An excess of premium wine is building quickly. Even the Barossa Valley will not be spared as production is up 50% in the last 10 years and prices of the fashionable boutiques has doubled, perhaps more. This Glug Alpha is another purchase from a local boutique.
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The Green Patch Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2022
$13.80The Glug Green Patch is a blend of wines purchased from local boutique grower makers – the number of which have considerably expanded in the last decades – with surplus stock now making its way into the market.
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Terrene Estates Barossa Valley Shiraz Mataro Grenache M.V.
$12.60Just delicious and why weren’t wines of this type a regular part of our drinking decades ago. Why were they not made? The three varieties that thrive together in the Australian warm climate districts are Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro and they have been around since the start.
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Colton & Hewett McLaren Vale/Barossa Valley Cabernet Shiraz 2015
$11.80The common sense drinker should only think of what is in the glass and this maturing red delivers.
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Mount Eagle Eden Valley Riesling 2022
$13.30‘You Australians don’t get Riesling’ I was once told by a New Zealand expert. The discussion was over a glass of Grosset Clare Valley Riesling and my response was to nod wisely and keep drinking. Naturally the Clare taste is different to the fragrant aromas and softness of those from New Zealand.
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Farmers & Growers ‘Wheatsheaf’ Barossa Valley Field Blend NV
$9.80What is a Field Blend? The varieties of vines e.g. Cabernet are propagated by cuttings so they are all identical. Back in time vines were crosses from pollination thus each plant was different. Also vineyards were often planted with many varieties. Hence the Field Blend being a wine made from all the different clones and varieties in the vineyard.
Recall the overall flavour is controlled by the weather of each vintage. There are many varieties and several vintages making this wine though you will detect Shiraz and Durif, favourites of Glug while the components are from several recent vintages.
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Vine to Glass Barossa Valley Grenache 2023
$14.70Grenache has been promoted by Glug since our start, part of our mission, and samples now being offered to us have moved from curios to wines rivalling the best made anywhere around the Globe.
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Auld & Burton Barossa Valley Merlot 2017
$11.80Merlot is like a perfumed and plumper version of Cabernet. Add the Barossa origin and it is richer again.
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Glug Barossa Valley Shiraz Mataro N.V.
$12.80Mataro has been the backbone of many Barossa Shiraz for decades because it blends well with Shiraz.
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Karrawirra Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
$16.50The Barossa Valley has a long history with Cabernet though it’s not rated as highly as the Shiraz which is wrong. We made just under 100 cases.
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Goat Square ‘Ziegenmarkt’ Reserve Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
$18.50As the Australian palate has matured so the interest has grown for the warmer, fuller richer styles of Cabernet.
