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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Farmers & Growers ‘The Smithy’ Padthaway-Barossa Valley Shiraz Durif 2021
$9.30Any red that is 100% Padthaway and Barossa selling for under $10 must be taken seriously.
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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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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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‘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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Stockwell Creek Barossa Valley Shiraz 2018
$22.00We like grapes from the northern end of the Barossa Valley as its warmer though the Barossa land surface rises south to north by 80 metres so the evening temperatures are cooler which creates balancing flavour complexity.
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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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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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Salem Valley Barossa Shiraz 2022
$12.80Huge in flavour, very much our style, and supports our view that drinkers will find great enjoyment in discovering younger is better. Though being Barossa it will not fall apart for at least 20 years.
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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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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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Glug GH73 WIBS Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
$13.80The way to discover the real Barossa taste, as experienced by winemakers, is with single barrel bottlings.
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Cellar Range Barossa Valley Shiraz 2021
$15.20We cannot reveal the source since the reason wines like this are offered is because the grower-maker wants anonymity. They want no conflict with their brand which as in all cases they offer the same wine at far higher prices.
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Glug ‘The Bright Spark’ Barossa Valley Mataro 2021
$13.80The Barossa Valley climate is ideal for producing good crops of grapes that reach exceptional sugar levels and have plenty of colour. Historically these were used to produced fortified wines of high quality, particularly port. The three favoured varieties were Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro. I refer to these as the Barossa heritage varieties and many vines of great age survive.
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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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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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Glug ‘The Back Block’ Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
$14.20This Cabernet is not like that from say the Yarra Valley. You will detect a varietal resemblance and then the warmth of the Barossa takes over and being the Barossa there is more body weight on the palate.
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Glug ‘Primis’ Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
$13.80It is the Glug view that the delights of warm climate Cabernet have not been recognised an we continue our mission to alter this perception. The Glug Primis is a ‘once off’ bottling of wine purchased from a local boutique. It offers Glug customer excellent value. Big red at 14.9% alcohol.
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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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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.
