own specifications to determine the style they wish to make. Some have gone off-piste and started to use Burgundian practices like whole-bunch or partial whole-bunch fermentations, some are experimenting with oak types and maturation techniques, and yet others are happy with traditional techniques introduced and modified as the years have gone by. These include headed-down open fermentations, regular rack and returns, partial barrel fermentation, and technical monitoring to ensure stability. Ultimately, however, the final wine is always a reflection of the work done in the vineyard. Although the work surrounding the Barossa Grounds Project has been fascinating, the region has yet to really make sub-regional wine expressions into a meaningful currency for the wine trade and the consumer. This is partially because winemakers source their fruit throughout the Barossa Valley. Some vignerons believe that the whole is better than the parts. This can be true, and is proven by many exceptional Barossa multi-vineyard and cross-regional blends. But this traditional way of thinking is also a double-edged sword. Way back in the mid- 1990s, at a winemaker’s forum with the media, wine identity Alan Hoey explained that the Barossa was not about single-vineyard wines, and that very few vineyards in the region had the capability to produce a single-vineyard wine. When one observes the Barossa’s impressive line-up of single-vineyard wines today, it shows that outlooks change in response to market demand and competition or other pressures. I would like to see the region take a bolder step towards highlighting sub-regional expressions and single-vineyard wines. It would help the region immeasurably in building its fine wine agenda. An annual tasting in four or five locations showing wine media and wine trade the results of a single vintage, something like the Bordeaux Primeurs week, would not only be a tremendous boon to the Barossa’s fine wine reputation but also animate those differences in a meaningful and productive way. It could also highlight the many efforts by the wine community to mitigate climate change and promote sustainable wine growing. As this tasting review proves, the Barossa is in a good place and continues to be a key pillar of Australia’s fine wine scene. But its most exciting days lie ahead.
Henschke barrels, 1940s
Lunch break in the vineyard, Henschke, 1950s
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The Vintage Journal – Regional Focus
Barossa 2023
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