back-story of family endeavour and ambition. This patchwork of vines represents a unique spirit of place. For generations, families in the Barossa have worked together, tended their vineyards, and shared in the region’s culture, community and fortunes. Yalumba and the Hill-Smith Family are custodians of many of the Barossa region’s oldest surviving vineyards, and The Octavius is a tribute to their originality and individuality. The oldest surviving vines which contribute to the wine date back to 1854, 1901, 1919 and 1920. Others were planted later, in the 1940s and 1950s. The sourcing of fruit is carried out after extensive consultations between the vineyard managers and winemakers. This includes decisions on picking dates and location of the best vineyard blocks. The Octavius begins with the best ‘grand cru’ parcels of Barossa shiraz, and is followed by detailed winemaking and uncompromising selection. The perfumed and pure fruit aromas of Eden Valley and the concentration, texture, and ripeness of Barossa Valley shiraz are combined and exquisitely balanced to form the final blend. Yalumba prefers to use a combination of octaves, hogsheads and puncheons for the wine. This results in superb oak integration, smoother textures and balanced fruit complexity with age. When the wine is assembled after two years’ maturation, only the best parcels are selected. This is established after rigorous trial blending and tasting by Yalumba’s winemaking and technical team. The panel is headed up by red wine maker Kevin Glastonbury, who has worked on the development of The Octavius Shiraz style for over 20 years. The Octavius Shiraz – transparency and authenticity The reputation of The Octavius Shiraz highlights the hard work and collaborative effort of Yalumba’s viticultural and winemaking teams. The wine style also symbolises the long-lasting benefits of sustainable winegrowing practices, which were initiated in the mid-1990s. Unpredictable weather patterns have become a feature of viticulture and winemaking around the world, and Barossa vignerons are all
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The Vintage Journal – Verticals
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