BAROSSA
SUMMARY KEN GARGETT REVIEWS ANDREW CAILLARD MW, KEN GARGETT, TONY LOVE, AND ANDREA PRITZKER MW
While other regions around the country may like to debate the idea, the Barossa Valley, located some 60 kilometres northeast of Adelaide in South Australia, is Australia’s most legendary wine district and one of the most famous in the world. The Barossa has had its ups and downs, not least the infamous vine pull scheme, which saw many of the ancient vines removed. World wars and economic conditions, as well as the simple ebb and flow of winelovers’ preferences, have often made things tough. Today, it is an exciting, thriving region with its wines much in demand. For much of its history, the Barossa was seen as the region for workhorse wines and, more especially, fortified wines, which dominated the industry into the 1970s. Shiraz (the Aussie name for the French Syrah) has been the driving force, and it seems to be a form of poetic justice that when things turned – notably after a visit from a group of English MWs in the 1980s and the interest shown by American critic Robert Parker over the following decade – it was thanks to supremely glorious examples of that very grape that Australian wine was suddenly a must-have around the globe. The wonderful, rich, bold, plush, and full-flavoured Shiraz from the Barossa has made an indelible mark on wine drinkers everywhere. More recently, we have seen the ultimate allrounder, Grenache, once used for everything from Rosé, fortifieds, bulk wines, blends and even muffins, suddenly become flavour of the month. The soft, juicy, strawberry-flavoured wines from this grape, often exhibiting a degree of elegance and even complexity in those made from older vines, are now pulling the prices they have long deserved. While the world knows of the glories of Barossa Shiraz, it is only just coming to terms with what Grenache offers, a variety whose history also dates back to the 1840s. The Barossa has more old Grenache than any other region in Australia, conceivably more than anywhere on earth, with more than 150 hectares of vines over 70 years old. Winemakers are excited because they have long known what can be achieved – one said to me that ‘Grenache delivers what Pinot promises’ – but for so many years, the name ‘Grenache’ on a bottle was marketing suicide. Now, top quality Grenache
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The Vintage Journal – Regional Focus
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