The Barossa is nowadays a mainstay of the Australian ultra-fine market and home to large, medium and small wine producers. Its old vine legacy is a key pillar of the region’s identity, but this is underpinned by the variations of landscape, geology and micro-climates. The diversity of styles is remarkable. Of particular interest is the growing demand for the brilliantly versatile mataro and creamy-textured semillons. The Barossa wine community has long recognised sub-regional differences through anecdotal evidence. The patterns of the growing season vary across the region and this results in fairly obvious variances in wine style, particularly in local shiraz. The higher-elevated Eden Valley, with its cooler growing season, is well known for its expressive, minerally rieslings and superbly aromatic and supple shirazes. The Barossa Valley itself is renowned for its chocolaty shirazes and voluminous grenaches. The differences between the elevated vineyards of the Eden Valley and the Barossa floor are easily identifiable. Eden Valley Shiraz is often accompanied by sage-like top notes, blackberry-pastille flavours and loose-knit tannins, whereas Barossa Valley Shiraz is typified by dark berry, dark chocolate aromas and chocolaty textures. In our tastings, over 150 wines were submitted as examples of sub-regional styles. The far-reaching Barossa Grounds Study has already attempted to broadly define sub-regional differences without drawing precise boundaries. There are always overlapping characteristics caused by the character, the length of the growing season and, of course, the human factor. Our findings in the tasting suggested that winemaking approach was at least as important as terroir in differentiating between different sub-regions. Nonetheless, there were a few trends worth noting. In the case of shiraz, the north and western ridges of the Barossa were bolder and richer styles that attracted greater use of new oak and extractive winemaking techniques. The Southern Grounds shiraz was generally at the other end of the spectrum, with red and black fruits, greater use of seasoned oak and more gentle extraction. The Central Valley lay somewhere in between. Sub-regional variation is also affected by climate change and other environmental factors, which no doubt will profoundly shift the conversation surrounding terroir. It will not only be about location but also how the land is managed and connected with people. Sustainability, diversity and inclusiveness is an exciting opportunity as much as it is a challenge. The Barossa is at the forefront of building a sustainable future. This reflects a strong community spirit and an open willingness to adapt, innovate and collaborate to protect and promote the region’s fine wine identity.
The Barossa Valley 45
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