Fragrant and lifted ripe plum and dark berry fruits with hints of exotic spice, violets, chocolate and underlying wafts of roasting meats, pressed flowers and light amaro herbs. The addition of a small amount of whole bunches to the ferment seems to open the wine up and let a little more light in, along with spice and textural elements. Pure of fruit with long, sandy tannins and a juicy finish, the Butchers Block provides excellent value and delicious drinking.
94 points, Dave Brookes, Wine Companion (October 2021)
Spicy, meaty, blue fruited, dried herbs. Distinctly spicy and savoury, a graphite feel to tannin, black olive too, good density, and a long nutty, grainy, peppery finish. Really good, though maybe a little off the beaten track in terms of Barossa Shiraz.
93 points, The Wine Front (March 2022)
Colonel William Light, the South Australian colony’s Surveyor-General, named the Barossa in 1837 after the site of an English victory over the French in the Spanish Peninsular War. In the mid-1800’s Silesian and English immigrants settled in the area. The Barossa itself comprises two distinct sub-regions: Eden Valley and the warmer Barossa Valley floor at 270m.The Barossa Valley enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate characterised by hot dry summers and relatively low rainfall. Cool sea breezes from the Gulf of St Vincent modify the temperature, however hot northerly winds can occasionally dominate creating considerable vine stress. Many older established vineyards are dry-grown, but supplementary irrigation is also extensively used. The valley is comprised of rich brown soils and alluvial sands. A long history of uninterrupted viticulture in the area means the Barossa valley is home to Australia’s largest concentration of old-vine Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre with many over 100 years old. Although most famous for Shiraz, the Barossa can also produce fragrant and deliciously fruity Grenache blends and beautifully rich, chocolatey Cabernet Sauvignons.
