The ‘Grounds’ wines from Seppeltsfield focus on the sub-regionality of the Barossa. The name is derived from the Barossa Grounds project. This was a comprehensive study of the district’s sub-regionality led by the Barossa Grape & Wine Association. The fruit is sourced from single-site, estate-owned vineyards.
The fruit for the Northing comes from a single vineyard in the Marananga parish. A contemporary expression grown from red brown earth and ironstone, it is a full-bodied powerhouse filled with herbs, dark cacao and sensuous dark cherry. Grippy and chewy on the palate, time will see good things.
Deep crimson. Lifted dark cherry, boysenberry, praline aromas with herb garden, star anise notes. Generous and juicy palate with ripe sweet dark cherry, boysenberry mulberry aromas, plentiful grainy/ al dente, touch leafy textures and attractive mocha vanilla notes. Finishes brambly chewy firm. Exuberant wine with plenty of fruit sweetness and energy, but needs time for the elements to fold. 2023-2032 14.5% Alc
95 points
Very deep, dense red/purple/black colouring, the bouquet quiet and reserved, but figuring black pepper and sooty, graphite, earthy notes. The wine is formidably full-bodied and dense, almost chewy in its thickly-textured palate, masses of tannins framing a powerfully concentrated, dense wine that begs to be cellared and promises to reward the patient big-time. A whopper. (The Northern Grounds Vineyard: Marananga Block)
96 points, The Real Review (July 2021)
Iron and ozone, dried flower, spearmint, baking spice, fresh, dense with a lot of presence in the mouth, stony feel to it, and plenty of chew to tannin. Finish sports perfume of dried herbs, bitter chocolate, a certain coolness, and a fair ‘mineral’ edge. Excellent wine. Most likely very age-worthy too.
95 points, The Wine Front (July 2021)
Barossa Valley
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.Seppeltsfield is a showpiece of the Barossa Valley, a magnificent complex of 19th century winery buildings surrounded by almost 100 hectares of vineyards. Seppeltsfield was a focal point of the fledgling Barossa wine industry from the 1850s and now boasts the world’s longest unbroken chain of vintage wines, going back to 1878, enabling the release of a genuine 100-year-old fortified wine each year since 1978. Apart from the extraordinary range of fortifieds, Seppeltsfield today also produces a range of limited production table wines, including blends of Shiraz, Grenache and Touriga, and sparkling wines under the Gert’s Blend label.
