The vineyard that bore this Confidential is home to some of the Barossa's oldest Shiraz. Blessed by the care and time required to make it using the Italian Appassimento method (partial air-drying prior to pressing and fermentation), this beautifully rich wine delights the palate and demands straight-back wide-eyed attention. Dark cocoa and liquorice tones frame the wine with a drying baseline of tannin. The fruit gains momentum across the palate, with plums moving to dark berries that fuse with oak induced spice. Enjoy it with slow-cooked lamb or a rich pasta now, or a great future awaits those patient enough to cellar it a while.
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.
