Turkey Flat Single Vineyard Shiraz

Christie & Peter Schulz of Turkey Flat in Barossa Valley, have named the three single vineyard wines from 2008 after their three sons, William, Alexander & Oliver. These wines, like their three sons, come from the same parents and have all enjoyed the same care and attention throughout their lives, yet they are all quite different and magnificent in their own right.

They have selected the best barrel from each of three Shiraz vineyards. Each located in different geological locatons within the Barossa Valley and demonstrate the wonder and diversity of nature that makes up Barossa’s ‘terrior’. There are noticeable differences between their soil types, climate, rainfall patterns and local native ecosystems. It is great to see these wines individually, in that they show the diversity of styles of Shiraz across the valley.

2008 “The Conqueror” Shiraz (Stonewell)
Earthy aromas, with spicy oak, cocoa powder, and sweet cedar. Palate is full bodied, big grippy tannin, good acid, intense fruit with dark plums and red cherry, balanced with noticeable oak. Good long length. Packed full of fruit. Needs time to come together and also to soften out. Be interested in looking at it in 10yrs. A typical ‘Barossa Shiraz’.

2008 “TheGreat” Shiraz (Bethany)
Shiraz vines are planted in 1847, just beside the winery. Delightful aromas of violets, and a soft floral/earthy character, lighter fruit intensity. Mouthfeel is soft, with powdery supple tannins, moderate acid, nice long length of flavour, greater fruit intensity on the palate, but still medium bodied for a Barossa Shiraz. Ripe dark berry, sweet spices, and bitter chocolate to finish. More restrained style of shiraz, but a typical Turkey Flat style. Will develop even greater complexity over time, but probably the most approachable of the three.

2008 “The Twist" Shiraz (Koonunga)
Aromas of both dark and light red fruit, spice, star anise/all-spice, a little floral in the background, good intensity of aroma. 100% new oak but not oak dominant, as they have used water-bent French hogshead barrels. Palate has good grippy tannins but still with a soft powdery texture. Good fruit intensity, balanced with noticeable acid. Medium to full bodied, with delightful sweet spice, and cinnamon finish.

150 packs (1 bottle of each single vineyard wine in 3 pack), will be released on 1 July 2011. Available from Turkey Flat Cellar Door.

Samples provided by producer.

Wine Australia's Tasting Challenge

A website challenging consumers to show off their knowledge of wine has been launched by Wine Australia. Described as “virtual wine tasting”, The Regional Heroes Tasting Challenge has been designed to assist you to learn more about wine.

You can pick a wine and select the appropriate characteristics to describe it. You will then receive a score, and tasting notes for that particular wine and what can be expected from that region. The website is http://www.wineaustralia.com/regionalheroes/

Wine Australia aims to build peoples awareness of Australia's wine regions and inform consumers about an Australian sense of place and particular flavour, or style of wine. Its a quick way to learn more about Australia regional styles.

Barossa Valley Wine Tour

No matter where in the world you travel, you can be certain to find a bottle of wine from the Barossa Valley in a bottle store. Whether you are in Giggleswick, (North Yorkshire, England) or Greymouth (New Zealand) the Barossa brand is internationally known.

It is home to some of Australia’s biggest and best known wineries, including Jacob’s Creek, Wolf Blass, and Seppelt to name but a few. The region accounts for 21% of Australia’s total wine production. But more importantly, it is also home to a wide range of boutique wineries, which, to get the full benefit of require an experienced and educated guide.

The Barossa Valley was settled in 1840’s by both English settlers and German immigrants who were fleeing religious persecution. They brought with them a culture of growing, cooking, and preserving, along with an ethic of working hard for what they wanted.

What has remained to the current day is Barossa’s enduring nature. This is due to its breadth of growers and producers. From the multinationals, through to the garagist wine producers who only produce a single label. They have captured their heritage, amalgamated it with ‘modern Australia’ and used it as a foundation for further development. A visit to the Barossa region is interesting on so many levels — architecture, horticulture, character, wine, and food.

The European influence is pervasive, from mouth watering metwursts (Linke’s Meat Store and Schulz Butchers), cheeses (from Ballycroft and Barossa Valley Cheese Co), and the bakeries (such as Apex Bakery or Lyndoch Bakery) with various types of Streusel cake and Bienenstich. It is a foodies heaven!

Viticulturally the Barossa Valley has the world's oldest Shiraz vineyards, some dating back to the 1840s. The Barossa Valley extends from Lyndoch in the south to Kalimna, Moppa, and Ebenezer in the northwest, at an elevation of 200 to 300 metres above sea level. Immediately to the east is Eden Valley which is at a higher elevation of 500 to 600 metres. It is much cooler than the valley floor and produces delightfully floral Rieslings.

Barossa Valley has a Mediterranean climate, characterised by cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers where temperatures are generally between 30C and 35C. It is a reliable grape growing area particularly suited to producing riper, bolder wines, and particularly full-bodied shiraz. It also grows a range of Rhone varieties such as Viognier, Mourvedre (also know as Mataro), and Grenache.

Go on visit Barossa Valley — gratify the senses!

Viognier extinct!

20 years ago the Viognier white grape variety was almost wiped out. With as little as 35 acres in France remaining it was another unloved variety about to disappear. That would have been a great shame as people had only started to be able to pronounce it (vee-on-yeah or vee-ohn-yay).

That was when South Australian company Yalumba planted a few trial rows in Eden Valley, in the greater Barossa wine region. Which is distinctly cooler that the Barossa Valley floor. In France, Viognier was confined to a few areas of the Rhone region - Condrieu and Cote-Rotie appellations. Rhone is similar in climate to Barossa, so Viognier does equally well in South Australia.

Since Yalumba started its trials with Viognier, they discovered its full range of attributes. A typical Viognier white wine has a rich and luscious mouthfeel, which comes from the high glycerol of the grape. On the nose it is normally seen as showing ripe or dried apricot, and floral and citrus characters, with an interesting spice or anise/Thai basil note.

Also in the Rhone region a small percentage of Viognier is added to Shiraz/Syrah. They are allowed up to 20% Viognier as part of the AOC control system, but generally most winemakers never go above 5%. And so this approach has also been implemented into the New World. Even a small percentage (such as 3 or 4%) can change a Shiraz significantly. Adding to its floral character on the nose, and making the palate smoother, rounder, more voluptuous. It is always a surprise that adding a white grape to a red wine makes the red more intense in colour.

Some other boutique wineries who produce quality Viognier and which Rich & Lingering visit on their tours, include Langmeil Winery, and Torbreck Vintners in Barossa Valley, Petaluma in Adelaide Hills, Mr Riggs, and Olivers Taranga in McLaren Vale.

So indulge in a new old variety before it disappears.