Here are the various SA wines I tried. Impressed with the quality of Brash Higgins, which I hadn't heard of prior to the day. Brad Hickey was very friendly, answering all the questions I had, and didn't get visually irritated on the few occasions I repeated a question from 5 mins ago. Quite disappointed that Henschke didn't have more on tasting, most other producers had their top wines available. Torbreck Run Rig, that's a bloody good 2010. I thought the Rolf Binder wines were really nice, and the Yalumba cheapy ones were good value for money.
Brash Higgins Shiraz 2010, McLaren Vale, SA
RRP$37. Matured in 50/50 new/old oak. Young, rich dark berry flavours, grippy tannins. Brash Higgins is a relatively new winery started by Brad Hickey, a former sommelier from NYC at Cafe Boulud, then as wine director at Bouley and Danube. Basically this man knows this wine! And certainly wine that would go with a great meal.
Brash Higgins Omensetter Shiraz 2008, McLaren Vale, SA
RRP$95. 90% Shiraz and 10% Cabernet. Matured for 3 years in 5 new 300L French oak hogsheads followed by 2 years in bottle. Akin to the Spanish Gran Reserva works. A lovely perfume of cherry fruit, blackcurrant tea, kirsch, oak spice, savoury mallow meaty notes that I associate with aged wines. A full-bodied wine, dense layers, yet it somehow feels lighter than I expected. Nice clean acidity with fine diffuse tannins work in sync to give this wine good balanced structure. Mixture of chopped plum meshed with blackcurrants. Long easing finish. Drink now – 2023+.
Henschke Tappa Pass Shiraz 2010, Keyneton, Barossa & Eden Valleys, SA
RRP$85. This wine was made from parcels from the Barossa and Eden Valleys. It has an alluring, heady nose of dark berry aromas with wafts of sweet alcohol. A dense, layered full-bodied wine, young no question about that. Pure dark berry fruit flavours with fine grippy tannins, oak spice on the mid-palate. As slick as the oil off an Italian mob papa’s head. Drink 2015 – 2025.
Rolf Binder Heysen Shiraz 2010, Dorrien, Barossa Valley, SA
RRP$65. This wine has a dense, heavier aromatic profile. It is earthy, broody, black plums, blackcurrants, anise and cinnamon bark. A young, full-bodied wine with precise clean-cutting acidity, a good load of soft powdery tannins. Rich, darker fruit flavours, cocoa and baking spice. Have this with a piece of dark chocolate or cherryripe! Drink now – 2023.
Rolf Binder Hanisch Shiraz 2010, Dorrien, Barossa Valley, SA
RRP$125. Intense ruby purple colour. A lovely bouquet of violets, summer florals, black plum, dark berry fruit, bacon fat, chocolate spice and oak vanillins. This is a wine for the long haul. At present, it is a very young, full-bodied wine, with high acidity and a chunkful of young, grippy tannins. Compact, tight structure like an Ikea shelf still in its original shrink wrapped packaging. I suggest that this probably requires a good couple of hours in a decanter. Sweet spiced flavours of blackcurrant, plum, cherry liquor, smooth flowing, drawn out on a long finish. Drink 2015 – 2030+.
Yalumba Guardian Shiraz Viognier 2010, Eden Valley, SA
RRP$22. Matured for 10 months in a mix of new and older French and Hungarian hogsheads, and French barriques. A lovely balanced, med-full-bodied wine spiced up by more exotic elements of Viognier. Sweet blackcurrant and raspberry flavours shine through from the Shiraz. Youthful tannins suggest a reasonable drinking window. Very good value for money. Drink now – 2020.
Yalumba Patchwork Shiraz 2011, Barossa Valley, SA
RRP$22. Matured for 12 months in new American hogsheads & octaves, and new French barriques. I found this slightly primary, too soon? Nice perfume of juicy plum, dry grippy tannins, 13.5% alc. A decent good drinking wine. Drink now – 2018.
Torbreck Kyloe Mataro 2010, Barossa Valley, SA
RRP$50. 100% Mataro with fruit from Marananga, Greenock, Moppa, Seppeltsfield, Gomersal and Ebenezer. De-stemmed fruit was fermented separately in wooden & concrete open top fermenters with twice daily pumping of juice over the skins for 7-10 days. Matured in older French hogsheads for 24 months before bottled unfiltered and unfined. A robust, meaty drink, like feeling that there’s no point in any surprises or veiled corners. Notes of blackcurrant, black plum, sweet spice yet with a conflicting note of savoury pit-roasted rosemary lamb (or was I just really hungry at that time?!). A full-bodied wine with soft supple tannins and cleansing acidity. The latter is required to keep in check the core of rich dark berry fruit flavours. Very tasty finish. Drink now – 2018.
Torbreck Run Rig Shiraz Viognier 2010, Barossa Valley, SA
RRP$300. As much as I had enjoyed the 2009 Run Rig, the 2010 version is a down-right sexy beast. It’s like eyeing a matte black Lamborghini after you’ve had a spin around the Tuscan hills in the yellow one. Patience, and you will learn to tame the beast. Fruit from 8 parcels across the Barossa subregions of Marananga, Greenock, Moppa, Gomersal, Kalimna & Ebenezer. Matured for 30 months in new and old French barriques with one racking. 2.5% Viognier. Intense ruby purple colour. An attractive, lifted perfume of anise, licorice, hot stones, blackcurrants, black raspberry, plum and hints of black olive and baking spice. A full-throttled, full-bodied wine with young grippy tannins covered by a clean blanket of acidity. A complex flavour profile, layers of anise, dark berry fruit, sweet strawberry Lindt chocolate, touch of Asian salted plum. A lovely long finish. Given time, once the tannins start resolving, this is going to be a pretty good drink. What a F-in understatement! Drink 2015 – 2035.