Yalumba Barossa Valley Bush Vine Grenache 2006 Yalumba Eden Valley Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2006 $17.95 They call it grenache in France and Australia and garnacha in Spain. By whatever name, it’s is an interesting red variety, tending to a pale colour and very high sugar levels (and therefore alcohol) when ripe. It’s fragrant and spicy, … Continue reading Wine review — Yalumba, Clonakilla & Innocent Bystander
Cullen Diana Madeline Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 $90 In recent years we’ve seen this wine grow in quality and status under Vanya Cullen, daughter of the late Kevin and Diana Cullen. In recent cabernet tastings it’s consistently ranked amongst the best, distinguishing itself for perfect ripeness, intense flavour, fine tannins and elegant structure. So … Continue reading Wine review — Cullen, Yalumba & Katnook Estate
Yalumba The Octavius 2002 $89.95 Yalumba’s inky, oaky Barossa shiraz began life in 1988 – a burly overstatement, says winemaker Brian Walsh that the old firm had renounced the wispy, wishy-washy reds of the 1980s. In recent vintages, however, ‘Oaktavius’, has become less inky, oaky and burly – thanks in part to a toning down … Continue reading Wine review — Yalumba The Octavius, Trust & O’Leary Walker
Yalumba Eden Valley Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2005 $16 to $18 I’ve mentioned before the ‘trickle down effect’, where wineries spend decades developing their top wines at great expense and how this learning trickles down to lift the quality of cheaper wines. This is unquestionably the case with this wine – a junior sibling to Yalumba … Continue reading Wine review — Yalumba, Saltram & Wither Hills
Yalumba ‘Y’ Series South Australia Riesling 2005 $9 to $12 Despite the humble price, ‘Y’ comes from the Barossa and the Eden Valley, key riesling areas. And in the hands of the Yalumba team, you can always count on the flavour and freshness being there. With 52 points out of 60 and a silver medal … Continue reading Wine review — Yalumba, Helm & Peter Lehmann
Yalumba Eden Valley Viognier 2004 $19.95 to $22.95 Yalumba offers three viogniers, each outstanding at its price – and little wonder. Since establishing Australia’s first significant plantings in the Eden Valley in 1980, they’ve worked hard to tame and bottle what winemaker Louisa Rose calls an ‘incredibly challenging’ and ‘unpredictable’ variety. The amazingly plush, complex … Continue reading Wine review — Yalumba & Peter Lehmann
Each year, Robert Hill-Smith, proprietor of Barossa based Yalumba wines indulges industry guests with a feast of wines from around the world. In 1993 the Sydney tasting took us back to 1845.
An insider’s view of the Australian wine industry and one of its successful brands The following is a transcript of my interview with Phil Laffer at Roland Flat, Barossa Valley, 14 March 2006. The interview was one of two I conducted with Phil for the production of The view from our place, a booklet released in … Continue reading The Phil Laffer tapes
Windowrie Family Reserve Cowra Shiraz 2016 $35 Windowrie Family Reserve won gold at November’s National Wine Show of Australia. It was one of 113 wines entered in the ‘Shiraz 2016’ class, and one of eight wines to win a gold medal in it. However, several big, expensive names – including Yalumba The Octavius and Seppelt … Continue reading Wine review – gold medal for Cowra’s Windowrie Estate
Mayford Tempranillo 2014 Mayford vineyard, Porepunkah, Alpine Valleys, Victoria $38 Though planted throughout Australia and used by about 340 winemakers, Spain’s tempranillo remains a niche variety. Our vignerons harvest just four to five thousand tonnes of it annually, depending on vintage conditions – about one tenth the volume of pinot noir, or one hundredth of … Continue reading Tempranillo from six top Aussie winemakers