Artisans of Barossa

95-96 Points - Magdalena Sienkiewicz "Voluminous perfume filled with blackberries, mulberries and damson plums with a mix of sweet spices and black liquorice. There is a tinge of alcohol, indicative of a hot vintage but interestingly, there is also a delicate lift from fresh mint. Heady mix, certainly on the dark side of Shiraz. Nevertheless, the Small Batch Shiraz retains vigour and vibrancy as the flavours cascade on the palate echoing the exhuberant perfume. The texture is lush and savoury and the finish is super long. You get a lot of bang for your buck. Sampled without decanting, using Zalto Bordeaux glassware which brings out more savoury complexities I find."

96+ Points - Magdalena Sienkiewicz "It’s great to see Artisans venturing onto alternative varieties, which is no gimmick here as they know their craft. It includes a dash of Tempranillo (14%). The perfume exhibits the purest form of red and black cherries which dominate the nose in a most alluring way. A touch of violets and crushed minerals complement the bursting cherries. The palate follows suit although it displays a much more savoury tone than expected. A great touch of cooling minerals, dried herbs and a perfectly judged zip of acidity add a lift to the flavoursome, round structure. Those juicy cherries linger forever with a little black liquorice and minerals. Sampled without decanting and using Zalto Bordeaux glassware, which brings out more savoury complexities I find."

Beginning in 2017, The Grenache Project present each vintage six wines made by six winemakers from one Barossa vineyard in an experiment designed to explore the influence of winemaking on the terroir of a single Barossa Grenache vineyard. The Project has received acclaim from some of Australia’s most respected wine commentators, and each new release is eagerly anticipated.

The Project continues in 2020, exploring a 45 year old vineyard site at Light Pass to the east of the Barossa Valley floor, and welcoming a new winemaker – Craig Stansborough from Purple Hands. Craig together with Greg and Allison Hobbs, Pete Schell, Tim and John Duval, Simon Cowham and Corey Ryan, and Jason Schwarz make up the six winemakers who push the boundaries in the art of small batch Barossa wine.

A special mixed six pack of wines made by Peter Schell of Spinifex, John and Tim Duval of John Duval Wines, Jason Schwarz of Schwarz Wine Company, Greg and Allison Hobbs of Hobbs of Barossa, and Simon Cowham and Corey Ryan of Sons of Eden. The project also welcomed Phil Lehmann from Max and Me Wines as a special guest winemaker for last year’s project. The results are outstanding and a superb reflection of the 2019 vintage, considered to be another standout year for Barossa red wine. 

This wine is blended from barrels selected by the winemakers from each of their cellars. Each parcel of wine is selected for its rich and generous character, deep black fruit and spiced flavour, and smooth texture. The hallmarks of top-class Barossa Shiraz.

Fruit was sourced from vineyards across the northern and western sub-regions of Barossa Valley, including Moppa, Ebenezer, Greenock, Marananga, and Eden Valley.  A portion of the fruit was fermented whole bunch providing savoury texture, with the balance on skins for 8-10 days. The wines were aged in seasoned French and American hogsheads for approximately 12 months.