While other regions around the country may like to debate the idea, the Barossa Valley, located some 60 kilometres northeast of Adelaide in South Australia, is Australia’s most legendary wine district and one of the most famous in the world. The Barossa has had its ups and downs, not least the infamous vine pull scheme, which saw many of the ancient vines removed. World wars and economic conditions, as well as the simple ebb and flow of winelovers’ preferences, have often
made things tough. Today, it is an exciting, thriving region with its wines much in demand.

For much of its history, the Barossa was seen as the region for workhorse wines and more especially, fortified wines, which dominated the industry into the 1970s. Shiraz (the Aussie name for the French Syrah) has been the driving force, and it seems to be a form of poetic justice that when things turned – notably after a visit from a group of English MWs in the 1980s and the interest shown by American critic Robert Parker over the following decade – it was thanks to supremely glorious examples of that very grape that Australian wine was suddenly a must-have around the globe.

The wonderful, rich, bold, plush, and full-flavoured Shiraz from the Barossa has made an indelible mark on wine drinkers everywhere. More recently, we have seen the ultimate allrounder, Grenache, once used for everything from Rosé, fortifieds, bulk wines, blends and even muffins, suddenly
become flavour of the month. The soft, juicy, strawberry-flavoured wines from this grape, often exhibiting a degree of elegance and even complexity in those made from older vines, are now pulling the prices they have long deserved. While the world knows of the glories of Barossa Shiraz, it is only just coming to terms with what Grenache offers, a variety whose history also dates back to the 1840s. The Barossa has more old Grenache than any other region in Australia, conceivably more
than anywhere on earth, with more than 150 hectares of vines over 70 years old.

Winemakers are excited because they have long known what can be achieved – one said to me that ‘Grenache delivers what Pinot promises’ – but for so many years, the name ‘Grenache’ on a bottle was marketing suicide. Now, top quality Grenache is bringing growers higher prices than their best Shiraz. Today, the best examples avoid any jamminess or the appearance of dilution. They are wines of subtlety, complexity and elegance, soft yet generous of flavour with purity of fragrances and
an intriguing blend of silky/sandy tannins, and with an explosion of flavour on the finish. The variety seems to prefer older, larger oak while aromatics and structure are what distinguish the better offerings.

The Barossa is an ever-evolving region and we are seeing more and more sub-regional blends. They remain in the minority, but they provide an exciting opportunity to examine the region in depth. Combine this with the varying vintage conditions experienced in recent years, and the days where cynics felt Aussie reds were simply ‘rinse and repeat’, year after year, are long gone.

A number of vintages were prominent in recent tastings. And while time will tell us just which vintages of the last half dozen years will end up with fabled reputations, you can be certain that 2021 will be very much to the fore. A stunning year, and the top Shiraz and Grenache from the Barossa should be well represented in every cellar – especially the Shiraz. They are concentrated, richly flavoured and destined for longevity. Even better, volumes were also excellent. As with 2018, while all sub-regions made some superb reds, Greenock and Marananga were particularly
impressive.

Eden Valley was no less exciting – indeed, there is evidence that 2021 might prove to be a contender for vintage of the century for this cooler region. Excellent rainfall early in the 2022 season brought forth hope that we might enjoy that rather rare phenomenon, two sensational vintages in a row. And so it proved to be. Understandably, many top wines from this vintage and its predecessor have yet to hit the shelves, but what we have seen is compelling. Storms did create some havoc but if your vineyards avoided those the overall quality from across the entire region including Eden Valley is thrilling. If Shiraz took the tape in 2021, it is more than arguable that Grenache did so in 2022. McLaren Vale talks a big game when it comes to Grenache, and deservedly so, but the best from the Barossa, and especially from such a thrilling year as 2022, are more than a match.

If there is anything wrong with 2023, it is simply that it is not 2021 or 2022. In other times, when we have not been so blessed, 2023 would be a year of excitement, and certainly, there are many superb wines – one assumes many more yet to arrive. If, however, Cabernet is your thing, then this might be the year for you. So far, the top Cabernets often equal or even exceed what was on offer from the preceding two years. This is partly driven by the fact that this was a very late vintage, especially
given the new norms, later even than 2022.

It is still too early to make any definitive statements on 2024, although there is plenty of excitement among growers. At this very early stage, the preference seems to before Grenache, with considerable support for Cabernet, although we’ll know more in a couple of years. Shiraz seems a given. There is every reason to believe that there will be many superb wines from this vintage, and growers in Eden Valley seem especially excited.