‘Beware the quiet ones’ is the thought that permeates my mind as I reflect on the Langhorne Creek region. There’s been no meteoric rise to fame, or capitulation to ephemeral fads. Instead, the region has been defined and refined over a long, slow and steady burn of consistency and steadfastness in delivering quality wines from grape varieties that suit the region so well. And, as has been increasingly proven, those who stick to their guns don’t only emerge unshot, but in time become bullet proof.
Langhorne Creek’s patience and perseverance over an incredibly long and rich history makes this all the more admirable. In 1849, the fertile floodplains 70 kilometres southeast of Adelaide called Langhorne Crossing caught the eye of Frank Potts as he travelled through the area. Seeing huge potential, Potts purchased a section of land the next year and set about clearing it for farming. Shortly thereafter, shiraz and verdelho vines were planted, marking the beginning of flagship producer Bleasdale Vineyards, along with what is now a stalwart Australian region.
Today, Langhorne Creek boasts the oldest family-owned cabernet sauvignon vines in the world, planted in 1891 by William Formby, founder of the iconic Metala Wines. Metala won much acclaim over the next century, including winning the inauguralJimmy Watson trophy in 1962. In a general sense, Langhorne Creek is a low-risk and low-maintenance viticultural zone in comparison to many of its cooler climate counterparts. Premium grapes can be grown in this warm region with little risk of frost, minimal need for canopy management, and lower risk of late season weather issues given it’s an early ripening zone. What’s more, Langhorne Creek is home to the great Lake Alexandrina, a body of water some three times the size of Sydney Harbour, that assists in moderating the region.
All of this begs the question: Why are there only nine cellar doors you can visit in the region? For a time, Langhorne Creek’s identity became somewhat defined as a fruit fource region for big business. And given provenance hasn’t always been observed nor as much cared for as it is today, reverence was historically reserved for a bottle of wine rather than the place from which it came. In many cases, this still applies
today, with Langhorne Creek often being cast into the abyss of ‘South Australian’ label statements.
Change is slow and, of course, it’s a region deserving of greater visitation based on wine quality alone. The Shiraz wines, which dominated the reds submitted, showed threads of soft dark fruit meshing with attractive spice, earth, present but integrated oak, and firm structure. The Cabernet Sauvignon wines were second in terms of quantity, showing threads of classic dark fruits, mint and graphite tannins. One notable category was Fiano, with several wines showing excellent balance and true varietal characters of salinity, almond, as well as both stone fruits and tropical fruits. As with many warmer regions, this grape variety will likely increase in importance in furthering the white wine identity of the region. Overall, the big take-home was the exceptional value on offer, with wines in the sub $30 price point consistently over-delivering.
Beware the quiet ones, indeed. I get the sense that, after 170-odd years of hushed tones, Langhorne Creek is now finding its voice.
