Ask anyone what they know about the Barossa Valley and I can guarantee 99.9% of people will mention wine, Shiraz to be specific. And when I say ‘Shiraz’ I mean the big, bold, gutsy stuff, full of tannin, jammy fruit and spice. More than once I have read a recommended wine pairing for a big, chargilled steak with red wine jus as simply ‘Barossa Shiraz’, because the Barossa is the Barossa, and all Shiraz are the same, right? Given the marketing emphasis placed on certain virtues of the Barossa and its Shiraz, such broad generalisations are understandable, but really not all that accurate. Excitingly, this generic approach to ‘The Barossa’ is evolving and more is being understood about the notion of sub-regionality and its impact on the finished wines.

So, why did the Barossa Valley get the reputation for big Shiraz in the first place?

Much of the acclaim for Barossa Valley wines can be attributed to the old, dry grown vines first planted by Silesian settlers in the early 1840’s (Turkey Flat’s Bethany Estate was planted in the early 1840’s with original cuttings from the Busby collection). Traditionally unirrigated the grapes ripen quickly in the hot summer, so fast that acidity often plummets before the grapes are picked. The resulting concentrated wines, full of rich chocolate and spice were distinctly different to the Syrah grown in other notable Shiraz regions such as Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and California. The unique qualities of such bold wines (somewhat similar to the stereotypical Aussie bloke) became the selling tool for Australian wines overseas, and quickly took off. This public perception has not been limited to the export market, suffusing the wider Australian market, esteemed wine writer, Jancis Robinson referring the Barossa as “Australia’s quintessential wine region’.

So it seems that the Barossa is both big Shiraz and Australian wine all wrapped into one, but is it really?

As more wineries compete for customer’s attention, more emphasis has to be placed on what makes a wine different, rather than why it’s the best example of ‘Barossa Shiraz’ or indeed ‘Australian Red’. Excitingly, this has lead to more acknowledgement that the Barossa is a wide and varied region, and its Shiraz doesn’t have to be a blockbuster (although sometimes, yes, it is). The Barossa Valley follows the North Para River for approximately 30km, and its elevation can vary from 230m at Lyndoch to 550m in the East Barossa Ranges. Throw in a myriad of different soil types, micro-climates and average rainfalls and you have all the makings for as many different expressions of Shiraz as there are wineries. This and the 2008 Shiraz alliance (with its focus on subregionality) were the impetus for us at Turkey Flat to create our Single Vineyard Shiraz, highlighting the distinct characteristics our three Estate grown Shiraz vineyards possess. Let me explain the differences through our ‘SVS’ notes:

THE CONQUEROR The Stonewell vineyard overlooks the Valley Floor sitting upon rocky, limestone hills. The low vigour of this unique vineyard produces small berries helping to create serious wines with great tannin depth. The heat of the 2009 vintage intensified the characters of the site producing a dense, tannic wine destined to age for many years.

THE GREAT The Bethany vineyard delivers elegance atypical of the Barossa Valley floor. The wines are pretty and aromatic, the tannins definitive yet restrained. The 2009 vintage was ideal for the vineyard with a warm growing season allowing full ripeness in this the coolest of the three vineyards.

THE TWIST The Koonunga vineyard is the northernmost of the Turkey Flat sites. The site is warm and windy and even though unirrigated, the vines are amongst our most resistant to water stress, consistently producing low yields. The wines from our Koonunga vineyard are rich and opulent, with fruit intertwined with an ever present savoury twist. A soft tannin profile makes these wines instantly approachable. The warm 2009 vintage has created a Koonunga Shiraz with rich colour and fruit weight.

These are just three tiny little plots in the grand scheme of the Barossa Valley, and as each winery sources fruit from different vineyards in different areas, and blends these in different proportions it’s actually near impossible to put two Barossa Shiraz together that are exactly alike. It’s not only in the vineyard where the differences are made, it’s also in the winery, adding a mind-boggling array of variations and complexities, something which my humble capabilities, and the scope of a blog-post just aren’t up to. Please accept my apologies.

Personally, I love nothing more than a meander through cellar doors discovering all things different, complex and interesting, that, like me, a 7th generation Barossan who is the first to work in wine (!) prove you can be from the Barossa without being a stereotype. So get out there, taste and discover just how different “The Barossa” can be.

Cheers!

Emily Hay