Burge Family Winemakers’ old vine estate-bottled offerings, made by the modest, but enormously talented Rick Burge, are classic Barossa wines with extraordinary elegance as well as complex aromatics that combine European subtlety with Australian power.

Burge Family Winemakers’ old vine estate-bottled offerings, made by the modest, but enormously talented Rick Burge, are classic Barossa wines with extraordinary elegance as well as complex aromatics that combine European subtlety with Australian power.

Chester Osborn, the remarkable person behind this enormous array of both impeccably high quality and value-priced wines, deserves considerable accolades for what he is able to achieve at all price ranges. If you love Australian wines, d’Arenberg is a winery to seek out as these offerings all possess abundant soul as well as character. In short, the accolades that proprietor/winemaker Chester Osborn receives not only from The Wine Advocate, but virtually everybody in the wine world, are all well deserved.

With time the full spice, strawberry and liquorice and blackcurrants will develop with fresh pepper tails; at this stage, it is a mean monster with fragrant, gritty, fruit tannins that go on forever.

Eventually, the Grenache and Shiraz blossom as rich, sweet, violet-like scents, with spicy based aroma, before malty, sweet, dark chocolate flavours and crunchy, chewy textured black olive, spicy ginger and long fleshy textures. The Mourvedre adds dried herbs and iodine characters that are very persistent, matched with slightly chalky tannins.

The hallmark of vigorous, fine piquant tannin and acidity continue to reside with ‘The Ironstone Pressings’ after some considerable time, as have previous vintages since the late 1950’s.

With time the full spice, strawberry and liquorice and blackcurrants will develop with fresh pepper tails; at this stage, it is a mean monster with fragrant, gritty, fruit tannins that go on forever. Eventually, the Grenache and Shiraz blossom as rich, sweet, violet-like scents, with spicy based aroma, before malty, sweet, dark chocolate flavours and crunchy, chewy textured black olive, spicy ginger and long fleshy textures.

The Mourvedre adds dried herbs and iodine characters that are very persistent, matched with slightly chalky tannins. The hallmark of vigorous, fine piquant tannin and acidity continue to reside with ‘The Ironstone Pressings’ after some considerable time, as have previous vintages since the late 1950’s.

Dark vibrant saturated colours. Very youthful and compressed with the oak barely noticeable. The wine is dominated by the fragrance of red berries, spice, sour to roasted cherry, plum and cut flower stems.

The spices and earth from the Grenache, and amazing sweetness (often referred to as the blood of the blend) and very long gritty vibrant tannins. The Shiraz adds slight spicy red mulberry, potpourri fruit characters then the liquorish and prune characters, as well as a boldness mid-way in the taste (often referred to as the flesh of the wine).

The Mourvedre adds notes of ripe salami, iodine, lavender characters and late grainy tannin (often referred to as the bones of the wine).

The fruit is 100% McLaren Vale Grenache hand-picked from two very small 1910's planting's at Blewett Springs. The 2004 mild season really suited these hardy old vines with their deep roots. Medium red purple in colour.

The wine displays complex leather & spice bouquet with notes of cherry and prune. An elegant multi-layered palate wich has savoury herb notes with subtle berry flavours gracefully balanced with lively acidity and powder dry tannin. The seamless smooth palate finishes refreshingly dry with lingering warmth.. Shows finesse.

The fruit is 100% McLaren Vale Grenache hand-picked from two very small 1910's planting's at Blewett Springs. The 2004 mild season really suited these hardy old vines with their deep roots. Medium red purple in colour.

The wine displays complex leather & spice bouquet with notes of cherry and prune. An elegant multi-layered palate wich has savoury herb notes with subtle berry flavours gracefully balanced with lively acidity and powder dry tannin. The seamless smooth palate finishes refreshingly dry with lingering warmth.. Shows finesse.

The Juveniles is a bold and seductive unoaked blend that represents a youthful wine made from old vines. Fruit from dry grown, low yielding vines is fermented, bottled and released early not dissimilar to a Nuevo style wine. It is fragrant, intense and concentrated in flavour with blackberry, earth and Asian spices. Sensuous palate feel and tremendous length make this wine frighteningly drinkable now, yet with a constitution to mature in the cellar for many years.

The Juveniles is a bold and seductive unoaked blend that represents a youthful wine made from old vines. Fruit from dry grown, low yielding vines is fermented, bottled and released early not dissimilar to a Nuevo style wine.

It is fragrant, intense and concentrated in flavour with blackberry, earth and Asian spices. Sensuous palate feel and tremendous length make this wine frighteningly drinkable now, yet with a constitution to mature in the cellar for many years.

Sourced from the devigorated soils of western Seppeltsfield, Les Amis is a testament to what only the most fastidious farming can achieve - purity, intensity and finesse.

This unique parcel of Grenache, sourced from a single, old vineyard (128 years) in the hamlet of Greenock, has successfully endured eighteen months maturation in new French barriques.

The 2004 Les Amis is a direct and distinctive reflection of the 2004 Vintage – flamboyant, rich and elegant. The nose flows from lavender, violets, black cherries and squashed raspberries to liquorice and spice. The overtly opulent palate is silky smooth, persistent and spicy, with a hint of refreshing, juicy fruit just to remind you that this is actually Grenache.

The melding of the three traditional Barossa varieties creates a tremendously complex and rewarding wine. The Grenache and Mataro are from old bush vines that are pruned in the traditional ‘goblet’ style to a limited number of buds, reducing yields and promoting flavour and colour concentration. Only the free run component of the Shiraz is used in the blend to allow the Grenache identity to shine through.

Maturation: Single vineyard components are fermented and matured separately and later blended prior to bottling. The wine is aged in seasoned French and American oak barrels for 18 months.

Since Torbreck’s first release The Steading has been a favourite wine because of the old magnificent vines that produce its core.

The melding of the three traditional Barossa varieties creates a tremendously complex a nd rewarding wine. The Grenache and Mataro are from old bush vines that are pruned in the traditional ‘goblet’ style to a limited number of buds, reducing yields and promoting flavour and colour concentration. Only the free run component of the Shiraz is used in the blend to allow the Grenache identity to shine through.

'On a highland farm the collection of barns, stables and outbuildings is known as a steading. The varieties Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz all stand in their own right. However, in blending, their strengths create a complex wine of solid earthy structure.'

Vinification: Single vineyard components are fermented and were then matured in seasoned French and American oak barrels for 22 months. These parcels are later blended prior to bottling. 

The melding of the three traditional Barossa varieties creates a tremendously complex and rewarding wine. The Grenache and Mataro are from old bush vines that are pruned in the traditional ‘goblet’ style to a limited number of buds, reducing yields and promoting flavour and colour concentration. Only the free run component of the Shiraz is used in the blend to allow the Grenache identity to shine through.

The melding of the three traditional Barossa varieties creates a tremendously complex and rewarding wine. The Grenache and Mataro are from old bush vines that are pruned in the traditional ‘goblet’ style to a limited number of buds, reducing yields and promoting flavour and colour concentration. Only the free run component of the Shiraz is used in the blend to allow the Grenache identity to shine through.

Deep inky purple to black in color, the bouquet is layered and intense with notes of chocolate, rose petals, clay, scorched earth, minerals, lavender, wood oven smoke, tar and toffee.

The palate starts out deep and plush with formidable weight, then hits you with an explosion of plumy dark fruits that roll on to very long soft fruity tannins; this all hangs together quite effortlessly.