We’re planning to go to Australia before too long, and it looks as though the SA segment has morphed in such a way that it’ll involve a couple of nights in the Barossa. I’d appreciate any advice anyone has about interesting wineries to visit as well as about accommodations and restaurants. Thank you!
Also, I’ll be hosting a dinner for some cousins in Adelaide and would be grateful for any suggestions for a nice place that would allow BYO and that would be open on a Sunday. Much appreciated!
Check out Jolley’s Boathouse in Adelaide: http://www.jolleysboathouse.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Randall, you’re in for a great time. A few quick recs from my trip to Australia a few years ago:
McLaren Vale:
D’Arenberg is a nice tasting, and they have a highly sought-after restaurant to eat at; make reservations early.
Shingleback makes some nice shirazes too. Wirra Wirra was another visit I enjoyed.
Salopian Inn is where we lunched; excellent food and a nice wine cellar too.
Barossa Valley:
Torbreck has great wines, and their tasting, which includes RunRig (best wine of the whole trip), is not to be missed. The folks there were nice enough to give me and my wife a personalized tour that was unforgettable, though I don’t know if that’s really something they can do very often - I wrote ahead and we went in winter time which I think may be slower season for them.
Two Hands has a beautiful tasting room and Michael Twelftree is a poster here. Get in touch and schedule something, and he will take good care of you. You’ll probably get to taste a lot of the Garden series, the high-end Coach House Greenock block wines, etc.
Rockford has a fantastic, cobweb-filled cellar door tasting room with lots of classic bottles. Great for more understated wines - and these wines are not imported to the U.S. anymore (if that’s where you’re from) so this is a way to get something special and ageworthy.
I enjoyed going to Thorn-Clarke too; Elderton is worth a stop as well. I missed Penfolds, but you might want to look into that; can’t remember if they offer tastings of Grange.
If you have time to get up to Clare Valley, by all means do so; that’s one thing I really wish I could have done. Wendouree is a classic producer to look into; I like a lot of the Killikanoon wines as well. I’ve had some really good Clare Valley cabs from other producers that I’d have to look up.
Have a great time and post notes!
(By the way, my full notes from that trip may be in the archives here; if you can’t find it I’ll rescue them from eBob and repost here sometime)
Thanks Alan–I actually was looking for your notes on e-Bob earlier today but couldn’t find them (I’m kind of a computer klutz, I’m afraid), so would welcome your reposting them here.
We’re only going to the Barossa this time as our plans now stand–although we’ve worked our way through McLaren Vale and the Clare Valley on past trips, our Barossa experience has been limited to Two Hands (which I’m pretty sure we’ll revisit).
Randall,
The best accommodation is The Louise http://www.thelouise.com.au/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; their restaurant Appellation is also very good with innovative food and a very good and deep wine list.
With regards to dining the best food in the Barossa is recently opened Ferment Asian in Tanunda. It is Vietnamese fusion food that is balanced, energetic and clean. They have a well chosen list and plenty of older Rockford selections (owner Grant also works at Rockford). Vintners, just out of Angaston, are also a good choice for modern Australian food and the Saturday morning farmers market at the back of Vintners is a must.
Regarding cellar door visits I would include Henschke, Yalumba, Turkey Flat, Rockford, Charles Melton and Torbreck.
Have a great trip.
Regards
Jeremy
I would recommend a stop at Blond Coffee in Angaston (http://www.blondcoffee.com.au/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) if you have time. When I visited Barossa last we stopped at Henschke, Glaetzer, Yalumba, Rick Burge, and Kaesler. In Adelaide we met up with some friends at Jolley’s for some drinks and a nice meal. If you have time there I would also check out Gouger Street for breakfast.
I’d just pitch a tent on Jeremy’s front yard till he surrendered his cellar keys . . .
alan
Randall,
Lots of good advice already, not much I can add. If you haven’t already, you might ask over at http://forum.auswine.com.au/ Lots of South Australians over there, and a friendly bunch to offline with if you get the chance. When I was in Adelaide, we BYO’d at a Chinese place for $5/bottle.
Joe
Mate, he’ll think he’s in the Cote d’Or not the Barossa!
Well, I’m a serious Burgophile, so that’s the sort of geographic confusion I wouldn’t mind.
Many thanks for the suggestions. I think the Louise is booked. Any views on the Abbotsford?
John and Joe, thanks for the tips–much appreciated!
BYO options in adelaide is pretty limited these days - you could call ahead and try your luck.
T-Chow off Gouger St is one place that welcomes BYO and has good glassware if you ask for the Riedels. The food is very good, decor a bit spartan. Go for T Chow duck, green peppercorn chicken, steamed scallops and coral trout. The good part is that it is very reasonably priced.
Have a friend in Adelaide. I asked him about your request. Should be getting an email soon.
I like this place… nice wine list, shows BYO on this listing.
http://www.menulog.com.au/chianti_classico#details" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
+2!
The Louise is owned by an American guy who has brought serious luxury to Barossa. It’s one of the most accommodating resorts I’ve stayed at in recent memory.
Rockford and Charlie Melton’s wines are two of my favorite in all of S. Australia. Very good guys too, which never hurts. As impressive as Torbreck and Two Hands are, they’re very much a big business brand… doesn’t have the same appeal IMHO
Dear Randall,
Please let me know which days your out and I will make sure Matt or I are on hand to taste you on a few of our better barrels, just send me an email to michael@twohandswines.com
also I think a tour of Seppeltsfield is a must while in the Barossa
http://www.seppeltsfield.com.au/cellar-door/tours-tastings/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
MT
Ok Randall, here we go, rescued from eBob, originally posted in July 2008. Apologies for the length, this is really two posts combined into one.
Here is a summary from my recent trip to Australia… I will get my complete tasting notes up in the next day or two as I find time to dig up my notes and post them. Thanks to all who helped with suggestions, it was invaluable help in making the most of my time there.
Hunter Valley: took a tour that went to McWilliams for a winery tour and lunch/tasting, then McGuigan’s for an extended tasting. Got to taste some of the well known McWilliams semillons like Elizabeth and Lovedale, as well as some of their finer shirazes like the O’Shea. On the whole, to be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of either the famed Hunter semillon or their shirazes, but I was well taken care of at McWilliams - they poured me some things not normally offered for tasting. The higher level shirazes had some nice concentration but didn’t hit me like its Barossa counterparts. As for the semillon, I did come to appreciate that it’s terrific as a very light counterpoint to meals, especially spicy dishes. I also understand the semillons are quite ageable (over 10 years, etc.) and I bought a bottle of Elizabeth to age, but I ran out of room in my suitcase later so we drank it
McLaren Vale: visited Shingleback, D’Arenberg, Wirra Wirra. Missed Pirramimma and a possible tour of Mollydooker due to closing time/missed communications. Very impressed by the wines here, I knew I had definitely reached the big leagues. Shingleback had nice modern feeling shirazes and cabs, D’Arenberg gave me my first taste of Dead Arm (though my favorite was the Coppermine cab), Wirra Wirra was good but unfortunately, no Angelus or RSW available for sale or tasting.
Barossa: visited Thorn-Clarke, Elderton, Two Hands, Torbreck and Rockford. Had fantastic visits at Two Hands and Torbreck, we were really well taken care of in terms of tasting amazing lineups, and even a personalized tour at Torbreck; more details with my TNs soon. A big huge thanks to Michael Twelftree at Two Hands (alas, didn’t get to meet him) and Scott Trezise at Torbreck for giving us the highlights of our day in the Barossa - I’ll be a lifelong customer of these two great wineries.
About the wines: Shingleback and Thorn-Clarke impressed me - I feel they are up-and-comers that will get talked about more and more. D’Arenberg had a nice setup, excellent wines. Elderton - I was a bit disappointed in the Command. Two Hands had an incredible tasting room and tasty wines up and down, standouts for me were Bella’s Garden, Lily’s Garden, and the Coach House single vineyard wines, in increasing order of greatness. Torbreck was similarly impressive all the way through the line - standouts all the way through - but my top choices: The Factor, which was fighting it out with some of the Two Hands wines for WOTD, until all were eclipsed by RunRig, best shiraz or shiraz blend that I’ve ever had. Rockford tasting room has great old farmhouse charm. Picked up a bottle of Basket Press, assuming that my appreciation of it will improve when it’s not the last visit of the day and when both the wine and I are a little more mature.
Would have loved to have another day to hit Penfolds, Henschke, Schild, BVE, Mitolo and so many other greats. Greenock Creek and Gnadenfrei were closed on the day I visited.
Restaurants I dined at: Salopian Inn, Cafe Blond (fantastic start to the day), 1918 all recommended. Harry’s Restaurant at Novotel resort was fine food-wise, but the wines by the glass were too limited and way too dominated by Jacob’s Creek or sister brands. In Adelaide, Jasmin is highly highly recommended - amazing vindaloo, and the owner (Mr. Singh, I believe) was so gracious - volunteered a long and excellent list of wineries and restaurants to visit in Australia. Nunu restaurant in Palm Cove was top-notch, for those who make it to Cairns.
Did browse a few stores and saw some great back vintage Granges, Wendourees, Rockfords, but couldn’t afford them and didn’t have room in my suitcase for any more wine!
Overall, I feel visiting the wineries in Australia (and I didn’t even get to visit other great places like Coonawarra and the Yarra valley) is a MUST for serious wine lovers. The staff are so friendly across the board and the fact that they almost all let you taste their top wines for free was simply amazing to me, as a wine devotee on a budget. I may not be able to taste some of the really expensive ones again, but I’m so grateful I got to try them. The wineries are all so close together that the setup couldn’t be better. The vineyards are just beautiful and the people are champs all around. I can’t imagine a better winery-visiting experience.
Ok, here’s the full list of wines I tasted, for those who want the particulars. Apologies for not taking more disciplined and consistent notes - sometimes I was too locked in conversation with my wife or the winery staff.
HUNTER VALLEY
McWilliams
2003 Rosehill Shiraz – soft, smooth, chocolatey. I wish for a bit more power, though. Mid to high 80s.
2004 Maurice O’Shea Shiraz – cellar door only, I believe. Smooth, with a floral nose. High 80s.
2003 Elizabeth Semillon - tasty and excellent QPR. Bought one bottle for aging but drank it before we left Australia to make room for all my shiraz purchases.
200? Lovedale Semillon - tried this too. Better than the Elizabeth, but not by that much considering the price difference.
McGuigan’s
2007 Bin 9000 Semillon – Fragrantly sweet on nose, nice acidity and balance on palate. 87.
2004 Private Reserve Chardonnay – peppery, dry, short finish. Not pleasing.
2008 Moscato – almost colorless, sweet but not overly so.
(unknown vintage) Rose – a bit thin, flat.
(unknown vintage) Noon Harvest Merlot – very sweet, moreso than any red I’ve ever had. No structure that I can taste. Just odd to me.
1999 V/S Shiraz – soft, smooth, slightly sweet. A bit dilute.
2005 P/R Shiraz – my notes say: “dry ferm. 1 yr. French oak barrels. Very tart and plummy.
P/R Muscat – very sweet, pleasing, slight medicinal flavor. Fortified with brandy or something like that?
MCLAREN VALE
Shingleback
05 Cellar Door Shiraz – Peppery. 87.
05 Shingleback Shiraz - Nice modern shiraz, good balance of fruit and sweet oak. 90. Bought one bottle.
05 Shingleback Cab – A little floral on the nose, almost like lavender. 89.
04 “The Gate” Shiraz – Typical shiraz flavors with a licorice note.
05 D Block Shiraz. Creamy oak, nice vibrant fruit. 91+
05 D Block Cab – Black olive, leather, licorice, nice complexity. 91
D’Arenberg
2005 Footbolt – light (they call it medium-bodied), nice spice. 90+
2004 The Love Grass Shiraz – cellar door only. Lovely floral nose.
2006 The Galvo Garage – Bordeaux style Cab blend. Nice leather, anisette note. Tannic but nice. 90+
2006 Laughing Magpie – peppery, licorice on nose. Very tannic and tart on the palate. 89.
2005 Coppermine Cab –very young and tannic. Dusty tannins. Didn’t score it at the time, but I’d say 90ish from memory.
2002 Coppermine Cab – Best wine of the visit to D’Arenberg. Creamy oak and strong floral berry fruit on nose, still quite tannic. Has decade + in front of it. A bit tangier than the 05. Scoring from memory, 92.
2005 Dead Arm Shiraz – complex nose of pepper and eucalyptus, vibrant acidity. 24 mos. French oak, 80-100 yr. old vines. Scoring from memory 91+.
Wirra Wirra
2006 Scrubby Rise Shiraz Cab Petit Verdot – shiraz predominates. Medium tannin. Mid 80s.
2006 Church Block Cab-Shiraz-Merlot – Tasty, creamy, shiraz really present despite being only 30% of the blend. Nice. 91. QPR of the day.
2006 Woodhenge Shiraz – creamy oak, solid balanced. 90.
2006 Sparrow’s Lodge Cab – cellar door only. Eucalyptus strong on nose. Mid 80s.
BAROSSA VALLEY
Thorn-Clarke
2006 Sandpiper Cab – ok. 87.
2005 Morello Nebbiolo – interesting to try a nebbiolo from here, but this is nothing special.
2006 Shotfire Shiraz – creamy, balanced. 91-92. Best QPR shiraz of the 2 days of tasting.
2006 Shotfire Quartage – sold as “Cuvee Barossa” in the U.S. No note taken, but this was decent, high 80s.
2005 William Randell Shiraz – their “icon” wine, this has beautiful creaminess on the nose, more complexity than the Shotfire on the palate. Did not rate at the time, but 93-94 based on memory. Bought one bottle bc of less availability in U.S. than Shotfire.
Elderton
I didn’t take notice of the vintages I was poured because they were listed on the pricing sheet; unfortunately I didn’t notice at the time that some wines have 2005/6 listed – in those cases, I’m not sure which I had.
Estate Range
2005/6 Elderton Cab – light for Cab, 87-88.
2005/6 Elderton Shiraz – medium color, muted nose. 87-88.
2007 Elderton Zinfandel. Ok.
Elite Range
2005 Elderton Ode to Lorraine CSM – more oak on the nose than estate range wines, mildly tannic, nice. 89.
No Ashmead cab was available for tasting.
2004 Elderton Command Shiraz – almost 3 yrs in oak. Medium color, dusty tannins. Didn’t blow me away like I expected, possibly closed. Did not score at the time.
For you collectors out there, I took some notes on back vintage bottles of Command available:
1995 – 130 AUD
1997 – 100 AUD
1999 – 100 AUD
2000- 140 AUD
2001 -120 AUD
2002 – 130 AUD
Two Hands
2007 Angels Share shiraz– Young and tannic. Green pepper and black olive notes on the palate. 89
2006 Bad Impersonator Single Vineyard Shiraz – nose of earth, truffle, meat. Semi Rhone-like. Nice complexity on palate, again young and tannic. 89-90.
2005 The Bull & the Bear Barossa Valley Shiraz Cab. Cellar door only, 65-35 blend. Spicy pepper, slight oak. Nice light style. Did not score.
2006 Harry & Edward’s Garden Langhorne Creek Shiraz – juicy plummy red fruit on palate, very tannic, needs time! 92 now but lots of upside potential.
2006 Lily’s Garden McLaren Vale Shiraz – creamy vanilla American oak on nose; palate similar + pepper, from the McLaren Vale cooler climate? 93+
2006 Bella’s Garden Barossa Valley Shiraz – less apparent oak on nose (30% new French oak) and a bit of meat; very green peppery on palate. The oak comes out with some air. Scored 91 at the time. The wife preferred this to Lily’s.
2004 Zippy’s Block Shiraz Roennfeldt Road Marananga. Cellar door only, Zippy is one of the winemakers, I believe. Very fragrantly herbaceous and spicy on nose. Creamy on palate, 49% new French oak. 94+.
2006 Two Hands Coach House Block Shiraz, Single Vineyard, Seppeltsfield Road, Greenock. Cellar door only. American oak apparent on nose, turns out there’s French oak as well, 24 mos in American. Bit of eucalyptus on nose. (Forgot to take further notes on palate, etc. but this was delicious). Bought 1 bottle. 94+
2006 Two Hands Coach House Block Cab, Single Vineyard, Seppeltsfield Road, Greenock. 24 mos French oak. Very peppery on nose. Simply delicious on palate, best wine here. 95+. Bought 1 bottle.
(I believe the Two Hands Coach House wines may have taken the place of what was previously called Branson Coach House? These were packed for me in a BCH box.)
Ares/Aphrodite not available for tasting.
2007 For Love or Money Barossa Valley Cane Cut Semillon. Syrupy pineapple on nose and palate; honey on palate too. Very nice. Bought 1 bottle
Received a complimentary bottle of 2004 Conspiracy Theory Barossa Valley Cane Cut Semillon. Thanks Michael!! Great wines, can’t wait to see how the Coach House wines taste years from now, will be buying plenty of Garden wines here in the U.S. too.
Torbreck - Thanks again to Scott Trezise for the amazing hospitality and tour! Amazing wines Dave!
2007 Woodcutter’s White - Tasted at cellar door. Citrus on nose, nice complexity.
2007 Marsanne-Roussane - Sweet note of lichee on nose. Tasted at cellar door. Quite good if I recall correctly.
2007 Torbreck Viognier Single Vineyard Marananga - sold at cellar door only, 9 mos. new french oak.
2007 Cuvee Juveniles - No note taken.
2006 Torbreck The Steading - Oak rounds this wine out nicely - 90% French 10% Am., older oak.
2007 Torbreck Shiraz Woodcutter’s - Nicely balanced, minimal oak. 10-15 yr old vines, hand picked and pruned. Tasted at cellar door. 5-8 yrs window according to Torbreck. Nice QPR. 90.
2006 Torbreck Shiraz The Struie - A bit floral. Tasted at cellar door.
2006 Torbreck Shiraz The Gask - Red fruits, spice, menthol, black olive. Tasty and complex. Tasted at cellar door. 2nd vintage only of this wine, not widely available.2006 Torbreck Single Vineyard Marananga The Celts -Very fragrant. Woodspice on the palate, lavender/violet aromas. Great balance. Sold only at cellar door. 92+. Bought 1 bottle.
2005 The Factor Shiraz - Powerful, tannic. I sense the oak more here than on most of the Torbreck shirazes. An interesting curry-like note. So complex. Serious wine. 24 mos. in 30% new french oak. 12-15 yr. window. 95+
2006 The Descendant Co-fermented, descended from Run Rig. Also shiraz/viognier - the viognier “gives it sheen”. Same barrels afterward. Strong spice. 93+.
2007 Run Rig Shiraz-Viognier - Shiraz and viognier fermented separately. Sweet oak on the nose. When it came to the palate, I lost words. Simply the best shiraz I’ve ever had. With time, I expect this to reach perfection. 97+
2007 The Bothie Muscat - Nice and sweet but balanced. Lovely. Wife preferred this to Two Hands semillon. Bought one bottle.
Rockford - I seem to have lost my notes, so the vintages are a guess except for Basket Press, and my notes are from memory.
2005? Rod & Spur Shiraz blend. Good but didn’t seem that special to me.
2005? Rifle Range Cab. Againk, good but nothing that made me stand up and take notice.
2005 Basket Press Shiraz. Medium color, understated but some apparent stuffing. A bit closed, I believe, or I had palate fatigue/ had this after the cab, but I’m expecting this to be really good someday. Bought 1 bottle, given the lack of availability in the U.S., and the likelihood that my appreciation of this traditional style of shiraz will increase.
At Novotel Barossa store:
Rusden tasting, met Ben of their staff
2006 Driftsand Grenache Shiraz . 30 year vines, excellent QPR. 91.
2006 Ripper Creek Cab Shiraz - also 30 yr. vines, a tad too vegetal for me. 89.
2006 Black Guts Shiraz. 50 yr. vines. Tastes expensive right from the first sip. Very nice. 93+, at least.
Tasted by glass at restaurants:
2007 Tyrell’s Lost Block Semillon - very light, perfect offset for Thai spice at Peppers Palm Cove resort.
2004 Tim Adams Clare Valley Cab (at Tamara’s Palm Cove) - 91
2006 Chris Ringland CR Shiraz (at Jasmin Adelaide) - 92. Complex, at a level that’s stunning for an entry level shiraz. Nice shiraz typicity, significant oak, but a winner bc of the complexity. Probably edges Shotfire for QPR of the week.
Absolutely agree. And take Michael up on his offer 
Thanks for the suggestions, Kent. I’ll run those two names past my foodie cousins.
Any views on Cos?
Thank you, Michael–that’s very kind of you! I’ll send you an e-mail when I’ve locked in my itinerary.