Wine from Down Under

Just visiting Yalumba is unfortunately not possible, they are just too far away for that. Fortunately, they visit us from time to time. When they do, WINELIFE is in the front row.
Text: Petri Houweling / Image: Yalumba

YALUMBA: FROM ONE FAMILY FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY AND A HALF

We have been invited to a tasting by Yalumba, one of the most famous wineries in the land of the kangaroos. Not a newcomer, the Barossa Valley company was founded in 1849 by gardener Samuel Smith, an English immigrant. Now it is one of the oldest companies still in family ownership. The sixth generation still makes wines of all colours, including sparkling and dessert wines. 

EUROPEAN GRAPES IN THE BOTANICAL GARDEN

In 1933, 'the father of Australian viticulture' James Busby brought a host of grape varieties from Europe. First, these were planted in a botanical garden to see if they had potential in Australia's warm climate. That proved to be the case; the wines of cabernet sauvignon, syrah, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc have been a resounding success to this day. Also at Yalumba in Barossa and Coonawarra, these grapes give wines of absolute cult status. Yalumba's The Menzies of 100 per cent cabernet sauvignon is considered the iconic Australian wine. Similarly, The Signature is one of the best shiraz-cabernet blends in the world. 

OLD & OLDER VINES

But riesling, viognier, muscat, grenache and merlot also do great in Yalumba's vineyards. This is also because some of the wines come from old to very old vines. The old vines are 35 years and older, the over-70s are the survivor vines. Then there's the category of ancient, the centenarians, vines of at least 100 years old, and the section highly elderly, which are the ancestor vines. These have been around for more than 125 years. The oldest is the 1889 Tri-Centenary Vineyard, planted with grenache. After crushing, they soak the juice of these grapes with the skins for 250 days. That must be a very special wine. 

Further reading? You will find more information in WINELIFE Magazine, issue 86. You can order this one here. 

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