Would you like a magnificent example of Barossa Shiraz? Look no further.
Matured for 2 years in new French oak. Super saturated inky black colour with very deep black crimson red hue. The nose delivers an expressive aromatic profile of liquorice and blackberry as top notes followed by some toasty vanillin oak, confectionary and blackpepper. Boasting a huge core of sumptuous decadently rich fruit the palate is a super concentrate of liquorice and perfectly ripened blackcurrant along with nuances of dark chocolate and some toasty vanillin oak finishing with a peppery back palate. Velvet smooth tannins. Exceptional length and power with a very long imposing liquorice, blackberry, vanillin oak and blackpepper aftertaste. A classically proportioned Barossa Babe. Drink over the next 5-6 years.
Much of this wine is made from 140 year old Barossa Valley Shiraz vines. The intense power and complexity of this creation from Mother Nature will continue to improve in the bottle over the next 15 years or more. This is a very delicious Barossa Shiraz that I'm sure you will enjoy.
Extremely well suited to a rare roasted rib of beef, Yorkshire puddings and closely followed by an aged Heidi gruyere cheese.
Past Accolades and Awards:
James Halliday: 96 (2010) If you use a cork, make sure it has the quality, and the perfect insertion, of this one. The colour is still vivid crimson-purple after 2 years in new French oak, and bottle age thereafter; it has endless waves of plum, blackberry, licorice and dark chocolate fruit, the tannins assisting the savoury nuances that complete a stacked Babe.
James Halliday: 94 (2008)
CAMPBELL MATTINSON: 93 (2008) Barossa Babe Shiraz comes out of the Rockbare stable of wines. The words 'Barossa Babe' are written in a particularly curvaceous font. Wears its alcohol warmth of its sleeve but it's a terribly seductive package nonetheless. This is a wine full of sweet, soft, fruit-saturated flavour. Tar, blackberries, toasty oak, woodspice and raisins. It starts and ends with a rich fruitiness; some pretty speccy grapes went into this.
TONY KEYS: 93 (2008) Babe by name but a brute at 15.5 percent alcohol; being fair all was in balance and it held a line from nose through to final swallow very enjoyable and well made wine 93 points.
Winemakers, Tim Burvill & Marty O’Flaherty had a sense of excitement and anticipation very early on that the Barossa Babe would emerge as a blockbuster. The vintage was outstanding, and with fruit sourced from some of the oldest vines in Australia - up to 140 years old - no doubting, this is a red that deserves your attention. The opportunity to have access to grandfather vines is open to very few vignerons on the planet (Australia has some of the oldest). Burvill has sensed the privelige from the outset and this wine has become his personal project.
In order to evoke a sense of something unusual, Burvill employed design agency HeineJones to create the label. The result has been described as deliberately "incongruous" - a serious red packaged with a pink tinge and pink closure, finished with an engaging (perhaps predictable) image of the 'Barossa Babe' on the back label.
What's behind the quirky facade is a serious, big-boned red that given its viticultural pedigree stands as a bargain on the world stage. If full throttle South Australian styles are your preference, this will be one of the most prudent purchases you will make from this district.
Don't Pay: $43.00
WBW Rating: 96/100
Closure: Cork
Region: Barossa Valley, SA
Winemaker: Tim Burvill
Drink now until: 2022
Alc/Vol: 15 %
