Avinta Old Vine Barossa Shiraz 2019
Style: Red Wine
Variety: Shiraz
Closure: DIAM Cork
Avinta Old Vine Barossa Shiraz 2019
Camberwell
Burke Road
Camberwell VIC 3124
Australia
Producer: Avinta
Country: Australia
Region: Barossa Valley
Vintage: 2019
Critic Score: 97
Alcohol: 15.0%
Size: 750 ml
Drink by: 2035
Avinta is a passion project for Ryan Waples, winemaker and head honcho at Barossa Valley Estate, home of the iconic E&E Black Pepper Shiraz. E&E is a permanent fixture on the Langton’s Classification of Australian wine and I suspect the Avinta Shiraz may one day follow suit.
Ryan has been in the Barossa for generations and the fruit for this wine was sourced from a secret patch of nearly 70 year old vines. In 1951 his wife’s grandfather was pruning vines on the historic G Gramp vineyard and instead of disposing the cuttings, he planted them! The ultra-premium fruit from these 'stolen' vines is remarkable.
"Rich, dark and brooding, this is an astonishing wine that deftly balances elegance and power. The palate is flooded with dark plum and gorgeous blue fruits, with violets, mocha and spice lurking in the background. Plush tannins are on hand to frame the silky fruit, not dominate it, and the wine effortlessly hides its 15% alcohol. All class from a skillful winemaker at the top of his game. This is a cult wine if ever there was one." Nick Munday, Canterbury Wines – 97+ points
The 2019 vintage is the first Avinta release with only 1100 bottles produced and we were lucky to get our hands on a small allocation. Attention to detail is the focus, from the gentle fruit handling to the specially selected Ermitage French oak barrels containing staves from different forests (Troncais and Bertranges), to the impressive wax-topped bottles.
Expert reviews
"Rich, dark and brooding, this is an astonishing wine that deftly balances elegance and power. The palate is flooded with dark plum and gorgeous blue fruits, with violets, mocha and spice lurking in the background. Plush tannins are on hand to frame the silky fruit, not dominate it, and the wine effortlessly hides its 15% alcohol. All class from a skillful winemaker at the top of his game. This is a cult wine if ever there was one." Nick Munday, Canterbury Wines – 97+ points
About the winery
Avinta is the side project for Ryan Waples, General Manager at Barossa Valley Estate. Ryan has been in the Barossa for generations and the fruit for this wine was sourced from a secret patch of nearly 70 year old vines. In 1951 his wife’s grandfather was pruning vines on the historic G Gramp vineyard and instead of disposing the cuttings, he planted them! The ultra-premium fruit from these 'stolen' vines is remarkable.
The 2019 vintage is the first Avinta release with only 1100 bottles produced. Attention to detail is the focus, from the gentle fruit handling to the specially selected Ermitage French oak barrels containing staves from different forests (Troncais and Bertranges), to the impressive wax-topped bottles.
Photo: The Avinta Shiraz nestling in one of the grandfather vines
South Australia
South Australian is responsible for more than half the production of all Australian wine. It is home to more than 900 wineries across 18 wine regions. The regions are Adelaide Hills, Adelaide Plains, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Coonawarra, Currency Creek, Eden Valley, Kangaroo Island, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale, Mount Benson, Mount Gambier, Padthaway, Riverland, Robe, Southern Fleurieu, Southern Flinders Ranges and Wrattonbully.
Many of the well-known names in the South Australian wine industry established their first vineyards in the late 1830s and early 1840s. The first vines in McLaren Vale were planted at Reynella in 1839 and Penfold's established Magill Estate on the outskirts of Adelaide in 1844.
South Australia has a vast diversity in geography and climate which allows the State to be able to produce a range of grape varieties - from cool climate Riesling in the Clare and Eden Vallies to the big, full bodied Shiraz wines of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Two of Australia's best-known wines, Penfolds Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace, are produced here. There is much to discover in South Australia for the wine lover.