These days there’s not much lasting 12 years. Sports players, a television series, novelty gadgets and games (you know, yoyo, slinky, knuckles), washing machines or gym memberships. I mean, even in the workforce, it’s becoming quite rare for people to persist in a job for that long even with the ‘carrot’ of long service leave! For a husband and wife team that don’t have the Barossa ancestry behind them, or any descendants in the cemetery, they deserve congratulations for making it to the 12th Yelland & Papps Greenock Shiraz.
Wild yeast fermented, 12 days on skins, almost 2 x 12 months on oak with a small percentage of that new. It’s clearly all about the fruit, letting it be the star.
You look at the colour and you think, I’m going to be tasting some dark berry fruits with this one. But then you smell it and it gets you thinking, maybe there is going to be some red cherry on the palate as well as the dark fruits and certainly some spice with a hint of charcoal (I wonder if the barrel’s had an element of char?). So far, looking good and smelling great. By this stage, I’m hooked.
Wow! The palate is complex but very nicely balanced. The dark fruits are unmistakable, plums helping to fill out the palate and the spices doing their bit of ‘seasoning’ perfectly (if you ask me). Where’s the oak? Oh, hang on, there it is. Making a quiet, supportive appearance on the smooth, long finish. Gee it’s been handled well. Very well made, very moreish, very delicious.
Region: Barossa Valley, SA Price: $40 Source: Sample
Words from a Wine Glass 