Barossa Shiraz and Riesling from the Eden heights
18 bouteilles, du shiraz du fond de vallée au riesling sec des hauteurs d'EdenAn hour's drive north of Adelaide, the plain opens out then closes again on hills. Down below, the heat ripens a dense, fleshy Shiraz, the one that built the reputation of Australian reds. Three hundred metres higher, the air cools, the nights turn cold, and the same grape variety gains pepper and tension while Riesling finds its favourite ground.
The vines, for their part, have had their original roots in the red soils since the 1840s. Some are more than a century and a half old and still give a crop, which reads at once in the density in the glass.
Torbreck - Old Vines 2021
A GSM assembly with mastery and harmony
Magpie Estate - The Last Stand Chardonnay 2023
A lively and lively Chardonnay from South Australia!
Henschke - Keyneton Euphonium 2021
An Australian red blend that marries the power of Barossa with the fresh elegance of Eden Valley.
Rockford - Rod & Spur Shiraz Cabernet 2019
A sumptuous Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon duo from the Barossa Valley
Rockford - Rifle Range Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
A top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon from the Barossa Valley!
Torbreck - Hillside Vineyard Grenache 2021
Grenache at its best Australian expression
Charles Melton - Nine Popes 2018
A blend in the style of the great wines of the southern Rhône, combining richness, spices and balance typical of the Barossa Valley.
Henschke - Henry's Seven 2023
A Rhône blend with an Australian twist, juicy and spicy, which fully expresses the generosity of the Barossa.
Pewsey Vale Vineyard - The Contours 10 Year Museum Release Riesling 2017
A precise and mineral Australian high-altitude Riesling, patiently aged to reveal the complexity of its cool Eden Valley terroir.
Henschke - Hill of Grace Shiraz 2019
An icon of the Eden Valley, this deep and elegant Shiraz precisely expresses the uniqueness of the historic Hill of Grace vineyard.
Henschke - Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
A precise and intense high-altitude Australian Cabernet Sauvignon, where power meets elegance.
Henschke - Peggy's Hill Riesling 2024
A chiseled and vibrant Riesling from Eden Valley, combining aromatic purity and refreshing tension.
Henschke - Julius Riesling 2024
A Riesling from Eden Valley of great purity, taut and crystalline, marked by freshness and aromatic precision.
Henschke - Wheelwright Shiraz 2019
A Shiraz from the Eden Valley combining aromatic depth, freshness and elegant structure.
Henschke - Mount Edelstone Shiraz 2019
A deep and refined Eden Valley Shiraz, made from old vines, which combines aromatic intensity and elegant texture.
Charles Melton - The Stepmother 2020
A Barossa Valley blend that is generous, spicy and harmonious, combining the richness of the fruit with a lovely freshness.
Charles Melton - The Father in Law 2020
A generous and structured Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, which combines aromatic intensity and velvety texture.
The districts, from warmest to coolest
A few hundred metres of elevation are enough to change a wine completely. Here are the districts the selection covers, from the mild plain of the Barossa Valley to the ridges of the Eden Valley, with the producer that represents each of them here.
| Le secteur | Altitude et climat | Le cépage qui domine | Ce que donne le verre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tanunda et le fond de valléeRockford | 250 à 300 m, chaud et sec, journées longues | Shiraz, épaulé de cabernet sauvignon | Blackberry and blackcurrant, mocha, an ample palate with supple tannins |
| Krondorf et la vallée centraleCharles Melton | 280 to 320 m, warm, tempered by the breezes off the hills | Grenache, shiraz, mourvèdre | Fruit rouge juteux, épices douces, finale équilibrée |
| Marananga, Gomersal et EbenezerTorbreck | 270 à 350 m, sols rouges profonds sur argile | Shiraz de vieilles vignes | Cerise noire et cuir, tanins fondus, texture soyeuse |
| The eastern hillsides, towards AngastonRockford | 300 à 380 m, la marche qui monte vers l'Eden Valley | Cabernet sauvignon | Cassis et graphite, tanins fermes, longue ligne droite |
| Keyneton, la porte de l'Eden ValleyHenschke | 380 à 450 m, nuits froides, forte amplitude thermique | Shiraz et assemblages rhodaniens | Fruit noir tendu, poivre, tanins fins et frais |
| Pewsey Vale and the western slopesPewsey Vale Vineyard | 450 à 500 m, schistes et quartz, brises constantes | Riesling | Citron vert, tension saline, bouche linéaire et longue |
| The Eden high plateauxHenschke | 500 m et plus, printemps tardif, maturation lente | Riesling | Pureté cristalline, acidité vive, finale minérale |
| Springton et Craneford, au sudHenschke | 400 à 480 m, sols anciens de grès et de schiste | Cabernet sauvignon | Cassis frais, cèdre, finesse tannique et précision |
Shiraz carries here the name it was given when it arrived from Europe in the 19th century, and can be followed from one country to the next on the Syrah page. To come into the section through a white, Magpie Estate's Last Stand Chardonnay opens the list at €9.90 a bottle, sold singly.
The old vine register, designation by designation
Opened in 2009 by the valley's growers, this register sets a minimum age for each designation and commits whoever prints it on their bottle. The older the vine, the smaller the bunch and the denser the material.
| La mention portée par le vin | The age of the vines | What it changes in the glass | Une bouteille du rayon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franc de pied | Since the first plantings of the 1840s | Original roots, the vine set straight into the soil, a lifespan counted in centuries | The common bedrock of the valley's historic plots |
| Barossa Old Vine | 35 ans et plus | Rendement mesuré, baies plus petites, fruit déjà concentré | Charles Melton The Father in Law38 € la bouteille, par lot de 3 |
| Barossa Survivor Vine | 70 ans et plus | Récolte faible, tanins arrivés souples dès la cuve | Rockford Basket Press Shiraz105 € la bouteille, à l'unité |
| Barossa Centenarian Vine | 100 ans et plus | Grains minuscules, matière serrée, allonge remarquable | Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz270 € la bouteille, à l'unité |
| Barossa Ancestor Vine | 125 ans et plus | Among the oldest Shiraz vines still in production anywhere in the world | Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz1 000 € la bouteille, à l'unité |
Rockford builds its Basket Press from plots of 60 to 140 years old, Mount Edelstone was planted in 1912, and the oldest vines of Hill of Grace go back to the 1860s. To follow dry Riesling beyond these hills, go to the Riesling page; for another warm reading of Shiraz, McLaren Vale takes over a little further south.
A bottle for every mood
Ways into the two valleys, from the everyday white to a bottle from a historic vineyard.
Ouvrir la carte australienne
A lively, fruity Chardonnay, lemon and green apple, with a mineral finish. The first step into this section, at a gentle price.
Magpie Estate The Last Stand Chardonnay 2023 · 9,90 € la bouteille, à l'unitéGoûter le shiraz de vieilles vignes
Grenache, shiraz et mourvèdre de parcelles anciennes, élevés deux ans en fût. Cerise noire, cuir et épices, tanins soyeux.
Torbreck Old Vines 2021 · 20,90 € la bouteille par caisse de 6, ou 22 € à l'unitéCompare the two valleys
A blend that marries the flesh of the Barossa Valley with the freshness of the Eden hillsides, Shiraz in front, Cabernet and Merlot behind.
Henschke Keyneton Euphonium 2021 · 65 € la bouteille, par lot de 2Découvrir le riesling sec d'altitude
Harvested on the heights of Keyneton, fermented in stainless-steel tank: citrus, white flowers and a chiselled finish. The white for seafood.
Henschke Peggy's Hill Riesling 2024 · 31,20 € la bouteille, par caisse de 6Mettre un rhodanien à table
Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre fermented separately then blended, aged in French oak. Generous, spicy, cut out for a leg of lamb.
Charles Melton La Belle Mère 2020 · 36 € la bouteille, par lot de 3Le classique artisanal de la Barossa
Pressoir à panier de la fin du 19e siècle, cuve ouverte, deux ans de vieux fûts. Puissant et élégant, la signature de la maison.
Rockford Basket Press Shiraz 2019 · 105 € la bouteille, à l'unitéOffrir une icône australienne
Le vignoble planté autour d'une petite église luthérienne, en Eden Valley. Une garde qui se compte en décennies.
Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz 2019 · 1 000 € la bouteille, à l'unitéSuivre le cépage ailleurs
Shiraz ici, syrah à Tain ou à Stellenbosch : le même raisin, sous deux noms, d'un vignoble à l'autre.
Page du rayon · Syrah et shiraz
Silesians, a quarantine and vines saved
In 1842, Lutheran families from Silesia fled religious pressure in Prussia and landed in South Australia. They settled in a dry valley north of Adelaide, built villages with German names, Bethanien, Langmeil, Krondorf, and planted vines within the first few years. Phylloxera, which ravaged Europe from the 1860s onwards, stopped at the gates of the region: a strict quarantine still protects it today, and every vine there grows on its own roots.
These plantings nearly disappeared in the 1980s, when a public subsidy encouraged the pulling up of vines judged unproductive. Some families held firm. The register opened in 2009 now records what they preserved, plot by plot.
Comment on choisit
In this section we taste before we list, and we look at two things: the freshness that remains beneath the power, and the clarity of the fruit once the oak has been absorbed. A high degree of alcohol counts for less than a finish that stands upright. We then follow the houses that harvest by hand and keep their old plots in good order.
L'équipe du Baroudeur du Vin
Ce qu'on nous demande sur la Barossa
Pourquoi ces bouteilles partent-elles souvent par lot ou par caisse ?
The Australian estates we follow ship their cuvées by full cases, and we keep that packaging to hold the price down. The price shown on each listing is the one for a single bottle, with the sales format right beside it. A good part of the section is nonetheless offered singly, from Rockford, Torbreck, Magpie Estate and Henschke.
Are Shiraz and Syrah the same grape variety?
Yes, one and the same grape under two names. Australia kept the spelling shiraz received in the 19th century, while France and most other countries write syrah. The word mainly announces a style: shiraz suggests a sun-filled, generous version, syrah a more peppery one. Both are found on the Syrah page.
Quelle différence entre Barossa Valley et Eden Valley ?
Altitude, and everything that follows from it. The Barossa Valley occupies the warm, dry floor, at around 250 to 300 metres: its Shiraz is dense and candied, with round tannins. The Eden Valley climbs from 400 to more than 500 metres, with cold nights: Shiraz there turns peppery and taut, and dry Riesling gives its finest bottles.
What is the Barossa old vine register?
A charter opened in 2009 by the valley's growers, which classifies plots according to their age: Old Vine from 35 years, Survivor Vine from 70, Centenarian Vine from 100 and Ancestor Vine from 125. The designation appears on the label or on the technical sheet, and the table above gives the full reading.
What does “ungrafted” mean for these vines?
That the vine grows on its own roots, without an American rootstock. The phylloxera aphid, which forced grafting across almost all of Europe, stopped at the borders of South Australia, protected ever since by a strict quarantine. That is what allows plantings from the 1840s and 1860s to still give a crop every southern autumn.
Combien de temps se gardent ces vins ?
A valley Shiraz opens from its youth and will happily hold for five to ten years. Single-vineyard cuvées such as Mount Edelstone or Hill of Grace comfortably pass the decade and gain truffle, leather and spice. Eden Valley Rieslings, for their part, often go beyond ten years and develop notes of candied lemon and wax.
Is Eden Valley Riesling dry?
Yes, and that is its signature. Harvested at altitude, gently pressed then fermented at low temperature in stainless-steel tank, it keeps its natural acidity and finishes with very little sugar. Expect a straight palate, lime and gunflint, at around 11.5 to 12.5% abv. Nothing like the off-dry versions from other countries.
À quelle température servir un shiraz de la Barossa ?
Between 16 and 17 °C, no more: beyond that, the warmth of the wine brings out the alcohol and crushes the fruit. Decant the youngest cuvées an hour before serving. For an Eden Valley Riesling, come down to 10 or 12 °C, in a glass wide enough to let the citrus breathe.
Which dishes should you serve with these bottles?
A valley-floor Shiraz calls for grilled meats, lamb with rosemary, rib of beef and mature cheeses. Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre blends go with a civet or a daube. High-altitude Cabernet prefers a rare cut of beef. Dry Riesling, for its part, goes with oysters, ceviche and spicy Asian cooking.
Par quelle bouteille commencer ?
Take an entry-level red to set the style of the valley: Torbreck's Old Vines, at €20.90 a bottle in cases of 6 or €22 singly, shows the black fruit, the leather and the silky tannins of the old plots. Add Henschke's Peggy's Hill Riesling, at €31.20 a bottle in cases of 6, to discover the upper valley.