INTRO
 Australia’s largest and oldest family owned winery. Samuel Smith, a Dorset brewer arrived in South Australia in 1848 and within a year had wandered along the Barossa Valley to Angaston, bought 12 hectares, and planted his first vines. Expansion came rapidly and by the 1860’s Yalumba was a significant purchaser of grapes from other Barossa growers. The families from these early farmers are still supplying grapes to the winery these days.
My mate Rob Hill-Smith, a fifth generation descendant, runs this highly impressive operation. The company’s vineyards are some of Australia’s finest and the winery is state of the art, with the country’s only in-house cooperage. Rob’s team of viticulturists, winemakers and the other staff are a fantastic bunch of highly talented individuals; they are more like a vast extended family than just employees. It’s a great operation!
WILD FERMENT CHARDONNAY 2007
 This Chardonnay comes from South Australia’s coolest climate – The Eden Valley in the Barossa Hills. The juice has been encouraged to ferment with the natural yeasts preserved on the skins. This technique creates a wine with both great complexity and finesse. Rob Hill-Smith’s team has produced a wine which provides the best of both worlds – wonderful, extroverted, buttery, gently oaked Aussie fruit ….but with a European lightness of being. I first tasted this blind and estimated twice the price!
“Y” SERIES SHIRAZ 2005
THE “GALWAY VINTAGE” BLEND
 GALWAY HERMITAGE was one of the icons of sixties Australia. A wine first created in the nineteen forties, it was light years ahead of its time. In the days when Oz wine producers were making sound but dull wines with little finesse of character, Yalumba were producing this beauty – a vibrant, juicy Shiraz with rounded, extroverted fruit flavours clamouring for one’s attention. Between 1965 and 1972 I sold vast quantities at The Coachman Restaurant in Wellington, New Zealand … and enjoyed many a bottle with my after work dinner. When I took over the Cork & Bottle in 1972, and introduced Australian wines to my customers, Galway Hermitage was the first red to be featured.
Unfortunately the wine was withdrawn from the export market. The only time I drank it over the next thirty or so years was on trips Downunder. I stay in Melbourne with my TV Chef brother Iain who only drinks white wine. He always looked askance as I walked in the door with cases of Galway for lunch or dinner, parties, or just a quiet reflective glass or two whilst watching the cricket on the TV. I must admit, I love every drop!
A few years’ ago Rob and the team decided to use this blend as their “Y” SERIES SHIRAZ for the British market. The winemakers describe it as:
“An elegant classic Shiraz offering a vibrant berry nose with hints of liquorice, spices and delicate mocha chocolate. The palate is complex displaying yummy fruit flavours of berries and plums, with good depth, balanced by fine tannins”.
Next time you are in the C&B try a bottle ...It is terrific on its own, and goes brilliantly with our Grilled Spicy California Sausages with a tangy tomato salsa.
“THE SIGNATURE” CABERNET SHIRAZ
Cabernet-Shiraz is a marvellous South Australian blend – the elegance of the Bordeaux grape marrying beautifully with the depth and spicy Rhone varietal. “The Signature” is a benchmark for this style. It is produced from the company’s finest Barossa vineyards and aged for twenty three months in French and American oak.
“An unexpectedly cool January was perfect for the grapes to ripen; maintaining excellent natural acid levels and very deep rich colours…The wine has excellent depth of colour, richness and complexity. Redcurrants plus warm exotic fruits and dark chocolate combine with subtle eucalyptus flavours”
Winemaker Kevin Glastonbury
How about this for a perfect Lunch or Dinner? We decant this beauty and whilst it breathes you enjoy a glass of my Champagne. Later, tuck into a juicy Sirloin and luxuriate whilst the wonderful wine works its magic! |
