The Signature Cabernet Shiraz was first made in 1962. Each release is a ‘salute to an employee or person who has made a significant contribution to the culture and traditions of the company’. The Cabernet and Shiraz grapes derive from old vine material in the Eden Valley and Barossa Valley. After batch-vinification the wine completes fermentation in barrel, followed by maturation in Yalumba-coopered new and seasoned American and French oak. It is typified by rich plum/dark chocolate/panforte aromas and flavours, dense, chalky tannins, superb generosity of fruit and underlying savoury oak. Langton's Classified since 2010. Promoted to the 'Outstanding' category in 2018.
"Matured for 20 months in French, Hungarian and American oak. This ticks all the boxes, a rock of ages in the storm of Yalumba reds coming onto the market, led by The Cayley, but numerous others seeking your company. The blackcurrant and blackberry fruit are in total harmony, and the overall texture is of a high order thanks to the oak management, as well as that of the tannins. A standout from a vintage that had its challenges." 96 points, James Halliday
"The vintage experienced a good growing season with 100 mls of rain on February 14th. Quite a fleshy, approachable style with plum, berry and spice flavours. Appealing, juicy fruit makes it quite drinkable, although the wine still has a moderately firm structure." 95 points, Bob Campbell
"An elegant vintage. Deep red colour with a tinge of purple, the bouquet herbal and dark-fruited, with touches of smoke and char, the shiraz showing out clearly. The wine is medium to full-bodied and slightly firmer on the finish than the '13. Not as deep or powerful as that vintage." 95 points, Huon Hooke
Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, matured for 21 months in French, Hungarian and American oak, 32% new (though none of the American oak was new). You’d imagine, given Yalumba’s history and facilities, that all the oak was Australian coopered... Pitch perfect on the nose, palate and finish. This is in superb form. Berried, chocolatey, laced with licorice, scattered with dry, fragrant herbs and topped with pure coffee-like flavour. It feels both alive and dense, it’s scaffolded by an assertive range of tannin, it’s lifted by mint-like tips, and it reaches far through the finish/aftertaste. Perfect red for the cellar. Drink 2021-2034+
96 points, Wine Front (8/2018).
Barossa Valley
Colonel William Light, the South Australian colony’s Surveyor-General, named the Barossa in 1837 after the site of an English victory over the French in the Spanish Peninsular War. In the mid-1800’s Silesian and English immigrants settled in the area. The Barossa itself comprises two distinct sub-regions: Eden Valley and the warmer Barossa Valley floor at 270m.The Barossa Valley enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate characterised by hot dry summers and relatively low rainfall. Cool sea breezes from the Gulf of St Vincent modify the temperature, however hot northerly winds can occasionally dominate creating considerable vine stress. Many older established vineyards are dry-grown, but supplementary irrigation is also extensively used. The valley is comprised of rich brown soils and alluvial sands. A long history of uninterrupted viticulture in the area means the Barossa valley is home to Australia’s largest concentration of old-vine Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre with many over 100 years old. Although most famous for Shiraz, the Barossa can also produce fragrant and deliciously fruity Grenache blends and beautifully rich, chocolatey Cabernet Sauvignons.Samuel Smith established Yalumba in 1849 and 165 years later descendant Robert Hill Smith now presides over Australia's oldest family owned wine company. Yalumba owns vineyards and sources fruit primarily in the Barossa and Coonawarra. Robert Hill-Smith manages to combine conservatism and tradition with up-to-date winemaking technology and thinking. Yalumba produces a considerable number of different wines across the price-point spectrum from a multitude of varieties, all with a focus on quality, varietal and regional expression. The strong winemaking team is headed up by Louisa Rose, a brilliantly intuitive winemaker whose white wines are some of the best in the country.
