The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz is an Eden Valley and Barossa Valley blend. It reflects the strength of teamwork and authentic Australian winemaking, as each release is a salute to an employee or person who is recognised as contributing significantly to the culture and traditions of Yalumba. Matured in estate-coopered new (32%) and seasoned French, Hungarian and American barriques and hogsheads, it is typified by generous plum, chocolate and panforte fruit, and dense, chalky tannins.
"A seamless affair. Tobacco, blackcurrant, plum and malty oak sing in beautiful harmony, firm tannin singing from the same integrated songbook. Mint and dried herb notes make qualified contributions too. It doesn't have a lot of spunk, but it puts not a foot wrong."
94 points, Wine Companion (February 2019)
"I have a real soft spot for Signature. Definitive old skool, but also, reliably good for cellar, impressive youthful drinking. Rustic charm, yet polished, like cracked leather seats in a beautifully maintained vintage car.
This couldn’t be more ocker. Succulent, long, medium weight and hemmed with beautiful tannins, this is a good release of this wine and revels in a little elegance over assumed grunt, though you won’t miss the tongue grapple of the finish. Blueberries, dusty notes, ferrous character, clove, and some cocoa powder. Travels long and well. Delivers that sweet and earthy mesh of both varieties so clearly. It’s very charming."
94+ points, The Wine Front (February 2020)
"Deep red colour with a good purple tint and a mellow bouquet of earthy, nutty, faintly spicy Barossa character rather than varietal. It's full-bodied and very savoury, with abundant drying, earthy tannins and a rich, lingering finish and aftertaste. An interesting style, down-playing primary fruit and emphasising savouriness and tannin, but not oaky as they used to be. The tannins are mouthcoating and supple, ripe and classy. Good concentration and a very long carry. An impressive and delicious wine. (52% cabernet, 42% shiraz; about 20% new oak. Signatory is viticulturist Darrell Kruger)"
95 points, The Real Review (May 2019)
"Yalumba's 2015 The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz features complementary notes of cedar and cassis, vanilla and blackberries, mint and black olives. It's full-bodied and velvety in feel, with ample tannin but also a sense of generosity, and it has a long, grainy-textured finish. Concentrated and intense, it should age well for a decade and a half or more. This 46th vintage of The Signature has been dedicated to Darrell Kruger, Barossa vineyard manager for Yalumba since 1975."
93 points, Wine Advocate (May 2020)
"This has a deep array of cassis and blackberries with some dried red fruit, spices and cedar. The palate is rich in mellow, red-plum and redcurrant flavors with fresh, easygoing, leathery complexity at the finish. Very classically styled. A blend of 51% cabernet sauvignon and 49% shiraz."
93 points, JamesSuckling.com (June 2019)
"This premium cuvée from Yalumba is classic Barossa. An almost 50-50 split of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, it is rich and muscular yet restrained and balanced. It weaves notes of chocolate, plums, cherries, licorice, olives and ground black pepper with sweeter, cola-like notes from aging in a variety of oak barrels. The fruit on the palate feels bright and fresh thanks to a nice line of acidity. It's supported by savory, textured tannins. Drink now, with protein at hand and until 2029 at least."
93 points, Wine Enthusiast (January 2020)
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.
