The 2021 and 2022 Barossa Valley vintages were equally spectacular, and I won’t venture as to which is superior to the other. Both possess distinct qualities and share equal pedigree.
The winter and spring preceding both vintages welcomed above average rainfalls in our vineyards. A welcome change following an exceptionally dry period extending from mid 2018. In local winemaking circles, ample rainfall in the preceding dormant season is generally regarded a precursor to exceptional Barossa vintage years – and so it was proven to be yet again.
Both vintages were marked by generally cooler growing conditions and near perfect harvest conditions. The fruit was able to ripen evenly and to optimum flavour and physiological ripeness delivering fruit displaying rich flavour combined with freshness and purity.
Our winemaking approach is consistent across all the red wines in the collection. Natural fermentation on skins for 10-12 days with twice daily pump overs to develop deep colour and complex flavour along with a velvet like tannin profile which is a hallmark of the Estate style. Oak maturation for 18-22 months in a combination of new and seasoned French oak barriques aims to promote fine tannin structures in the wines, complementing the bold fruit characters.
I am extremely pleased with both wines from the 2021 vintage. The Gander Shiraz is sourced from a balanced selection of sites across the estate and aims to serve as the ultimate statement of the capability of the vineyard in exceptional vintages. The new release wine champions that ethos effortlessly. For more than 20 vintages The Goose Yard Block Shiraz has served as our flagship wine, with the 2021 edition establishing a new high mark for the Estate. Sourced entirely from Block 5 located atop the crest of our Roennfeldt Road vineyard, this site has yielded an intensely flavoured wine displaying distinctive mineral characters woven through velvety tannins.
The 2022 vintage wines are a triumph. Fully expressive of the almost impossibly perfect growing and harvest conditions. The absence of any extreme heat during summer and autumn enabling even and steady ripening which is manifest in a collection of wines showing admirable purity, freshness set against a background of impressive flavour intensity. The bold flavour character and velvety tannin profile of all the wine makes them eminently enjoyable immediately upon release. However, for those with patience, they will equally reward careful cellar maturation for 15 years or more.
Our ambition is to enable each Schubert Estate wine to bear the distinctive flavour stamp of a singular aspect of our estate vineyard. As a collection, these wines from consecutive spectacular Barossa vintages are an emphatic statement of our aspirations and a reflection of our commitment to craft first growth Barossa Valley wine.
