Mother Vine

Mother Vine is a wine bar located on Vardon Avenue in Adelaide. It is the sort of place that you come across on your travels and you wish you had at home. As well as an excellent wine list they also offer food in the form of small plates. They also offer the Motherboard, a selection of charcuteries, cheeses, marinated olives, pickles, spiced nuts and sourdough bread. Easily enough for two, this was an absolute delight and a perfect accompaniment to the wines we had.

Giant Steps Yarra Valley Chardonnay Victoria 2017

A natural wine,  low intervention, hand picked, wild yeasts and minimal filtration. Lemon citrus with lovely texture, crisp and clean. There are some very nice toasty notes with hints of almond. the finish is lingering citrus. Very nice.

Goon Tycoons Smokey Gun Chenin Blanc Margaret River WA 2017

Single vineyard Chenin Blanc which has been 100% barrel fermented. Apricot, peach, lemon citrus. Palate is medium with good texture and noticeable minerality. The finish is peach and a lovely lingering lemon acidity. Very nice.

Rusden Driftsand GSM Barossa 2016

Inky with a little maturity at the rim. Strawberry, raspberry and sweet plummy fruit. Palate is silky smooth with red fruits, chocolate, coffee and vanilla. Very nice

S.C. Pannell Basso Garnacha McLaren Vale South Australia 2017

Bright cherry red in appearance. Aromas of red cherry and warm spice. the palate has bags of red cherry, raspberry. There is a gentle nuttiness which is delicate and refined. this is highly fruity, drinkable wine with a serious side. The finish is incredibly long. Excellent.

Rusden Christines Vineyard Grenache Barossa 2016

Red/garnet in colour. Cherry and raspberry with a smokey, savoury core. Medium bodied, this wine has serious depth with warm spices while maintaining a youthful drinkability. Developing well in the glass, an excellent example of Barossa old vine Grenache.

 

 

 

Adelaide Botanic Gardens

I’ve never really been a fan of botanic gardens despite having a degree in Botany. Somehow they always seemed to me to be living in the past and were meant for someone older than me. My view has changed somewhat on this trip, particularly after visiting Singapore and the delightful and wondrous Gardens by the Bay

Adelaide Botanic Gardens are also well worth a visit.  The gardens, situated on North Terrace in the city, opened in 1857 and have seen many changes and redevelopments over the years to keep the gardens relevant to everyone. Recent years have seen the Garden of Health and the First Creek Wetland open to visitors. At the time of our visit the Adelaide Fringe Festival was drawing to a close and number of events were taking place in and around the gardens.

Artisans of Barossa

Artisans of Barossa is a collective of six winemakers who share a tasting room on the corner of Magnolia Road and Light Pass Road just outside the town of Tanunda in the Barossa Valley. They share a common goal to produce handcrafted wines that typify the Barossa. Production methods may vary between the winemakers but the wines made are all representative of the styles of the region and are quintessentially Barossa.

Spinifex

Peter Schell and Magali Gely are the driving forces behind Spinifex. They began making wine in the Barossa in 2001 but have been involved in the industry for much longer. Peter had worked several vintages in French wine regions and Magali comes from a French wine making family. Together they source grapes from a number of growers in the Barossa to create some wonderful, handcrafted wines.

Spinifex Eden Valley Riesling 2017

A dry style of Riesling with fresh acidity and lime citrus with stone fruits and a mineral edge. A lovely clean, dry finish.

Spinifex Papillon Grenache 2017

Light, cherry red in appearance. There is bags of red fruits, cranberry, cherry, strawberry. A lighter style of Grenache which is delicate and perfumed. Absolutely delicious and very drinkable. A real star.

Sons of Eden

Cory Ryan and Simon Cowham are the driving forces behind Sons of Eden. Having learnt their trade in the vineyards and wineries of the Eden Valley they have become established in the Barossa where they are creating wines of real class.

Sons of Eden Freya Eden Valley Riesling 2017

Lemon yellow in. appearance. There aromas of lime, lemon sherbet and green apple. The palate is crisp citrus fruits and there is a lovely balance with a great long, lingering finish. A very drinkable wine – lovely.

Sons of Eden The Kennedy GSM 2016

Named in honour of the Kennedy family whose vineyard of old Grenache vines are used in this blend. Deep ruby in appearance with aromas of dark cherry, raspberry, plum and dried herbs. The palate is full with dark fruit and peppery spice. Tannins are dry and there is a finish of perfumed red fruits. Very nice.

Hobbs of Barossa Ranges

Greg And Alison Hobbs have been handcrafting wines made with minimum intervention since the late nineties. Production is small but high quality.

Hobbs Tin Lids Viognier 2017

Aromas of stone fruits – apricots and nectarine. Palate is medium with a nice balance and a refreshing, clean finish.

Hobbs Aria Secca Tin Lids Shiraz 2016

Grapes are handpicked and semi dried on racks prior to vinification in a style similar to the production of Amazon in Italy. The wine is medium red in colour. There are concentrated black fruits with smooth, silky mouthfeel. Savoury with a raisiny fruit. A lovely, easy drinking style of wine. Very nice.

Hobbs Gregor Shiraz 2016

Produced in the Amazon style with whole bunch drying in a shed until the grapes have lost 20% moisture. Deep and inky in appearance. Aromas of sweet fruit, complex and multidimensional. Silky smooth with raisins and white pepper. Lovely, lovely wine.

Schwarz Wine Company

Jason Schwarz bourses fruit from some of Barossa’s best old vines. His approach is one of minimum intervention to produce wines where terroir shines through.

Schwarz Thiele Road Grenache 2016

Produced from vines planted in the early nineteen forties the wine is red/garnet in colour with aromas of cherry. Palate has spice red fruit with a touch of dried herb.

Schwarz Nitschke Block Shiraz 2016

From fruit grown on the valley floor, hand picked and basket pressed. Aromas of red cherry, raspberry and coffee. Palate is deep and rich, spicy fruit with as hint of vanilla. Good length with a savoury, peppery finish.

Massena

Jaysen Collins makes his wines in small quantities from his own vineyards.He is known for crafting wines from grape varieties such as Primitive and Saperavi which are little grown in the Barossa.

Massena Dadds Block Primitivo 2017

Deep in colour and youthful. Dark brambly fruit with herb and leafy notes. Bags of fruit with some cooling mint. This is a very nice wine with real balance. tannins a littlr grippy. A great food wine,

Massena Caviste Blend 2017

 

 

A predominantly shiraz blend. Deep red and youthful. Bags of brambly fruit, lush and silky smooth. A sweet finish.

John Duvall Wines

John worked for Penfolds Wines for 28 years, including 16 years as chief winemaker, responsible for such iconic wines as Grange. John developed his own label, John Duvall Wines in2oo3 and has since been joined by his son. Along with wines from the Barossa John also makes wines in Chile, South America.

John Duvall Plexus SGM 2016

deep red and youthful in appearance. Concentrated black fruits, coffee and mint. Palate is full with spicy/peppery fruit., A serious wine the would benefit from a few years cellaring.

John Duvall Mataro Annexus 2016

The first vin tase of this wine and only 250 cases made. Production is likely to be only in the best years. Deep, inky, opaque with a youthful purple rim. Back fruits, leather,  chocolate and spice. A monster of a wine that needs to be kept for a few years.

As well as the excellent tasting room there is also the Harvest Kitchen which has a strong focus on the foods produced in The Barossa Valley