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