THORN CLARKE ‘KABININGE’ VINEYARD – KRONDORF DEEP BLACK CRACKING CLAY
RUSDEN VINE VALE VINEYARD DEEP SAND OVER CLAY
KAESLER ‘OLD BASTARD’ VINEYARD – NURIOOTPA DEEP RED BROWN EARTH
SCHOLZ ESTATE ‘FAT OF THE LAND’ VINEYARD - EBENEZER RED BROWN EARTH
Barossa Soils
Barossa’s soils and topography play an important part in selecting sites for planting grapevines. Soil types range from alluvial sands and rich fertile black soils in Southern Barossa, to the less fertile slopes overlaying the limestone and ancient sandstone and schist of Eden Valley – to the red clay loams of Northern Barossa.
HENTLEY FARM ‘THE BEAST’ VINEYARD - SEPPELTSFIELD RED BROWN EARTH OVER CALCAREOUS SUBSOIL
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KEN & HELEN SEMMLER ‘ST JAKOBI’ VINEYARD - LYNDOCH DEEP ALLUVIAL CLAY LOAM DUPLEX
OPEN THE PAGES TO DISCOVER THE STORY OF DIVERSITY IN THE TASTE OF SHIRAZ WINES ACROSS BAROSSA.
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BAROSSA ZONE Ebenezer
Moppa
STOCKWELL
NORTHERN GREENOCK GROUNDS
BAROSSA VALLEY
Kalimna
Seppeltsfield
Marananga Stone Well
NURIOOTPA
Light Pass
Moculta
Dorrien
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Gomersal
ANGasTON
TANUNDA
E AS
E Vine Vale
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CENTRAL GROUNDS
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Bethany
Krondorf
Rosedale
EDEN VALLEY
Flaxman Valley
LYNDOCH
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SOUTHERN GROUNDS
Rowland Flat
Keyneton
Pewsey Vale
Craneford
HIGH EDEN
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WILLIAMSTOWN
For more information on the Barossa Grounds Project Contact Nicki Robins: Barossa Grape & Wine Association nicki@barossa.com www.barossa.com September 2016 Printed on 100% recycled paper.
Springton
With time, more specific locations may be identified within the Barossa Zone, highlighting the diversity of Shiraz across the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley Regions. Variation in the taste of Riesling wines from different locations within the Eden Valley may also be explored.
THE BAROSSA CO PY
GROUNDS Y
How climate, soil, landscape, grower and winemaker all contribute to the diversity of Barossa Shiraz.
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Discover the diversity of Shiraz from across Barossa’s landscape.
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Barossa is 70 kilometres north-east of Adelaide in South Australia with a history dating from 1842, sixth generation winemaking families and some Shiraz vines over 170 years old.
THE BAROSSA ZONE CONSISTS OF TWO REGIONS:
BAROSSA VALLEY
SUB-REGION
EDEN VALLEY
HIGH EDEN
THE TASTE OF BAROSSA VALLEY & EDEN VALLEY SHIRAZ
Barossa Shiraz is one of the great regional wine styles of the world. First produced by Silesian and English settlers in the late 1840s, it is renowned for its aromatic complexity, volume and flavourrichness. The taste of Barossa Shiraz evokes the character and stories of a unique and beautiful
landscape. Its compelling nuances are connected to ancient, genetic, colonial vine stock, varying microclimates, soils, topography and generations of effort. For over 150 years growers and winemakers have observed the growth habits of Shiraz vines in the Barossa Zone. Anecdotal evidence acquired over several generations suggests that quality and character of Barossa Shiraz are profoundly connected with locality and vineyard. Different climates, aspects and soil types, possess unique characteristics that impact on the taste of Shiraz.
These differences have become increasingly obvious with the release of more single vineyard and sub-regional wines, bringing an exciting richness and diversity to the Barossa Shiraz experience.
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THE BAROSSA GROUNDS PROJECT
Can the taste of a wine transport you to a piece of ground somewhere in the Barossa?
112 – 597m (53% <280m)
Climate
Warm and dry during the growing season. The warm conditions help build weight and fruit richness to the wines.
Soils
Soils are very diverse, ranging from deep sandy loams to clay loams and red brown earths.
Style:
Full-bodied, opulent, rich, robust.
Colour:
Deep purple-red
Aroma:
Blue and black fruits (dark cherry, fruitcake, plum, blackberry, mulberry, black olives) spice, chocolate, licorice.
Shape & Texture:
Round and velvety. Firm tannins (chalky, grainy) moderately to strongly puckering and drying.
EDEN VALLEY Climate
created by the Australian Geographical Indications to indicate a unique and homogenous wine growing region.
The higher altitude results in wetter and cooler weather. Day time temperatures can be 2-3OC cooler (night time temperatures 5-7OC cooler) than the Barossa Valley. The cooler conditions result in a more elegant, perfumed, linear-shaped wine.
Soils
Mainly shallow, rocky soils.
Sub-region – an official boundary
Style:
Medium- to full-bodied, vibrant, elegant.
Colour:
Vibrant red.
Aroma:
Mainly red and blue fruits (red and black cherry, raspberry, blueberry, plum), violets, sage, pepper.
Shape & Texture:
Linear to oval, silky, savoury. Fine tannins (dusty, powdery) moderately puckering and moderately to strongly drying.
The Australian Geographical Indications defines the official boundaries of the Barossa Zone; its Regions Barossa Valley and Eden Valley, and the Sub-region of High Eden.
Ground – an unofficial but locally recognised locality, identified by its climate, soil, geology and vineyard management practices.
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THE TASTE OF THE WINES
217 – 630m (99% >280m)
within the Barossa Valley Region - Northern Grounds, Central Grounds and Southern Grounds. Two smaller grounds, Eastern Edge and Western Ridge, are also acknowledged.
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Altitude
Altitude
The Barossa Grounds Project was established in 2008 to evaluate the variations of wine style across the Barossa Zone. This collaborative undertaking, led by the Barossa Grape & Wine Association and including the participation of South Australia’s leading soil scientists and viticulturists, wine critics, PIRSA, Wine Australia and many of the Barossa’s most experienced winemakers, involved the collection of climatic data, analysis of soil profiles across the Barossa and Eden Valleys, controlled winemaking studies and annual tasting reviews.
The Barossa Grounds Project identified three distinctive Grounds
BAROSSA VALLEY
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Barossa is famous for its richlyflavoured Shiraz wines — from both the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley. But other varieties excel here too, including Grenache, Mataro and Cabernet Sauvignon in the Barossa Valley and Riesling, Chardonnay and Viognier in the Eden Valley. Barossa is also wellknown for its GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro) blends. Eden Valley Rieslings are known for their great ageing potential. Many outstanding fortified wines are also produced in Barossa.
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Region – An official boundary
created by the Australian Geographical Indications and based on evidence of sub regional differences including climate, soils and overall wine style.
Parish – the area surrounding the villages established by the different groups of original Barossan settlers.
THE TASTE OF THE WINES
WHY ARE THE â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;GROUNDSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER?
SHIRAZ
VINEYARD SITE
SOIL TYPE
Contributing elements (what are often
Soil structure, depth, fertility, water-holding capacity and supply are factors that influence vine
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Elevation, slope and aspect will modify temperature conditions, sunshine hours, rainfall and frost incidence.
growth, as well as viticultural management practices including vineyard orientation, trellising, clonal selection, irrigation, pruning and harvesting.
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Shiraz was planted in South Australia around 1838. It probably arrived in the Barossa somewhere during the mid-1840s. There are various selections or clones of Shiraz, each with subtly different growing characteristics.
Ebenezer
Stockwell Kalimna Light Pass
Nuriootpa
Flaxman Valley
Vine Vale
Marananga Stone Well
AD Bethany
Stockwell Kalimna Light Pass
Ebenezer
Krondorf
Moppa
Gomersal
Nuriootpa Dorrien
Greenock
Barossa Valley
Seppeltsfield
Rowland Marananga Stone Well Flat Tanunda
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Vine Vale
Craneford
High Keyneton Eden
Angaston Pewsey Vale Pewsey Vale Peak 629m
Lyndoch
Barossa Valley
Eden Valley
Springton Eden Valley Craneford
Bethany
Rowland Flat
Barossa Soil Groups
Flaxman Valley
Kaiser Stuhl
Krondorf
Gomersal
Rosedale
Eden Valley
Kaiser Stuhl
Tanunda
Seppeltsfield
Barossa Soil Groups
referred to as terroir) that determine the character of a locality were charted in the Barossa Grounds Project and are shown in the maps on the following page.
Keyneton
Angaston
Dorrien
Greenock
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The personality of Shiraz is linked to the character of vineyard site, vine age, clone, viticultural practices, soil types, harvesting time and individual winemaking craft and philosophy. Vintage conditions bring further variation. Cooler sites may perform best in warmer seasons, whereas warmer sites perform best in cooler seasons!
Pewsey Vale Pewsey Vale Peak 629m
High Eden
Eden Valley Springton
Mt Crawford
Geographic Indicator Mt Crawford Boundary
Lyndoch
Williamstown
Geographic Indicator Boundary
Deep loamy texture contrast soils with brown or dark subsoil
Williamstown
Ironstone Deep loamy texture contrast soils soils with brown or dark subsoil Ironstone soils
Shallow to moderately deep acidic soils on rock
Shallow to moderately deep acidic soils on rock Shallow soils on rock Shallow soils on rock
Deep uniform to gradational soils
Deep uniform to gradational soils Calcareous soils Calcareous soils Shallow soils on calcrete or limestone
Shallow soils on calcrete or limestone
Gradational soils with highly calcareous lower Gradational soils subsoil Hard red-brown texturecalcareous contrast soils lower subsoil with highly with alkaline subsoil
Hard red-brown texture contrast soils with alkaline subsoil
Cracking clay soils
Sand over clay soils
Cracking clay soils
Deep sands
Sand over clay soils Deep sands
IDENTIFYING THE GROUNDS
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The Barossa Grounds Project identified three distinctive “Grounds” within the Barossa Valley Region. Two smaller grounds are also acknowledged.
Central Grounds — comprises
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vineyards in the parishes of Gomersal, Tanunda, Nuriootpa, Dorrien and Light Pass. A difficult area to define as there are dramatic differences in soil type across this section of the Barossa landscape. Each wine has the Barossa Valley signature, but with a different expression; sometimes more like the north, other times more like the south — it depends very much on the climate and soil of each site and how the grower manages the site. Vineyards around the parishes of Krondorf, Bethany and Vine Vale are located along the Eastern Edge, one of the first areas settled in the 1840s because of its deep sandy loam soils, water-holding capacity and access. The soil, and the gully breezes from Eden Valley, bring a softness to the character of these wines, similar in structure to the wines in the south.
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Northern Grounds — includes vineyards in the “parishes” (townships) of Seppeltsfield, Marananga, Stone Well, Greenock, Moppa, Stockwell, Ebenezer and Kalimna. The renowned Western Ridge runs from the north of Greenock, through Seppeltsfield and pushes into the Central Grounds near Gomersal.
Southern Grounds — The
southern approaches of the Barossa Valley include vineyards in the parishes of Williamstown, Lyndoch, Rowland Flat and Rosedale.
Growing Degree Days is used as an indication of the cumulative temperature conditions across the vine growing season.
Barossa Soil Available Water Holding Capacity Ebenezer Moppa
Greenock Seppeltsfield
Stockwell Kalimna Light Pass
Nuriootpa
Vine Vale
Marananga Stone Well
Tanunda
Keyneton
Angaston
Flaxman Valley
Eden Valley
Kaiser Stuhl Craneford
Bethany Krondorf Pewsey Vale
Gomersal
Rowland Flat
Barossa Valley Rosedale
High Eden
Eden Valley Springton
Pewsey Vale Peak 629m
Lyndoch
Mt Crawford
Geographic Indicator Boundary
Williamstown
More than 100cm 70 - 100cm 40 - 70cm 20 - 40cm Less than 20cm
Rainfall patterns are linked to elevation. The highest average rainfall in the Barossa Valley occurs in the Southern Grounds, along the Eastern Edge, and in the north along the Western Ridge.
TEMPERATURE
The warmest parts of the Barossa Valley are found in the western areas of the Southern and Central Grounds. Growing Degree Days is used as an indication of the cumulative temperature conditions across the vine growing season.
SOIL PROPERTIES
A measure of soil available waterholding capacity is used to illustate a soil property. There is wide variation across Barossa. Water-holding capacity of soil determines whether vineyards require supplementary water. While irrigation is used by growers across the Barossa Valley there are many drygrown vineyard sites.
THE GROWER’S TOUCH
Stockwell Kalimna Light Pass
Nuriootpa
Moculta
Flaxman Valley
Kaiser Stuhl Bethany
Tanunda
Krondorf
Gomersal
Rowland Flat
Barossa Valley
Rosedale
Craneford
Eden Valley
High Eden
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Seppeltsfield
Marananga Stone Well
Keyneton
Angaston
Vine Vale
Greenock
The winemaker plays a crucial role in determining the quality and character of wine. The time of harvest, fermentation temperature, maceration times and oak maturation etc. can all impact on the taste of the wine.
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Moppa
THE WINEMAKER’S HAND
Viticultural practices are all slightly different and can impact on vine growth and berry composition.
BAROSSA TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP
Ebenezer
Growers work with winemakers to achieve the yields and quality required for particular wine styles.
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Pewsey Vale
Pewsey Vale Peak 629m
Springton
Eden Valley
Lyndoch
Geographic Indicator Boundary
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High Eden
Kaiser Stuhl Greenock
Tanunda
Barossa Vall
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Barossa
600 500 400 300 200 100 0
Springton
Eden Valley
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Barossa Valley
© Barossa Grape & Wine, 2015 Produced by: Carto Graphics, Unley, South Australia Barossa Grape & Wine gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Vinehealth Australia
Eden Valley
DIVERSITY IN THE TASTE OF BAROSSA VALLEY SHIRAZ CENTRAL GROUNDS
“Fragrant, elegant and smooth”
“Softness and generosity”
Here we highlight the character of wines from vineyards in the parish of Lyndoch.
Here we highlight the character of wines from along the Eastern Edge of the Barossa Valley, in the parishes of Bethany and Krondorf.
ALTITUDE
112 – 310m
CLIMATE
Warm. Rainfall is higher than in other parts of the valley.
Soils
Sandy loams to clay loams.
STYLE
Medium- to full-bodied, generous, lush, elegant, refreshing.
Mainly red and blue fruit with some black fruit nuances (red cherry, raspberry, blueberry, plum), fragrant, violets, mint and chocolate.
SHAPE & TEXTURE
Linear to oval, smooth, savoury. Fine, gentle tannins (satiny and powdery), moderately puckering and drying.
Altitude of the flat land north of the parish of Nuriootpa is around 280m. Altitude of the Western Ridge varies from 280 – 450m.
CLIMATE
arm. Sites on the W Western Ridge with east facing slopes provide relief from the hot afternoon sun.
SOILS
Soils vary but are predominately red-yellow brown loams over red clay. Shattered ironstones are found in the soils of the Western Ridge and the soils are shallower here than elsewhere. A small section of yellow and white sands is found in the area of Kalimna.
Warm. In summer, cool afternoon and evening gully breezes moderate the temperature, providing relief for vines on hot days. Sandy brown loams and black cracking clays.
THE TASTE OF THE WINES
THE TASTE OF THE WINES
Medium-to full-bodied, generous, vibrant.
STYLE
Full-bodied, opulent, concentrated, rich.
COLOUR
Deep purple-red.
COLOUR
Deep purple-red.
AROMA
Mainly red and blue fruits with a touch of black fruit (red cherry, fruitcake, blueberry, blackberry, plum), perfumed, mint and chocolate.
AROMA
Blue and black fruits (dark cherry, blackberry, plum, black olives), dark chocolate, cocoa powder, inky, iodine.
SHAPE & TEXTURE
Round, velvety. Firm, strong, expressive tannins (chalky and grainy), strongly puckering and moderately drying.
Style
Deep red to purple-red.
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ALTITUDE 180 – 280m
“Concentration and richness”
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SOUTHERN GROUNDS
NORTHERN GROUNDS
SHAPE & Oval to round. Fine, TEXTURE supple tannins (silky
and dusty), moderately puckering and drying.
The Western Ridge, around the parishes of Greenock and Seppeltsfield is where, typically, you find the most powerful expressions of Barossa Valley Shiraz, structured for ageing, with black fruits wrapped in firm, muscular tannins .