Region:Barossa Valley, South Australia

At long last customers, Australia wide, are warming to the correct flavours of Barossa Valley Cabernet.

Since arriving in the Barossa in 2004 we have been wary of investing too heavily in Barossa Cabernet as this variety is recognised more as being from Coonawarra and Margaret River. Yet Cabernet thrives across many climate regions and the special flavours which make it so popular are still detectable. A Barossa wine though will be fuller and riper than that from Coonawarra.

I recall with fondness the Orlando Barossa Valley Cabernets of the 1960s and 1970s though they were discontinued I guess from lack of interest. Cabernet was of course scarce until the large plantings of the 1980s matured and it now sits in popularity just behind Shiraz.

As expressed, it is better when buying to imagine the likely taste of the region before selecting the variety. So for this Auld and Burton it is Barossa first and Cabernet second.