Yalumba Steeple Vineyard Shiraz 2015
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Suckling
James - Decanter
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Wong
Wilfred -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Enjoy with grilled lamb cutlets, cooked pink and rare, with rosemary and tarragon roast potatoes or Cajun style tofu with caramelized root vegetables.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A biodynamically farmed plot in Light Pass, planted in 1919. Earthy aromas around red fruit, in the plum and boysenberry zone, together with dried flowers and pot pourri. Very smooth-honed center palate with bright, vibrant and pliable tannins that are very balanced and seamless. Drink or hold.
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Decanter
This vineyard in Light Pass was planted in 1919 on well-drained red brown loam. Aged in French oak barriques (19% new), this smooth, elegant Shiraz reveals anise-inflected sweet plum, crushed raspberry, blackberry and orange blossom aromas and flavours. Creamy, chocolate oak, immersive acidity and fine-grained tannins accentuate the seamlessness of delivery. Lingering anise, liquorice spice and an bloody ironstone tang to the finish.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2015 Yalumba Steeple Vineyard Shiraz exhibits finesse and elegance. TASTING NOTES: This wine is perky and bright. Pair its fresh and enchanting red fruit aromas and flavors with a roast duck with a light citrus glaze. (Tasted: September 24, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
Ironstone, sanguine and meaty notes lead on the nose here, followed closely by dried violet, plum cake and cherry cordial. The palate is rich, almost viscous in texture, but a lift of acidity freshens. Tannins are muscular and a little chewy and oaky, and those ironstone, sanguine flavors flow through to the finish. Drink now with protein and decanter at hand until 2030.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Drawn from a vineyard planted in 1919 within the Light Pass subregion, the 2015 Steeple Vineyard Shiraz aged entirely in French oak. A powerful but refined and elegant expression of Barossa Valley Shiraz, it's medium to full-bodied and boasts a concentrated aroma and flavors of cedar, ground cinnamon and clove, dark berries and plums, all underscored by a clean loaminess and fine-grained tannins on a tart, lingering finish. It should drink well for at least a decade.
Other Vintages
2016-
Suckling
James
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Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James
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Parker
Robert
Established in 1849, Yalumba is Australia’s most historic family-owned wine company showcasing the best of the Barossa and South Australian wine regions. Fiercely independent and extremely progressive through the generational ownership by the Hill-Smith family, their longevity and success are a result of patience, collaboration, and forward-thinking. Yalumba is a leader in the industry with the foresight to embrace the natural terroir to craft wines with individual character and a sense of purpose, as well as a spirit to reinvest in the land upon which it operates. Yalumba is committed to sharing stories of provenance gathered over 175 years of history of family winemaking.
Arguably the single most famous wine region in Australia, the Barossa includes both Barossa Valley and Eden Valley, making it one of the only areas in Australia to have neighboring warm and cool climate growing conditions. Yalumba is privileged to have access to some of the oldest vineyards in the world in Barossa Valley, including 1889 bush vine Grenache and 1908 Shiraz. They are committed to growing premium quality fruit reflecting distinctive varietal characters of the region.
Yalumba also operates the Southern Hemisphere's only fully operational Cooperage, crafting bespoke oak barrels that elevate the wines aged within them. While the beginnings of the Yalumba Cooperage remain a mystery lost in time, coopering has been a proud tradition at the winery for more than a century. Their coopers have been performing and perfecting their craft since around 1890. In the Nursery, Yalumba is a global leader in wine innovation, growing, evaluating, and supplying quality grape vines to the Australian wine industry. Yalumba has developed strong relationships with leading grapevine programs from around the world and have exclusive access to certain new varietals in Australia. This gives the Yalumba viticulturists and winemakers the unique opportunity to evaluate and develop new or emerging varieties before they are sold.
Yalumba continually strives to reduce their impact on the environment, stay involved in the community, and make great wine with minimal intervention in the vineyard and in the winery. They are committed to sustainable practices, with the belief that the healthier and more biodiverse the vineyards are, the better the wines will be. Yalumba has been developing its own sustainable viticulture program since the mid-1990s, promoting the economic production of quality grapes. For every acre of vineyard Yalumba own, they have at least one acre of native vegetation. All Yalumba wines are crafted with wild yeast, are 100% vegan, and are made with the least intervention possible but with as much knowledge, confidence, and expertise as possible.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.