Yalumba The Signature Cabernet-Shiraz 2014
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Winemaker Notes
This wine is medium to deep brick red in color and opens with perfumed fruits, showing pretty blue exotic florals, pomegranate, and cranberry, with milk chocolate and licorice depth. The palate is medium weighted, with a fresh tight acidity carrying through. Very stylish, very approachable and very drinkable.
Decant and enjoy with a char-grilled rump or eggplant steak with all the extras.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Yalumba's classic Barossa red blend is a complex, restrained drop right off the bat, leading with subtle notes of olives, Middle Eastern spices, dried leaves and ground pepper all wrapped around a quiet line of plum and berry fruit. There's a silky mouthfeel bound by gentle, savory tannins with spice and plum nuances right to the finish. A fine, balanced wine set to stand the test of time. Drink 2020–2029.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Somehow Yalumba's 2014 The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz slipped through the cracks on release, so I'm reviewing it now for the benefit of readers who may have already purchased it—or for those lucky enough to find it still in the market. A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Shiraz, it shows classic Cabernet structure in its streamlined shape on the palate. Hints of cedar and vanilla accent cassis and cherry flavors, picking up hints of tobacco and perhaps a bit of mint along the way to a long, focused finish.
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James Suckling
A dense and flavorful red with currant, fresh herb and earth. Full body, velvety tannins. Herbal finish is a little annoying.
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Wine Spectator
Toasty herb, cedar and plum flavors are smooth and accessible, with polished tannins, a hint of black licorice and Earl Grey tea notes lingering on the finish, where this gains momentum as the details crescendo and the harmony among the elements really shines. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Drink now through 2033.
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Decanter
Broad, ripe and showing touches of evolution, with high-toned smoky bacon, vanilla and concentrated red berries on a backbone of acidity through the long finish.
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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.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
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.