Shobbrook Wines, Barossa, Australia

Shobbrook Wines
Brilliant natural wines from Australia's Barossa Valley

Jenke Road, Seppeltsfield, Barossa Valley, SA5360 Australia
Website: www.shobbrookwines.com.au

Shobbrook Wines

Simply put, this was one of the most exciting line-up of wines I’ve tried in quite a while. Partly because it was so unexpected. I didn’t realise that natural wines like these were being made in the Barossa Valley.

Tom Shobbrook’s family are grape growers in the Barossa, with 9 hectares of vines. Tom returned to the Barossa after working for a few years at a winery in Italy, and decided he wanted to make wine here, but differently.

First, he wanted to grow the grapes biodynamically. Secondly, he wanted to make wine without any additions, as naturally as possible. There are many excellent wines made in the Barossa, but almost all of them rely on the use of tartaric acid to correct the relatively low acidity of the grapes grown in this warm climate, and on sulfur dioxide during winemaking. Tom doesn’t acidify, he doesn’t use cultured yeasts, and he only adds a very little sulfur dioxide at bottling, in the order of 20 ppm.

Shobbrook wine

These wines are quite remarkable, especially the reds. They’re not cheap, but they are worth the money. UK agent is the winemakers club (www.thewinemakersclub.co.uk) and RRPs are given in brackets after each note.

THE WINES

Shobbrook Wines Riesling 2010 Eden Valley
Fine, expressive citrus and mineral notes. Quite rounded texture with a hint of ripe apple. Lovely acidity. 91/100 (£20)

Shobbrook Wines Riesling 2011 Eden Valley
Fine, expressive, complex limey nose with some mineral notes. The palate shows taut, structured apple and citrus notes. Very dry with high acidity. 92/100 (£20)

Shobbrook Wines Seppeltsfield Nouveau 2011 Barossa
Mourvèdre. A bit cloudy. Fabulous elegant, open sweet fruit with incredible purity. Beautiful aromatics with sweet, elegant open cherry and berry fruit. Lovely sweet berry fruit on the palate with a bit of CO₂ keeping things fresh. 94/100 (£15)

Shobbrook Wines Seppeltsfield Syrah 2009 Barossa
Ripe, sweet, pure nose. The palate shows sweet raspberry and blackberry fruit. Bold but with nice definition and purity. Lovely meaty complexity. 93/100 (£28)

Shobbrook Wines Seppeltsfield Syrah 2010 Barossa
Beautifully perfumed nose of sweet black fruits. Refined, pure and rich on the palate but with real elegance and a mineral quality. Fine and elegant. 95/100 (£28)

Shobbrook Wines Ebenezer Mourvèdre 2010 Barossa
This is made in two 600 litre barrels, which are put on their ends and half filled for fermentation; then pressed into one for maturation. Smooth, elegant black fruits nose. Beautifully pure and supple. Pristine black cherry fruit palate with a silky texture. Amazing mouthfeel and thrilling purity. 96/100