Stop Press! GOLD MEDAL +96PTS - Decanter World Wine Awards 2025 (World's Best GSM of DWWA 2025!) Free Shipping on 6 pks to celebrate!
After hitting the highest of highs winning “Best in Show” with our Evangeline Eden Valley Syrah in last year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, we decided it was time to shine a light on our La Résistance Old Vine GSM. We are thrilled to see the judges agree! 2023 La Résistance Barossa GSM has taken out a coveted GOLD award at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) and is the top scoring GSM of the awards this year!
For 10 years we've been on a quest to make the perfect Barossa GSM... and in 2023 we reckon we've nailed it. It's generous, juicy, balanced & refined... a wine fit for any occasion and any crowd!
Old Vine Grenache is the hero of our Barossa GSM. Elegant Syrah and spicy Mourvèdre add their signature definition and structure to this harmonious ensemble. 9 months Elevage in seasoned (3 - 8yr old) French oak Hogsheads support deep-fruited, dark cherry, strawberry and mineral laden (graphite/ferrous) palate with a lovely savoury lick of supple fine-grain tannin. Gentle refreshing acidity gives great line and drives the brooding and delicious fruit through to a lingering finish.
GSM = Rhone inspired Barossa Blend. Enjoy with your best spag bol recipe, chargrilled/barbecued meats, or take roast veggies to new heights.
History: A vinous rematch of the famous 1811 battle at Barrosa Ridge where Spain and France collided. La Résistance! takes up the fight for the traditional French varieties of the Barossa and pitches gnarly old vine Grenache, Syrah & Mourvèdre into defence against the invading foreign marauders.
Winemakers: Daniel Chaffey Hartwig + Huon Fechner + Theo Engela
Varieties: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre
Region: Barossa
Alc/Vol: 14.4%
pH: 3.65
2024 (not yet released - available only in our GOLD MEDAL GSM 3pk!)
GOLD MEDAL + 96PTS - Royal Queensland Wine Awards 2026
2023
GOLD MEDAL +96PTS - Decanter World Wine Awards 2025
GOLD MEDAL +95pts - New World Wine Awards NZ 2025
SILVER MEDAL - London Wine Competition 2025
96pts “Bountiful fresh cherries and raspberries burst over the vanilla chocolate intensity. Weighty and complex with lush tannins and a vibrant acidity woven into the frame.” - Decanter World Wine Awards 2025
95pts+ "What a cracking grenache, shiraz and mourvédre blend! Medium crimson with vibrant raspberry, blackberry and blueberry aromas, with baking spices, peppercorn, graphite, dried citrus rind and purple florals. Juicy, dark and blue fruits on the palate with the most powdery of tannin clouds, bright acidity and a long draw of juicy, spicy fruit. It's just so damn easy to drink. Woah!" - Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
95pts " Medium-deep crimson. Lovely raspberry, blackberry pastille aromas with roasted walnut, hint peppery notes. Red and black fruits on the palate with roasted nut, hint wax polish notes. Finishes chalky/ al dente firm and crunchy with peppery/ spicy notes. Lovely fruit complexity and vigour. A cracker at this price point. Drink now–2030" - Andrew Caillard MW & Ken Gargett, Vintage Wine Journal
"Spicy and lifted aromas of black cherries, mulberries, coffee beans, dried herbs and spice. The palate is bright and fresh, with finely framed tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of plums, charcuterie and blueberry compote. Nicely balanced and plush." - James Suckling
2022
GOLD MEDAL - London Wine Competition 2024
GOLD MEDAL +95pts - New World Wine Awards NZ 2024
93pts + 5 ⭐️ "Sweetly ripe and inviting with dark plum, cherry, thyme, warm spice, and rich floral aromas on the nose. It's succulent and supple in the mouth, delivering smooth texture and fine tannins, finishing supple and delectable. At its best: now to 2032." - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
92pts + SILVER - Halliday's 100 New Australian Wines 2024
"Team Chaffey Bros has been consistently releasing some pretty delicious wines of late. Wines of funk and crunch and a sense of effortless drinkability. Ditto this release, which is old-vine Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre matured in seasoned French oak for nine months. Dark cherry and blood plum dredged with spice, purple floral tones, ironstone and whiffs of berry flan. Bright, just the right amount of crunch and damn fine drinkin'" - Dave Brookes, Halliday
92pts "Tea cake spices, cuddly dark red plum and cherry fruits, rose petals, nutty sweet oak influence kissed by char and a stony turned earth base. Initial fruit generosity gets bound by tension and focus. Firm tannins and refreshing, cooling acidity cleaning up the tail replete with red fruit and dried petal echoes. Match up with lamb steaks or put it in the cellar for a couple of years." - Regan Drew, vinonotebook.com
91 pts "Pretty aromas of dried flowers, cherry, mulberry, sweet spice and earth. Flavours are firm, mouth-filling and meaty, with chalky tannins delivering structure and savouriness on the finish. There's a decent core of blue and dark fruits and the acidity ensures freshness and life. A really smart wine and good value." - Aaron Brasher, The Real Review
2021
GOLD MEDAL 95 points - New World Wine Awards (NZ)
Special Value Red Star "There's a lot of enjoyment in this slinky grenache, syrah and mourvèdre blend that bursts out of the gates with a tide of ripe macerated satsuma plum, raspberry and boysenberry fruits. Asian spice is layered beneath the fruit with hints of turned earth, pressed flowers, ginger cake and a chocolate-coated cherry vibe. The tannins melt into the fruit and there is a bright acid pulse and an impressive savoury slide on the finish." 91pts + Special Value Red Star - Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion
SILVER + 93pts "Big dense oyster shell subtle powerful, delicious." - Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2023
SILVER "Lovely lift of raspberry fruit and florals Juicy pure and vibrant nice drive and tannins Brambly black fruit, spice and some cedar. plush and cuddly." - Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2023
SILVER - Barossa Wine Show 2022
92pts "A blend of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre. Slightly rustic red with a charcuterie character around a core of sweet fruit supported by soft, mellow tannins, Very approachable now and hard to imagine it getting much better." - Bob Campbell, The Real Review
91pts "There's a lot of enjoyment in this slinky grenache, syrah and mourvèdre blend that bursts out of the gates with a tide of ripe macerated satsuma plum, raspberry and boysenberry fruits. Asian spice is layered beneath the fruit with hints of turned earth, pressed flowers, ginger cake and a chocolate-coated cherry vibe. The tannins melt into the fruit and there is a bright acid pulse and an impressive savoury slide on the finish." - Dave Brooks, Halliday Wine Companion
91pts "This is a succulent red blend with a fresh array of strawberries, peppercorns, plums, violets and tea leaves on the nose. Medium-bodied with creamy tannins. Bright and gently spicy finish." - James Suckling Reviews
91pts "Lovely riffing on the theme. Alcohol spike on the nose seems to have dropped for this vintage. It’s drying herbs, choc ganache, hazelnut spread, roast ginger, fleshy plum and earthy base. Silky and slippery with neatly slotted in tannins working in a sharp left-right combo with bright acidity. Cuddly red fruits balanced with savoury herbs and iodine present well. Another winner from the CB team." - Regan Drew, Vino Notebook
91pts "Deep, dark and dense in the glass. Evocative, dark fruited and spice aromas. Plum, blueberry, cola, licorice and dried herbs. There’s a fair bit going on here. The palate is fleshy, dark fruited and mouth-filling. Mulberry, plum and dark cherry are all at play and their's a nice lick of sweet oak and spice. Tannins are shapely, acidity is punchy and the flavours are long." - Aaron Brasher, The Real Review
2020GOLD MEDAL - London Wine Competition 2022
SILVER - Sommeliers Choice Awards 2022
92pts "A poignant extension of the franchise we’ve come to enjoy: roast nuts, chocolate sauce, dark raspberry, crushed herbs, some inky iodine and even a little cherry ice cream. Class volume turned up a few notches with better concentration of fruit (still a little prickle) through the silky palate. Good persistence of flavour and lip smacking tannin. Said before and I’ll say it again, this needs big glasses and an open fire and you’re doing the bull dance in your happy place." - Regan Drew, vinonotebook.com
2019
90pts "Barossa blend of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre. Yep, it’s another goodun’. Warm with alcohol for sure and showing some stressed herb characters but the fruit is solid and it feels silken in the mouth. Watch the alcohol, enjoy the taste the feel." - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
90pts "This is just fun. It’s dark and inky and yet bright and delicious. There’s roast walnut autumnal depth with layers of herbed dark fruit and hints of spiritous alc prickling the nose (but it’s well within the charm quotient). Suave, with plump purple berries, nutty oak and a seaweed iodine tang. Tannins like a polar fleece throw rug. Big glasses. Roaring fireplace." - Regan Drew, Vino Notebook
2018
92pts “A gluggable, sloshy, soft and fuller weight red showing strong perfume of sweet, berried fruit, choc-cherry characters, faint roast meats and licks of nougat and vanilla. It's such a charming wine, shows touches of sophistication in its smooth, even texture and finishes all with soft and fine tannins. This seems to punch above its weight, and overall drinks with friendliness.” - Mike Bennie, WBM
2017
91pts "Barossa blend of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre. Beautiful drink. It has a calm air about it. Raspberry, plum, chicory and earth flavours flow through the mouth. Nothing feels pushed, nothing feels rushed. It has just-enough texture without being syrupy. There’s a gentle ferrous note too. Good buying-drinking here." - The Wine Front
2016
90pts "54% grenache, 24% shiraz and 22% mourvedre. Spicy and fruit-driven, with the aromatic qualities of grenache leading the way as it often does in these blends. Raspberry, strawberry jam and sweet cherry are prominent in the flavour profile within the smoothly textured palate which glides easily along from start to finish, the lightest touch of tannin keeping it in shape." - Halliday Wine Companion
90/100 "Medium to full red colour with a trace of purple. The bouquet is earthy and lightly spicy, with an overriding note of charcoal or soot. The wine is medium to full-bodied and rich, with soft texture but drying qualities, the aftertaste big on pepper and meaty charcuterie notes. The wine is intense and firm and lingers well. A serious red wine with ageing potential." - Huon Hooke
90pts "Barossa blend of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre. Ready when you are. What it lacks in weight it makes up for in character. And drinkability. This is good for any occasion, any time. Red and black berried fruits, inlays of dry/sweet spice, a general savouriness but a clear run of juicy, anise-flashed fruit too. Pitch perfect." - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
"A pitch perfect midweek quaffer with layers of sweetish fruit, spice, juiciness and general fun loving nature, this doesn't feel like it is trying to be too sophisticated, more a drink for those seeking early complexity in a neat, tidy, relatively simple framework. Slosh it around with abound, it's great." - Mike Bennie, WBM
2015
90/100 "It's not hard to see the appeal. It's only light to medium-bodied but the sweetness of aniseed, the rush of raspberry and the ripple of earthen spice notes lend plenty of hands to the wine's drinkability/deliciousness." - Halliday Wine Companion
2014
93/100 "Aniseed and blackberry jam flavours meet dry spice and clove. The combination is delicious. Lick of tannin keeps it all neat and tidy. High drinkability." - Halliday Wine Companion
