SHIRAZ BABY!

Nine years ago we began our search for a truly iconic Barossa Shiraz vineyard. We are now excited to reveal the fourth vintage of ELIJAH* Eden Valley Shiraz! 
It hails from the revered Fechner brothers’ Moculta vineyard in the Northern Eden Valley. It is a powerful wine incorporating new French oak from France’s oldest family cooperage, Leroi.

Winemakers: Daniel Chaffey Hartwig + Theo Engela
Varietal: Shiraz
Alc: 14.8%
Region: Eden Valley
pH: 3.59
Acidity: 5.9
Bottle size: 750 mL

2020

SILVER - 2023 Decanter Wine Awards, UK 

GOLD - 2022 Barossa Wine Show 

GOLD - 2022 Syrah du Monde, France

SILVER - 2022 Decanter Wine Awards, UK

SILVER - 2022 Melbourne International Wine Competition

92pts "A delicious and bright syrah with purple fruits, subtle black pepper and some dried flowers. Medium body. Fine tannins and a medium fruity finish." - James Suckling

"...Intense aromatics of blood plum, dark chocolate, vanilla bean, licorice, bouquet garni and Asian spice. The palate is opulently flavoured: really dark, plummy fruits, blackberries, chocolate, and layered... There's plenty going on in this wine: it is decadently flavoured, but the tannins and acidity do their thing and make sure the fruit behaves." The Real Review

2019
95pts "Really youthful, deep and dark in the glass. Intense aromatics of blood plum, dark chocolate, vanilla bean, licorice, bouquet garni and Asian spice. The palate is opulently flavoured: really dark, plummy fruits, blackberries, chocolate, and layered. There's some lovely oak that plays it part as well. There's plenty going on in this wine: it is decadently flavoured, but the tannins and acidity do their thing and make sure the fruit behaves" - Aaron Brasher, The Real Review

95pts "Flagship wine from the higher Eden Valley, Polished and dark, Blackberry, clack cherry, sandalwood, incense smoke with vanila bean paste and mushroom fin earthiness." - Regan Drew, Wine Words

94pts "It’s the one wine in the Chaffey range that I routinely struggle with but this release is a ripper. It’s big and throaty but it’s creamy smooth too; it has both grain and slip, its inherent, grunty tannin  rolling through asphalt, blackberry, gum leaf and toast. It’s both big on flavour and big on quality. This has been pushed to its limits, and has noticeable warm alcohol to show for it, but it remains complete and convincing." - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

SILVER - 2022 Decanter Wine Awards

SILVER - 2021 International Wine Challenge (London) "Ripe, intense blackberry fruit, a rich mouthful of ripe tannins and super-concentrated fruit. Spicy oak, very full-bodied with a powerful finish." 

SILVER - 2022 Sommeliers Choice Awards

2018
SILVER Syrah du Monde (France)

2016
GOLD - 95pts International Wine Challenge (London) "Youthful with smoke and black fruit. Dark, intense, concentrated, velvety tannins. Soft-toned with notes of spice, blackfruit and dark cherry."

94pts "Inky, deep and dark red of blackcurrant fruit, booze-soaked berries, walnut whiffs and sweet spice. Lavish, lush texture, rolls around the palate nicely, lingers for what seems forever and has all that hustle of a big red wrapped in a velvety cloak of goodness. One for the big red lovers, but those who know the tightrope walk of flavour, freshness and winemaking balance" - Mike Bennie for WBM

93pts "This takes a bold, dark and rich stance on the nose and palate with chocolate, dark-plum and graphite aromas, leading to a ripe dark-berry core that is framed in long, supple and even tannins." - James Suckling 

92/100 "Deep, dark red colour with purple and black tinges. The bouquet is high-toned - as in volatile acidity (VA) and/or lifted alcohol, while it's full-bodied and dense, with a lot of tannin and chew and loads of grunt. A big wine. The VA is not a problem except for purists and technocrats and it would respond well to extended cellaring." - Huon Hooke

2015
96pts "Deep colour and a rich, complex, earthy bouquet which features smoky, char-oak and other savoury nuances. There is terrific flavour here and excellent depth and weight. The wine is balanced and stylish, with savoury and fruit-sweet elements perfectly balanced. Black plums and savoury notes. The finish lingers on and on. A stylish and individual style of shiraz, and a gorgeous drink." - Huon Hooke 

 

Winemakers: Daniel Chaffey Hartwig + Theo Engela + Huon Fechner
Varietal: Syrah
Region: Eden Valley
Alc/Vol: 14.5%
pH: 3.57
Acidity: 5.9 
Bottle size: 750 mL

2020
94pts + SILVER - Abundant ripe plums and summer berry fruits, cut through with fine spice, blueberries with a whiff of vanilla and subtle, sexy French oak. There's a lovely fruit flow, some nice cool-climate crunch and a cascade of fine tannin for support. A lot to like here." - Dave Brooks, Halliday Wine Companion

SILVER - 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards

93pts "Lifted, vibrant, youthful, ripe, so pure and bright. Ripe berry fruit flavours with a touch of spice. This wine has layers of complexity with savoury nuances. Will improve with time." - Decanter Wine Magazine May 2023, Drink 2023-2032

91pts "This has aromas of dried violets, blackcurrants, cracked pepper and sage. Fresh and bright with savory and peppery layers. Medium-bodied. All nicely wrapped up in firm, fine tannins." - James Suckling

2019
GOLD MEDAL + 95pts "A modern style of shiraz with ripe but not overripe fruit with high quality oak given just enough opportunity to make its point without dominating the argument. The fruit here is dense blues and blacks, with suggestions of vanilla and cedar. It is finished with beautifully fine, ripe tannins." - Royal Adelaide Wine Show

SILVER - 2022 Sommeliers Choice Awards

93pts "It’s always good, always reliable. This 2019 release is as good as any previous, maybe even better. It’s just so juicy. Just so perfumed. Just so enjoyable. Blueberry, boysenberry, plum and clove notes meet mint, sweet spice and woodsmoke. There’s a clear jellied/jubey aspect but there’s also a good reach of tannin, with the length to match. It’s both warm and fresh-faced at once; it’s in excellent order." - Campbell Mattison, The Wine Front

91/100 "Aromas of blue fruits, red cherry, spice and a cool menthol lift. Flavours are mid to full-bodied, the fleshy, generous blueberry and dark cherry fruit flavours are round and layered, with plenty of tannin and acid-derived structure. A well-made, soft, juicy, round and very drinkable wine." - Aaron Brasher, The Real Review

92pts "A very dark, dense colour, the nose shows lots of spice and white pepper, some quite exotic fruit and floral notes but pure and ripe blackberry and blueberry dominates. The gentle toast of the oak comes through on nose and palate, in a wine where a smooth but savoury fruit stays pliable and fresh across the mid-palate. The finish has fresh acids, very tight tannins, the oak again adding some toast in the finish" - Tom Cannavan's Wine Pages

“A lovely dark fruit character with a herbal edge to it, like a peppery gunpowder note. Gravelly tannins, a touch of sweet pastry, vanilla, nice and long, with a warmth, but the alcohol doesn’t sit outside the frame of the wine.” - Mark Pygott MW

2018
92 pts "Spice, liquorice, black fruit, sage and mint. Medium-bodied, red and black fruit, fresh, light tannin, lively, good finish. Easy to like. Affable and regional." - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

2016
95/100 "Fresh plum, dry spice and dried banana-like aromas, fruit-driven and fresh, with some Rhône-ish notes. The palate has linearity and fleshy concentration, with ample soft tannins and refreshing acidity. A very appealing wine, the texture being a highlight. It drinks superbly already." - Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine, Huon Hooke

Winemakers: Daniel Chaffey Hartwig + Theo Engela
Varietal: Shiraz
Region: Barossa
Alc/Vol: 14.5%
pH: 3.6
Acidity: 5.9

2020
SILVER - 2022 Barossa Wine Show

SILVER - 2022 Syrah du Monde

SILVER - 2022 Decanter Wine Awards

SILVER - 2022 Sommeliers Choice Awards

SILVER + 91pts "Fruit from the northern Barossa, valley floor and the Eden Valley. Here's a great-value shiraz, flush with ripe fruit that sits at the lighter end of medium bodied. Dark and red plummy fruits, a splash of cherry and some red-fruited lift, a base of compact spice and chalky tannin along with wafts of chocolate, kirsch, earth and some mocha-like tones. Ticks all the boxes." - Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion

91pts "Plush Barossa purple in hue. Has the hallmarks of what you need Barossa to be: choc/mocha and deep plum, cherry, blackberry with earthy ferrous ironstone providing some grounding. Fully flavoured, but not full on. Manages restraint and even a touch of elegance with grippy, chalky tannin driving through the finish. Nothing complex but classily put together and dangerously drinkable." - Regan Drew, Vino Notebook

90pts "Deep ruby colour with purple tints. The nose offers mulberry, mocha and ironstone, all of which show as power flavours on the palate. There's a fleshy character to the fruit without being too much and the tannins offer a good focus and drive to the finish. Very approachable now and will develop in time too." - Stuart Knox, The Real Review

90pts "Aromas of mixed peppercorns, currants, blackberries and rosemary. Very clean, youthful and peppery with a medium body and creamy tannins. Fresh finish." - James Suckling

2019
91pts "Deep, rich plum, dark cherry, black peppercorn, a fresh turned earthiness and dark chocolate kiss. Opulent and fleshy with good tannin structure" - Regan Drew, Wine Words

91pts "Barossa shiraz, warm and rich. There’s lots of flavour and lots of alcohol here. Blackberry jam, peppercorns, black earth and asphalt flavours with some brighter redcurrant-like notes and a general softness to the mouthfeel. This will satisfy." - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

91/100 "Aromas of dark cherry, liqueured chocolates, dried herbs and spice. The flavours are all deep and dark with a juicy, fleshy roundness, plenty of generosity and just the right amount of tannin to tighten up the opulent fruit. A very enjoyable and drinkable wine" - Aaron Brasher, The Real Review

2018
Silver Medal - 2020 Barossa Wine Show

2017
91pts "Eucalypt strikes from the outset though it brings raspberry and sweet plum with it. There’s a clovey, almost graphite-like note here too. This is a soft, supple, well-shaped shiraz, just complex enough and essentially easy to like." - The Wine Front

2016
90/100 "Deep, dense red/purple colour, with a slightly meaty reductive note on the nose, which clears with airing to reveal red fruit and spicy high-notes. The palate is straightforward and firm, intense and tight, with some firmness and grip, as well as length. Slighty rustic, but very good." - Huon Hooke, The Real Review

93pts "Sourced from low-yielding vineyards throughout the zone including 17% from Eden Valley. New and seasoned French and American oak. Contemporary Barossa shiraz, expertly done. Bright, lifted berry and plum fruit in the bouquet, and a gentle, tarry earthiness to convey a sense of place. Softly textured, juicy and flavoursome, bouyant and fresh. Ticks every box" - Steven Creber, Halliday Wine Companion

90/100 "Deep, dense red/purple colour, with a slightly meaty reductive note on the nose, which clears with airing to reveal red fruit and spicy high-notes. The palate is straightforward and firm, intense and tight, with some firmness and grip, as well as length. Slighty rustic, but very good." - Huon Hooke , Halliday Wine Companion

Gold Medal and Food Match Trophy "An impressed Charlie Carter of Ten Green Bottles described ‘cassis and menthol notes on the nose, leading to more cassis dominating the palate, with some nice gamey character coming through on the finish, which has notes of black tea, menthol and liquorice’. The River Cafe’s Mattia Mazzi, meanwhile, enjoyed notes of ‘tobacco, as well as sweet-and-savoury fruit compote’, finding it to have ‘good concentration and balance’." - Sommelier Wine Awards UK 2019

"Wine of the Year" Gastro Pub category - Sommelier Wine Awards 2019

2015
93/100 "Sourced from low-yielding vineyards throughout the zone including 17% from Eden Valley. New and seasoned French and American oak. Contemporary Barossa shiraz, expertly done. Bright, lifted berry and plum fruit in the bouquet, and a gentle, tarry earthiness to convey a sense of place. Softly textured, juicy and flavoursome, buoyant and fresh. Ticks every box." - Steven Creber, Halliday

92/100 "Deep red/purple colour with a voluminous dark berry aroma, invoking black plum and herbs tinged with aniseed. The wine is full-bodied and loaded with fruit sweetness, masses of drying tannins and a slight grittiness. This is classic Barossa and a real contrast to this maker's more elegant wines from Eden Valley. (Northern Barossa, Barossa Valley floor & Eden Valley)" - Huon Hooke, The Real Review

90/100 "Deep red/purple colour; the aromas and flavours are dense and ripe, concentrated, fleshy and smooth, soft and easygoing, but also intense and driving. It's a wine of up-front appeal with fine, dry, sandy tannins and a long palate. There is lush fruit and ripe sweetness balancing the tannins. Worthy stuff." - Huon Hooke, The Real Review

93/00 "Volume of licorice, asphalt and raspberry jam flavour. This wine pours it on. It remains fresh and lively but it whacks the flavour at you. Firmish tannin to close. A full-bodied red, done well." - Campbell Mattinson, Halliday