Turkey Flat...
 Few would disagree that the Barossa Valley is
at the zenith of producing the rich wine styles for which
Australia has become famous.
Rationality is increasing a differentiating
factor for premium Australian wine, and a long established
Barossa properties such as Turkey Flat are the guardians of the
heritage that many overlook in their discovery of "new world"
wine.
The first vineyards planted at Turkey Flat
date back to 1843. They are still providing minuscule quantities
of super-concentrated low-yielding fruit. As the phylloxera
louse devastated almost all of the vineyards of Europe in the
late nineteenth century, Australia's oldest vineyards such as
these are almost certainly the longest-lived on earth.
This extraordinary fruit is hand-crafted into
wines of rare charm, depth and character by Peter and Christie
Schultz and their small expert team.
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Grenache
2004 |
|
Bin No |
MENT/203 |
Size |
1 x 75cl |
Price |
£12.25 |
|
 Granache has its origins
in Spain, in particular the Northern Province of Aragon. A favourite
in Southern Australia due to its ability to withstand extremes of
heat, aridity and wind, it produces wines of exceptional quality,
providing yields are kept low (around 2 tonnes/acre or approximately
32 hectolitres/hectare). The vines are traditionally spur pruned, in
the goblet style of Southern France.
This wine is made from
90 year old Grenache vines grown on the Turkey Flat Vineyard. These
old vines produce fantastically concentrated fruit which translates
into a style of Grenache for which Turkey Flat has become famous.
A stunning single
vineyard wine, the 2004 Grenache is elegant and perfumed, displaying
aromas of fresh raspberries and dark cherries.
The palate is full with stewed plum and anise overlain with warmth
and peppery spices. Full of rich fruit whilst young, this wine will
develop wonderful savoury and earthy characters with careful
cellaring.
89 Points Robert Parker
~ The Wine Advocate #167 October 2006 |
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Cabernet
Sauvignon 2004 |
|
Bin No |
MENT/206 |
Size |
1 x 75cl |
Price |
£18.25 |
|
 This wine is made from
fruit grown on the historic 150 year old Turkey Flat vineyard. The
Cabernet Sauvignon vines are planted on the river flat near the
cellar door where they thrive on deep soils without the need for
irrigation.
Cabernet Sauvignon vines produce fruit of exceptional
richness and concentration when grown in sites such as this.
What sets Cabernet
Sauvignon apart is its ability to travel, to set down its roots in
distant lands and still produce something that is recognisably
Cabernet,
whatever the circumstances and conditions. Whilst the Barossa Valley
has largely earned its reputation for making 'big' reds with the
Shiraz grape variety, this wine is certainly proof that the Barossa
can produce distinctive ‘classic’ Cabernet with power, concentration
and structure, in specific sites .The ‘Black Flat’ vineyard, behind
the winery, is such a site, which, since 1994, has been producing a
consistent lineage of classic distinctive and stylish Cabernets.
2004 proved to be a
particularly fine vintage for this single vineyard wine.
The extended ripening period allowed optimum tannin ripeness and
extended time on skins to build seamless tannin and flavour
structure. This wine displays classic Cabernet aromatics of red and
black currants, juniper berries, red pepper and subtle tobacco
notes.
93 Points Robert Parker
~ The Wine Advocate #167 October 2006 |
|
Butchers
Block 2005 |
|
Bin No |
MENT/202 |
Size |
1 x 75cl |
Price |
£10.25 |
|
 The Butchers Block is a
traditional Barossa blend made with grapes selected from the Turkey
Flat vineyards, including some from the original old vine plantings.
It is a blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvédre
(Mataro), with the proportions of each variety varying from vintage
to vintage. The 2005 vintage of Butchers Block is a blend of 56%
Shiraz, 27% Grenache and 17% Mourvédre.
Each varietal component
of this wine was vinified separately in open fermenters and
subsequently aged in both hogsheads and larger format French oak for
approximately 18 months. The result is an intense warm, earthy
full-bodied red with seamless oak integration.
The nose is rich with
dark plum and violets and hints of cracked black pepper, cherry and
juniper berry. The palate shows sweet lifted fruits with a hint
gaminess and creamy vanillin oak character. The tannin structure is
long and restrained with a velvety finish. |
|
Barossa
Valley Shiraz 2005 |
|
Bin No |
MENT/207 |
Size |
1 x 75cl |
Price |
£19.95 |
|
 The Turkey Flat Vineyard
boasts some of the oldest Shiraz vines in the world. Planted in
1847, these hard-working gnarled old vines are still producing
fantastic grapes. They are dry grown with their roots extending
metres
into the soil in search of moisture.
Much of the credit for
the best Shiraz made in the Barossa is due to old vines such as
these. The fact that these vines still exist is largely due to a
far-sighted quarantine scheme, in which South Australia was spared
the phylloxera outbreak which devastated the vineyards of Europe,
America and subsequently parts of Australia in the late 1800’s.
The 2005 vintage was
generally mild with a long ripening period. A slightly warmer than
the previous vintage, 2005 Shiraz is rich and dense. Extended time
on skins has resulted in a firm tannin structure ensuring that this
wine will improve with careful cellaring of up to 10 years.
95 Points
~ The Wine Advocate #167 October 2006 |
|
Rosé 2007 |
|
Bin No |
MENT/201 |
Size |
1 x 75cl |
Price |
£9.85 |
|
 Australia is ideally
suited to producing and consuming wine as fruity, refreshing and
reviving as an ice cool glass of Rosé. We enjoy the perfect climate
and have the ideal grape varieties, as well as the perfect food
culture to complement this style of wine.
Having been amongst the
first to lead the great Rosé revival, it has been interesting to
watch the popularity of this wine style grow. We dedicate one
vineyard to Rosé ensuring continuity of style. Our Rosé is still
drier than most and displays complexity and balance difficult to
find.
The 2007 Rosé is, as in
previous years, a complex blend of Grenache, Shiraz, Cabernet
Sauvignon and Dolcetto. Each of these varieties adds its own
individual characteristic to the wine.
The colour is rose petal
pink with panoply of red fruit flavours such as raspberries,
cherries and leafy red and black currants. Fresh and vibrant with an
ever so slight 'spritz' on the palate from naturally retained CO2. |
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