Glaetzer, 2009 Wallace.

The Glaetzer Family: The Glaetzer family has been a part of the Barossa Valley and its viticulture history since 1888. After thirty years of winemaking, Colin Glaetzer established the family winery to create wines he's passionate about - limited quantities of benchmark Barossa Valley reds. Today, his son Ben carries on this winemaking tradition at Glaetzer Wines.

Name & Label: Wallace is an ancestral name of Colin's wife Judith, whose family hail from the old market town of Cupar in Fife, Scotland. Judith's Celtic ancestry is reflected in the three elements of the Wallace symbol - the Celtic cross, thistle and the Celtic knot pattern.

The Wine: Glaetzer Wallace takes on the traditional Barossa Vallley blend of Shiraz and Grenache in a thoroughly modern way.

Black cherries and winter fruits dominate the nose - which is pure, lively and captivating. Rich and rounded on the palate, the Grenache adds blackberry tones and fresh acidity whilst the old-vine Shiraz adds structure, hints of liquorice and bright fruit.

A spicy, savoury, food friendly wine.

Region: All fruit for Glaetzer wines is taken from the small sub-region of the northern Barossa Valley, called Ebenezer. The viticulture used is standard single wire, with permanent arm rod and spur. Many of the very old vines (80-130 years old) have been trained onto a trellis for easy of pruning, harvesting and for disease and frost control.

Vinification: With our expericence of old, Barossa Valley Grenache we know it does not handle oak well. For this reason we ferment and mature the Grenache component in stainless steel to keep freshness and animation of the fruit. The Shiraz is matured in 2-3 year old oak barrels.