The Barossa Valley is Australia’s most important fine wine region, owing to its history, size, commercial and qualitative success. When I first started drinking wine the Barossa Valley, as with all Australian wine regions, was thought of in the singular. A big region, with a defined style. It never occurred to me to think of single vineyards, or sub regions, but of course, those who really knew – grape growers and wine makers – knew the best sites long ago. Tasting across the Eisenstone range is a masterclass in regional differences, expressed through single vineyards and in the traditional Barossa style.
All the wines see 50% new French oak and are aged for similar periods, although the burlier styles will see longer wood ageing. This is a style that has come under pressure of late, with many wine critics penalising the bigger styles. None more so than the Halliday Wine Companion which in its 2022 edition saw many wine producers opting not to publish their scores reviews as a result of low scores and scathing words from reviewer Tyson Stelzer. Eisenstone was one such producer, which in previous years could hope for scores of 95 points and above.
We have been fortunate to taste three vintages of Eisenstone, all excellent and remarkably consistent. The winemaking is the same with only subtle adjustments for vintage, reminding me of the Bordeaux days of old. The formula worked. The French oak is more integrated now than it was 12 months ago and the wine is extremely fresh, as if first bottled – less elemental and more seamless. 2019 is an excellent vintage, with rich concentrated fruit, long ripe tannins and plenty of freshness.
Ebenezer is in Barossa’s extreme north – flat, with red clay soils. The soils provide precious water holding capacity to what is a near desert, ensuring Ebenezer’s consistency across dry, hot vintages. I think very few wine tasters, myself included, could mark out the differences between the sub regions, but they are real and if you were to taste all the Eisenstone wines together, they become obvious. I have never been able to pick out a favourite, and from vintage to vintage, my preferences change.
Pastille fruits of blueberry, cassis, cherry and raspberry, with violets, vanilla and nutmeg. Beautiful, soaring aromatics. The fruit comes off the Hoffman vineyard from 70 year old vines, which judging by this wine, are at the peak of their productive power. Full bodied, buoyant and fresh, and it’s these last two attributes that impress. Full bodied and rich, as it should be, we are in the Barossa don’t forget, but there is nothing heavy or boozy.
The sweet fruits are tangy reds, flecked throughout the darkness. The oak present is perfectly integrated and provides a long, long frame upon which the fruit sits. Certainly no chew – silk at first leading to all smooth, velvet tannins. Let’s just say Stelzer saw it quite differently in the Wine Companion, and his summation is entirely at odds with our experience of this and Eisenstone wines in general.
Boozy and porty wines are everywhere in the Barossa, and I too find them unappealing. However, this is not what we have here. I have always loved the Eisenstone wines for their faithful interpretation of an Australian classic, Barossa shiraz. The 2019 Ebenezer is a delight, packed with so much flavour, stuffing and freshness. Seamless, gliding and with the presence of a large man possessed of a beautiful voice.
Eisenstone Ebenezer Shiraz 2019
