Wine
In Noble Company With Barons Of Barossa
If ever there was a 'secret' society you'd want to be invited into, it's the Barons of Barossa.
Selector heads to their spiritual home, The Barossa Cellar, to taste a special line-up that celebrates its past, present, and bright future.
Social commune, ritual and generosity are tenents woven deeply into the fabric of every wine region. It's a universal cloth that stretches across time, borders, and language, only getting stronger each time these communities open wines, break bread and share stories. Wine gatherings are more than just a celebration of grape and craft; they form a place from which common challenges are addressed, and shared experience blends into solutions focused on community advancement.
Modelled on the Burgundian La Confrrie des Chevaliers du Tastevin and the Commanderie de Bordeaux societies of France, the brother-and-sisterhood that is the Barons of Barossa is the most organised and visible Australian regional wine society.
Formed in 1975 by Bill Seppelt, Wyndham Hill-Smith, Peter Lehmann, Cyril Henschke, Colin Gramp, Bruce Hoffmann, George Kolarovich and Condor Laucke, the Barons formed to promote the Barossa, its wine, viticulture, and gastronomy, and to helpmaintain the region's rich heritage, lifestyle, traditions, and arts. As a group, they operate mostly behind the scenes as philanthropists raising money for various endeavours, notably schools and educational scholarships, community projects, and culturally important causes.
BEQUEST OF THE BAROSSA - A VINOUS ARK
Until a few seasons ago, the most the community would see of them would be at the annual Declaration of Vintage festival where they would robe up, put their tastevins - a silver wine cup - around their neck, and proudly march along Tanunda's Murray St. In 2020, however, the Barons built a home and planted a Shiraz vineyard out front based on cuttings from a range of historic vineyards around the valley.
They dubbed it The Barossa Cellar, and it serves as an enduring symbol and focal point for their endeavours. With an inspired view across the valley floor, The Barossa Cellar serves as a time capsule where liquid icons from across the valley are added, stored and tasted. There are 7,000-plus bottles stored within this perpetual ark, donated by winemakers across the whole valley and representing its unique tapestry of site and variety. Beyond this, the cellar serves as a showcase of the ageing potential of Barossa wines. The Barons know well what well-made wine can do with the right amount of age under the right storage conditions.
They know how beautifully time and wine intertwines, and how each bottle tells a story of people and place. They understand the power in these stories. The Barossa Cellar is now a repository for these stories, forming a perpetual time capsule. Over time, it's become clear that The Cellar has become a physical symbol of endurance for the Barons, and the Barossa in general. To celebrate this persistence, current Grand Master of the Barons, Louisa Rose, rallied together a special selection of wines from The Barossa Cellar and the Barons behind them.
The Wines of The Tasting
Corryton Burge Eden Valley Riesling 2023
Hatch Flaxman's Riesling 2023
Orlando Steingarten EV Riesling 2006
Pewsey Vale Vineyard Estate Eden Valley Riesling 2023
Pewsey Vale Vineyard The Contours Eden Valley Riesling 2004
Corryton Burge Grenache 2022
Kalleske Old Vine Grenache 2022 | 2012
Mt Charles Grenache 2020
Hoffmann Family Grenache 2012
Tim Smith Wines Barossa Shiraz 2021 | 2006
Soul Growers Slow Grown Shiraz 2021
Barossa Valley Estate Ebenezer Shiraz 2006
Langmeil Orphan Bank Shiraz 2021 | 2010
Bethany GR Shiraz 2020 | 1998
John Duval Wines Eligo Shiraz 2018 | 2008 (Magnum)
Seppeltsfield No EC4 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2021 | 2018
Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 2004
Elderton Ashmead Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 | 2008
Levrier Anubis Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 | 2014
Seppeltsfield Para Tawny 21 year old 2003
Seppeltsfield Para Tawny 100 year old 1924
Get the full run-down of the tasting and notes on the above wines in the latest edition of Selector magazine, available digitally via Magzster or Pressreader or subscribe today for the best in Australian life, food and wine, delivered to your door.